Concerns about additional volcanic eruptions
Our pattern of wetter than normal winter seasons continues across North Idaho and the rest of the Inland Empire. Over 5.75 inches of rain and melted snow fell in January, which was well above the average of 3.77 inches. Despite all of the rain, we did have a period of record snowfall during the full moon lunar cycle that began on Jan. 10.
February still looks like a pattern with more moisture across the Inland Northwest. However, it looks like we’ll have a “back and forth” pattern of rain and snow as the upper-level winds will bring a milder southwesterly and cooler northwesterly flow over the region.
And speaking of snow, Cliff measured 34.1 inches last month, taking our seasonal total to 54.7 inches. The normal January snowfall is 21.4 inches while February’s average snowfall in Coeur d’Alene is 11.9 inches. For February of 2020, we’re expecting about 10 to 20 inches of snow in Coeur d’Alene, much less than the record 56 inches last year.
For the two “meteorological” winter months of December and January, Coeur d’Alene has received a total of about 9.15 inches of rain and melted snow, compared to a normal for the two months of 7.67 inches. With a forecast of above-average moisture in February once again, it will be another winter of above-normal precipitation.
As I mentioned in an article in January, since 2015, Coeur d’Alene and other parts of the Inland Northwest have been in a pattern of wetter than normal winters and drier than normal summers. Therefore, it’s quite possible that the summer of 2020 could once again have below normal rainfall across the Inland Northwest, which could make for another tough fire season.
Since December, there have been a number of geological events that have made worldwide headlines. For example, on Dec. 9, 2019, a surprise eruption on New Zealand’s White Island volcano sent a plume of ash and steam more than two miles into the air. The blast killed 20 visitors and future tours to the island have been suspended indefinitely.
Scientists are working to better understand and predict volcanic eruptions. Currently, it’s estimated that there are over 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth. In the U.S., there are about 169 active volcanoes. Most of them are in Alaska where eruptions often occur every year. As of late last week, according to VolcanoDiscover.com, there are 23 erupting volcanoes, including Mount Etna in Italy.
One of the largest eruptions for 2020 happened at the Taal Volcano on Jan. 12 located on Luzon, one of the islands in the Philippines. The last time this volcano erupted was 43 years ago in 1977. The current eruption disrupted flights and work schedules, produced volcanic lightning and sent a column of smoke and ash over 9 miles into the air. Ashfalls were seen as far away as Manila. As of late last week, the alert level for the volcano was dropped from a 4 to a 3, with 5 being the highest.
Another volcano that concerns volcanologists is the one in Iceland. In late January, a series of earthquakes and swelling on Iceland’s Mount Thorbjorn, located near the famous “Blue Lagoon,” have been reported. It’s not uncommon to have swarms of earthquakes in this area, but the resent rise or inflation has been “unusually fast.” It’s possible the buildup may be leading to an eruption or may be due to tectonic activity as the North American and Eurasian plates come together which would lead to more earthquakes.
In 2010, a series of eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull, the volcano in Iceland, sent an enormous cloud of smoke and ash over parts of northern Europe. Because ash clouds can literally clog a plane engine, over 100,000 flights were cancelled. Over 8 million passengers were left stranded in airports for weeks.
According to OPB News, scientists at Oregon State University are predicting a major eruption of the Axial Seamount that is located about 300 miles west of Astoria, Ore., in the Pacific Ocean. Within the last 21 years, the volcano has erupted three times and the scientists believe another eruption may occur by 2024. Their forecast is based upon the increase in the number of small earthquakes near the volcano.
The recent eruptions have not been strong enough to have an impact on the Earth’s climate. However, in June, 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted which briefly led to about a degree drop in the Earth’s temperature for several years. Millions of tons of volcanic ash were ejected about 22 miles high up into the atmosphere and was dispersed tens of thousands of miles by the upper-level winds.
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Contact Randy Mann at randy@longrangeweather.com