Latest news with #UniversityofAlaskaFairbanksGeophysicalInstitute
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists find Aleutian Range volcano offers clues to ‘stealthy' eruptions
Mount Veniaminof is pictured on July 8, 2024. A newly published study of the mountain increases knowledge of what are known as stealthy volcanoes, like Veniaminof. (Photo by Tara Shreve/Alaska Volcano Observatory/University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute) An ice-clad behemoth among Alaska's Aleutian Range mountains is sharing secrets about what makes some volcanoes tick — namely, ones that show little sign of erupting before they blow. In a study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science, scientists said they have discovered why Mount Veniaminof is so stealthy — and that information may help improve volcano forecasting and perhaps save lives. Named after an 18th century Russian Orthodox priest, Veniaminof is what scientists call a 'stealthy volcano,' one that offers practically zero warning that an eruption is imminent. These volcanoes generally do not exhibit the typical precursors to eruptions, which may include rumbling, earthquakes, gas and steam plumes, and swollen or hot ground surfaces. Stealthy volcanoes can be especially hazardous when located close to population centers. Merapi in Indonesia, Galeras in Colombia, Stromboli in Italy and Popocatépetl and Colima in Mexico are examples, according to the paper. Unlike its more urban counterparts, Veniaminof sits in the remote Alaska Peninsula, some 480 miles southwest of Anchorage. The nearest village, Perryville, lies about 20 miles to the south. Perryville's population totaled 81 people at last count. Veniaminof is one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, with 13 recorded eruptions since 1993, according to the study. Unlike Mount Redoubt, which triggered a near-disaster in 1989 when a jet bound for Anchorage lost engine power after flying into an ash cloud before recovering, or Mount Spurr, which coated Anchorage in ash and prompted airport closures during its 1992 eruption, Veniaminof's seismic activity has caused relatively little trouble for Alaska residents. But its eruptions seem to come out of the blue. Of Veniaminof's 13 eruptions in the past three decades, only two produced warning signs, and a 2018 eruption went undetected until three days after it started. The paper's lead author, Yuyu Li, a volcanology doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, found Veniaminof's behavior fascinating but disturbing. Given that the volcano can send ash nearly 10 miles into the atmosphere without warning, with the potential for disrupting air travel or posing other hazards, Li wanted to know more. She and her team analyzed open-source monitoring data over three summer seasons immediately before the 2018 eruption. They created a model to understand what factors influence the likelihood of Veniaminof erupting. They considered several parameters, including magma flow rates, magma volumes and temperatures, and reservoir depths and shapes. In a phone interview on Tuesday, Li said she and her colleagues found that a high flow of magma, or molten rock, into what's known as a chamber increases the chances of an eruption. The volcano may not erupt. But if magma quickly fills the chamber and an eruption does occur, the ground will likely bulge or otherwise change shape, a process called deformation. That's something scientists would be able to detect. They also found rapid movement of magma into a small chamber is likely to produce an eruption capable of being detected, not one without warning. Stealthy eruptions occur more often when a low flow of magna enters a relatively small chamber, according to the research. The study's results suggest that Veniaminof has a small magma chamber and a low flow of magma. A chamber's size and shape factor heavily into the equation. Minimal earthquakes occur when magma enters larger, flatter chambers, according to the research. Elongated chambers seem to produce less ground disturbance or deformation. If the rock is warm, it's less likely to crumble in ways that produce earthquakes. Stealthy eruptions only occur when the precise conditions exist, involving the right magma flow and the right chamber size, depth and shape. One of the paper's big takeaways is that volcanoes with small, warm reservoirs and slow magma flows are among those that ought to be most closely watched. The biggest hazard from any eruption in Alaska is ashfall and disruption to aviation. Anything we can do to help predict that is important. – Dave Schneider, acting scientist-in-charge, Alaska Volcano Observatory Using the model created by Li and her colleagues and adding more instrumentation and real-time monitoring to stealthy volcanoes could help keep the public safer, Li said. It's a recipe for opening the door to improved volcano forecasting. Dave Schneider, acting scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, didn't have a chance to read the full study on Tuesday. But from what he gleaned from the news release, he said AVO scientists will evaluate it and determine if any of the findings and recommendations should be implemented. 'The biggest hazard from any eruption in Alaska is ashfall and disruption to aviation,' said Schneider. 'Anything we can do to help predict that is important, given the constraints we have in terms of being able to get things in the ground and be able to interpret the data.' Other stealthy volcanoes in Alaska include Cleveland, Shishaldin and Pavlov. The National Volcano Early Warning System lists them, as well as Veniaminof and others, as high priority in terms of their threat level. Highest on the threat list are Akutan, Augustine, Makushin, Redoubt and Spurr. Logistics and finances don't always allow for high-tech, costly instruments to be placed in as many spots as volcanologists would like or to the extent they would prefer to see. 'Resources are finite,' Schneider said. Eruptions from stealthy volcanoes in Alaska also tend to be less explosive and life- and property-threatening than those from volcanoes offering ample warning signs, he said. Right now, Spurr is by far more of an issue than Veniaminof for volcanologists. The volcano, located about 75 miles west of Anchorage, is currently in 'code yellow' status. That means low-level unrest is occurring with small earthquakes continuing beneath the surface and a weak steam plume arising from the top. If magma were to move closer to the surface and other eruption indications were present, like ground deformation or increased hot gases and vapor plumes, the threat level would rise and scientists would advise the public that an eruption is very likely. In March, scientists predicted that Spurr would erupt within weeks or months but the threat has since lessened. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Strange lights appear in Alaska's night sky during AWESOME aurora experiment
