ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Volcano Observatory is lowering the alert level for Mount Redoubt roughly three months after an eruption disrupted air traffic and sent mud flows toward an oil terminal. Seismic, satellite and gas observations over the past few weeks indicate that growth of a lava dome has significantly slowed and may have stopped. The observatory says Tuesday that it is possible that eruptive activity has ended. However, scientists say the large mass of fresh lava may be unstable and could fail with little or no warning, leading to significant ash production and possible mud flows in the Drift River Valley, where an oil terminal was threatened. Redoubt's last significant eruption was April 4. The volcano is 106 miles southwest of Anchorage.
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