NOAA Tracking Volcanic Ash Over Florida
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| Volcanic ash over the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, October 27, 2024. Credit: NOAA GOES-EAST Satellite Image |
SARASOTA, Florida - NOAA's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center is tracking volcanic ash over Florida and pilots reported that the ash is visible over Sarasota, the National Weather Service in Jacksonville stated on Saturday.
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| Credit: NOAA |
The ash is coming from Popocatépetl, Mexico’s most active volcano and second-highest peak, according to the Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
The towering stratovolcano has been erupting for decades, with near constant venting from the crater punctuated by the cyclical growth of viscous lava domes and explosive blasts of ash and volcanic bombs, according to NASA.
Volcanic Ash Makes Red Suns and Blue Moons
The volcanic ash may make the Sun and Moon appear red. There is even a slight chance that the moon will appear blue.
According to NASA, the key to a moon appearing blue is to have lots of particles slightly wider than the wavelength of red light (0.7 micron) and no other sizes present in the air. This is rare, but volcanoes sometimes produce such clouds, as do forest fires.
Humans saw blue moons almost every night when the Krakatoa volcano exploded in 1883 with the force of a 100-megaton nuclear bomb. Plumes of ash rose to the very top of Earth’s atmosphere.
Some of those ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron wide – just the right size to strongly scatter red light while allowing other colors to pass.
White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green.
People also saw blue-colored Moons in 1983 after the eruption of the El Chichon volcano in Mexico. And there are reports of blue Moons caused by Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
🌋 Volcanic Ash high over Florida?
— NWS Jacksonville (@NWSJacksonville) October 26, 2024
🧐 Yep!
⚠️NOAAs Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers are tracking the ash & pilots reported the ash visible over Sarasota FL https://t.co/vA6mIjhMM2
🌅 Could be a colorful sunset with the ash remaining elevated. #jaxwx #flwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/3yPykdhTbg
