Alaska volcano spews ash cloud high enough to draw weather service warning for pilots
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An erupting volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sent a towering cloud of ash into the air Friday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an inflight warning to pilots.
The Shishaldin Volcano began erupting July 11, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. A U.S. Coast Guard overflight confirmed lava erupted the same day within the summit crater.
A significant explosion at 1:09 a.m. Friday produced an ash cloud that reached up to 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and drifted south over the Pacific Ocean. A second smaller explosion at 7:10 a.m. Friday reached about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).
The National Weather Service issued a inflight weather advisory due to the drifting ash cloud.
Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an indu...