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Any aurora chasers in Alaska likely did a double take this week when they witnessed some human-made additions to the dazzling Northern Lights overhead when teams launched two NASA-sounding rockets straight into the glowing sky above. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute is in the midst of a busy launch campaign at the Poker Flats Research Range north of Fairbanks. The campaign includes three Nasa sounding rockets aimed at improving space weather research and prediction as part of an experiment called Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events, or AWESOME. Two of those rockets were launched Tuesday. The plan was to launch all three within a three-hour window, but NASA said one of the rockets malfunctioned and needed repair. The rockets deployed tracer payloads that were then tracked on the ground by about a dozen UAF researchers and students at ground stations across the interior and northern Alaska. Here is what they saw: The pink, blue and white tracers released by the second rocket were deployed during an aurora substorm. According to UAF, this is a period of "intense brightening caused by the sudden release of energy stored in the elongated tail of Earth's magnetosphere." Why Northern Lights Displays Are Stronger Around Spring, Autumn Equinoxes UAF said the tracers were widely visible across central and northern Alaska. "Because we had the two-stage rockets deploying over central Alaska and the four-stage rocket deploying off the north coast of Alaska, we essentially were conducting two independent tracer experiments at the same time," UAF space physics professor Mark Conde said in an update. "And because the camera locations we needed were completely different for each of those rockets, we needed many camera sites to be clear at the same time." UAF researchers said what they learn from the AWESOME study could help improve space weather forecasting. Tuesday's double launch happened during a Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center because of a solar feature known as a coronal hole high-speed stream sending charged particles toward Earth, and creating powerful Northern Lights seen farther south than normal. The third NASA sounding rocket for the AWESOME experiment could launch sometime before the range's launch window closes on April article source: Strange lights appear in Alaska's night sky during AWESOME aurora experiment
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
NASA Just Shot Rockets At The Northern Lights. This Is What Happened
Two NASA rockets launched from Alaska on March 25, 2025, lit up the night sky with strange blue lights and white vapor trails to the backdrop of the Northern Lights. The spectacular display was visible across central and northern Alaska. Vaper tracers light up the atmosphere over the Arctic Ocean as seen from Utqiagvik, Alaska, early on ... More March 25, 2025. Two of three planned sounding rockets launched from the Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks, Alaska, in the pre-dawn hours to study a sudden auroral substorm. It came days after NASA announced that scientists were on standby. The results could help scientists figure out what happens to Earth's upper atmosphere during auroral substorms and improve the forecasting of space weather. The first to launch was a 42-foot Terrier-Improved Malemute rocket launching late in the daily window, which released a payload about 50 and 110 miles up and measured magnetic perturbations caused by the aurora. It also measured pressure fluctuations, as reported by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Shortly after, a 70-foot, four-stage Black Brant XII rocket launched to release a payload of pink, blue and white vapor tracers at four different heights over central Alaska. UAF student and staff researchers were at ground stations in Utqiagvik, Kaktovik, Toolik Lake, Eagle, Venetie, and Poker Flat in Alaska. It was part of an experiment, dubbed Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events, or AWESOME, to help scientists figure out how they affect Earth's thermosphere — an upper layer of its atmosphere close to where it ceases to be. The thermosphere is between 50-350 miles (80-560 kilometers) above Earth's surface. The experiment was an attempt to reveal whether the energy and momentum injected into the middle and lower thermosphere by auroral substorms may upset its stability. 'Change in composition of the atmosphere has consequences for communication, navigation and spacecraft operations,' said Mark Conde at the Geophysical Institute and UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics before the launch. 'Our experiment will allow forecasters to use simpler and potentially more accurate methods of space weather prediction.' Tracers can be seen overhead at Poker Flat Research Range following the launch of the first rocket ... More of the AWESOME sounding rocket mission on March 25, 2025. The experiment was supposed to have all three rockets launch within about a three-hour window. 'NASA's Wallops Flight Facility team reported a successful launch of the first two rockets on March 25, 2025,' read NASA's update. 'An issue with the Malemute motor on the third rocket was identified and will continue to be assessed for repair.' Poker Flat, 20 miles north of Fairbanks, is operated under a contract with NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, part of the Goddard Space Flight Center. The timing of the experiment is no accident. Although scientists were on standby to launch the rockets when an auroral substorm erupted, they were confident that would happen. That's because in the few weeks after an equinox — which occured last week — Earth's magnetic field is favorably aligned to the solar wind. The sun is also at solar maximum, the peak of the roughly 11 years Solar Cycle, during whihc magnetic activity is at its most intense, and aurora at its most frequent. The colors of the aurora depends on the altitude. At 50 and 110 miles, the most common aurora color is green, which occurs at altitudes of around 60 to 190 miles (100 to 300 kilometers). Red auroras are more common, above 150 miles (240 kilometers). Both are produced by oxygen molecules.
