The Mount Redoubt volcano had another large eruption Saturday after being relatively quiet for nearly a week.

Radar indicated a plume of volcanic ash rose 50,000 feet into the sky, making it one of the largest eruptions since the volcano became active on March 22, said the National Weather Service.

The ash cloud was drifting toward the southeast and there were reports of the fine, gritty ash falling in towns on the Kenai Peninsula.

Plans to transfer millions of gallons of oil from an oil storage facility near Mount Redoubt were derailed when the volcano erupted and a tanker sent to get the oil had to turn back.

The explosion caused a mud flow in the Drift River Valley. The slurry of meltwater, hot rocks, volcanic ash and other debris reached the area of the Chevron-operated Drift River Terminal, where 6.3 million gallons of oil is stored in two tanks, said Rod Ficken, vice president of Cook Inlet Pipeline Co.

A concrete-reinforced dike surrounding the tank farm is continuing to do a good job of protecting the tanks, he said.

 Source : AP / Google News