ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 5 (UPI) -- Mount Redoubt, the active volcano in southwestern Alaska, is likely have an explosive eruption within a few days, scientists said Tuesday.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory warned on its Web page that the explosion could happen "with little or no warning."
"As the lava dome in the summit crater continues to grow, it will become increasingly unstable, and a dome failure occur will be more and more likely," the observatory said. "Such an event could result in a significant explosion producing high altitude (more than 30,000 feet above sea level) ash plumes, trace to minor ash fall in parts of south-central Alaska, lahars (volcanic mudflows) in the Drift River valley, and pyroclastic flows (flows of volcanic gas and rock) in the immediate vicinity of the volcano."
Redoubt, located 110 miles from Anchorage, began emitting smoke and ash in mid-March after weeks of earthquakes. The last major eruption was April 4, and the dome has been growing since then.