Local Sweden
25-03-2025
- Science
- Local Sweden
Mystery blue spiral lights up Swedish night sky – but there is an explanation
The strange phenomenon lit up the night sky above large parts of Sweden on Monday evening. People in Halland, Skåne and Stockholm all reported seeing the blue spiral, according to media reports. But reports have also come from people in Slovenia, Poland, Italy, UK and Ireland. It's not yet known what's behind the light, but one explanation might be the launch of a new Space X rocket from Elon Musk's space company. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at around 1.50 local time in Florida on a classified US government mission, reports the BBC . When a similar spiral was spotted in 2023, Don Hampton, a a research associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, told The Guardian that it was caused by a rocket releasing excess fuel. 'When they do that at high altitudes, that fuel turns into ice,' he said at the time. 'And if it happens to be in the sunlight, when you're in the darkness on the ground, you can see it as a sort of big cloud, and sometimes it's swirly.'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Northern lights may put on Valentine's Day show in some states: Where and when to see it
The night sky may be providing the best Valentine's Day gift on Friday for Canada and some parts of the northern United States. The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, may to be visible in a few northern states throughout Friday night if weather conditions allow. Though the colorful night-sky phenomenon is traditionally associated with the Earth's poles, a solar storm that began earlier this week could make the display more widely visible. Here's what to know about the northern lights and how to possibly catch a glimpse of them on Valentine's Day night. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center's experimental aurora viewline, the Valentine's Day northern lights will largely be visible in Canada and Alaska. However, a thin red "viewline" representing the southern-most locations where the northern lights will be visible extends to: Washington (northeastern corner) Idaho (northern-most tip) Montana (northern half) North Dakota (entire state) Minnesota (northern half) Michigan (northern-most top) Maine (northwestern corner) Want to keep a keen eye on the forecast? The Space Weather Prediction Center updates its aurora forecast every 30 minutes at Assuming the weather is clear, the best time to see the northern lights is usually within an hour or two of midnight, so between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. This time tends to be the best for viewing as geomagnetic actively increases toward evening and morning. Folks hoping to catch a view should also find the darkest spot, away from city lights. Artificial lights and even the moon diminish the apparent brightness of the northern lights. According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, the northern lights are caused by collisions between electrically-charged particles that enter Earth's atmosphere from space and collide with molecules and atoms of gas, like oxygen and nitrogen. As a result, the molecules gain energy. To return to their normal state, the molecules release energy in the form of light. As for the colors of the northern lights, these are determined by Earth's atmosphere and the altitude of the molecular collisions, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Typically, the northern lights give off a "striking green," but reds, pinks, blues, purples, yellows and oranges can also be visible. The northern lights are often associated with the Earth's poles but recently, the natural display has been more visible throughout the United States. Now that our solar system's sun is at the height of its 11-year solar cycle, there is an increase in solar activity that produces the right conditions for northern lights to flourish. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some of this solar activity includes solar flares. Sometimes, solar flares are accompanied by highly-charged bubbles of the sun's plasma, which comes from the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona. As the bubbles radiate outward, they carry the sun's magnetic field with them. When one of these bubbles collides with Earth's magnetosphere, the barrier that protects the planet from space weather, a geomagnetic storm occurs. A geomagnetic storm tends to result in a visible northern lights. Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Northern lights forecast to be visible in some states this weekend
