Redoubt Volcano's Eruption Could Threaten Alaskan Air Cargo Hub
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4302310.html

Falling Ashes

Mount Redoubt is located 100 miles north of Anchorage International Airport, which is the third largest air cargo hub in the world. The last time Mount Redoubt caused air traffic problems was in 1989, when KLM flight 867 flew into a ash cloud over the volcano. The plane's engines halted, and it plummeted 13,000 feet before the pilots were able to restart the engines. 20 years later, the USGS knows that this is not a hypothetical hazard, but a real one. Therefore, the Federal Aviation Administration has restricted air traffic with a radius of ten miles around the volcano, hoping to reduce any volcano-related problems. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has monitored this volcano very closely with satellite images, webcam images, and seismic monitors, and is also ready to notify the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security, and numorous other government agencies as soon as Mount Redoubt erupts. Due to advances in technology, when planes encounter ash, they rarely fail; however, the USGS wants people to know that planes are still susceptible to volcanic activity. Around 557,000 planes traveled through the Anchorage area last year alone, so the ashes spewed by Mount Redoubt will not be taken lightly. There have been six ash encounters in the past year by planes, three of which caused damage to the plane.

The activity in Mount Redoubt is growing immensely. If it erupts in the coming year, temperatures will drop significantly from their averages across the United States, disrupting weather problems all over the country. This could cause several problems, which include lack of produce from farms, airport delays, and mail delivery problems. The ash released from the volcano could screen the sun and prevent produce from growing on the west coast. Airport delays and cancellations in Anchorage have already happened, and the air taxis and mail that transfers through Anchorage International would also be delayed considerably. The situation is being handled very well by the USGS, who seem to be on top of every move that Redoubt makes. Hopefully, our government will make the right decisions and course of action in dealing with this explosive event of Mother Nature.