American Notes ALASKA

As the 6,500 residents of Kenai, Alaska, looked on in awe last week, Redoubt volcano continued its noisy return from a 25-year dormancy. The 10,194-ft. mountain, 115 miles southwest of Anchorage, had begun spewing ash last month, which disrupted mail deliveries and passenger air traffic in the heavily traveled corridor to Asia. But the latest series of eruptions were even more spectacular. A plume of volcanic ash rose 40,000 ft. high, and lightning caused brilliant yellow and red flashes that illuminated the volcano against the night sky and revealed the area's coastline. Pilots reported seeing lava on the volcano's northwestern slope, although scientists were unable to confirm the sightings, saying the flow could have been a mixture of hot gas and ash. Though Redoubt had quieted down by week's end, experts cautioned that another violent outburst was possible as soon as sufficient energy has built up within the core.