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Volcanic eruption intensifies, Tapochao fire dies, quake jolts Maug
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Posted on Apr 04 2005
Volcanic eruptions on Anatahan reached a new peak for the last two months, as explosions continue every one to several minutes.
The Emergency Management Office and the U.S. Geological Survey said, though, that the two-month peak, which was recorded at about 1am yesterday, had lesser magnitude compared with the year’s peak last Feb. 2.
Both agencies said that seismicity dropped dramatically after yesterday’s peak.
They said steam and ash have extended to about 200 kilometers, while volcanic smog reached at least 200 kilometers farther at altitudes below 8,000 ft. The agencies said ash and vog could have reached an altitude of 15,000 ft., but stormy weather obscured satellite monitoring.
Meanwhile, heavy downpour on Saipan extinguished the fire that broke out Thursday at Mt. Tapochao, the Department of Public Safety said yesterday.
The DPS reported no casualty from the fire, which had engulfed almost the entire top portion of the mountain, as firefighters were having a difficulty breaking through the forested area with their fire trucks.
The DPS’ fire division has yet to probe the cause of fire, which happened at Evergreen, a Tapochao site known for its thick vegetation. The forest fire is the second on Saipan this year.
In other news, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.6 shook Maug Island, an uninhabited island in the Northern Islands, early Friday morning.
The USGS recorded the quake at about 2:01am. It located the quake’s epicenter at about 55 miles north-northwest of Agrihan, 75 miles south-southeast of Farallon de Pajaros, and about 300 miles north of Saipan. (John Ravelo)
