Volcanoes

Alaska's Mt. Redoubt erupted at least twice Wednesday as officials from a pipeline company assessed conditions at a nearby oil storage facility to determine whether to remove its contents. The Cook Inlet Pipeline Co., which is partly owned by Chevron Corp., was planning to look at whether a pumping system could be used to offload 6.2 million gallons of oil stored in two tanks, if Chevron decided to remove it.

Tungurahua volcano shot columns of ash six miles into the air Wednesday, and officials ordered the evacuation of 3,000 villagers living near its slopes. Roberto Rodriguez, director of Civil Defense, said 11 families had to be removed by force. Experts at the Geophysics Institute here warn that the intense activity shows no sign of slowing, and compared it to the massive 2006 eruptions that buried entire villages, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.

Visitors are flocking to witness the spectacular eruption at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano despite summit explosions, toxic fumes and partial closures at the national park. Nearly 9,000 people a day are touring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on average this year, a 2.5% increase over last year, when the volcano's 25-year eruption was much more peaceful, said Cindy Orlando, the park's superintendent. "Everybody's coming.

This time of year, there's often a chill in the air in Las Vegas, as temperatures some nights dip into the 30s. But starting Monday evening, people making their way down the sidewalk may choose to shed their mittens and caps as they reach the Mirage, where there'll be plenty of heat coming from an erupting "volcano." Since the hotel's opening in 1989, its mock volcano -- towering over a 3-acre lagoon along Las Vegas Boulevard -- has become a Sin City landmark.

The volcano that destroyed Montserrat's capital in 1997 shot ash more than five miles into the sky and sent volcanic material two miles downhill. One of the island's chief scientists said the blast was "a warning call." The government has advised about 50 families on the northwestern side of the volcano's base that their homes are at risk from flows of blistering gas and debris if the dome collapses. The event did not immediately threaten any of the Caribbean island's 5,000 inhabitants.

Thousands of Colombians were evacuated after a volcano erupted, setting off avalanches and floods that swept away houses and bridges. No deaths or injuries were reported. The Nevado del Huila volcano's eruptions were its first on record in 500 years. About 10,000 people live near the volcano, and about 3,500 were evacuated, said on official of the national disaster office.

Rangers here are launching a program to stop people from littering the summit of Kilauea with such "offerings" as incense, candles and food that attract rats and cockroaches. Some visitors appear to be under the impression that the items are a suitable offering to Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. But park officials say the objects actually desecrate a Big Island site that is sacred to many Native Hawaiians. "Many of these items are being left by people who are not from here.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 struck beneath Kilauea volcano's east rift zone and was followed by several smaller aftershocks on the Big Island. Visitors at Volcanoes National Park felt the earthquakes, but no injuries or damage to buildings were reported, said park spokeswoman Mardie Lane. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the 4.7 temblor was the largest in the area in at least the last 50 years.

One of the state's most active volcanoes could be working toward a major eruption that could affect air travel, scientists said in Anchorage. Satellite images of Pavlof Volcano showed strong thermal readings, consistent with what the Alaska Volcano Observatory was calling a "vigorous eruption" of lava at the volcano about 590 miles southwest of Anchorage.

New Zealand's Mt. Ruapehu erupted, spewing ash and rock that injured a climber and prompted the evacuation of about 50 people off the mountain, local media reported today. The 10-minute eruption Tuesday night sent a cloud of ash and dust to a height of 15,000 feet, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said. It also caused mudslides down the mountain, which was the location of Middle Earth in the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.