Large Ash Research Articles

Effects of Ambient Temperature on Egg and Larval Development of the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Implications for Laboratory Rearing

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive beetle from Asia causing large scale ash (Fraxinus) mortality in North America, has been extremely difficult to rear in the laboratory because of its long life cycle and cryptic nature of immature stages. This lack of effective laboratory-rearing methods has not only hindered research into its biology and ecology, but also mass production of natural enemies for biological control of this invasive pest. Using sticks from the alternate host plant, Fraxinus uhdei (Wenzig) Lingelsh, we characterized the stage-specific development time and growth rate of both emerald ash borer eggs and larvae at different constant temperatures (12-35 degrees C) for the purpose of developing effective laboratory-rearing methods. Results from our study showed that the median time for egg hatching decreased from 20 d at 20 degrees C to 7 d at 35 degrees C, while no emerald ash borer eggs hatched at 12 degrees C. The developmental time for 50% of emerald ash borer larvae advancing to third, fourth, and J-larval stages at 20 degrees C were 8.3, 9.1, and 12.3 wk, respectively, approximately two times longer than at 30 degrees C for the corresponding instars or stages. In contrast to 30 degrees C, however, the development times of emerald ash borer larvae advancing to later instars (from oviposition) were significantly increased at 35 degrees C, indicating adverse effects of this high temperature. The optimal range of ambient temperature to rear emerald ash borer larvae should be between 25-30 degrees C; however, faster rate of egg and larval development should be expected as temperature increases within this range.

Content and fractionation of Cu, Zn and Cd in size fractionated municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) bottom ash was size fractionated into six fractions, with the respective particle size of <0.45mm, 0.45–1mm, 1–2mm, 2–4mm, 4–8mm and >8mm. The contents and fractionation of Cu, Zn, Cd in the size fractionated MSWI bottom ash were investigated. The results showed the contents and fractionation of Cu, Zn and Cd varied among the different particle sizes, which were related to their thermodynamic characteristics. High content of Cu was found in the bottom ash with the particle size of <0.45mm and >4mm, due to its lithophilic property and the function of entrainment. The content of Zn showed a relatively even distribution among the various particles. The content of Cd showed a decreasing trend with the increase of the particle size, due to its high volatility. Besides, the carbonate bound fraction of Cd showed a decreasing trend with the increase of the particle size, while the carbonate bound fraction of Cu showed an increasing trend. The organic matter bound fraction of Cu increased when the particle size increased. The results also showed the fine ash contained a higher level of unstable Cd than the large ash, while the large ash had a higher level of unstable Cu comparatively.

Impacts of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) induced ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality on forest carbon cycling and successional dynamics in the eastern United States

Invasive species are widely recognized as altering species and community dynamics, but their impacts on biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem processes are less understood. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) is a phloem feeding beetle that was inadvertently introduced to the US in the 1990s and relies solely on ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) to complete its life cycle. Ash trees have a wide geographic distribution and are an important component of many different forest types in the US. The larval feeding behavior of the emerald ash borer (EAB) effectively girdles the tree’s phloem tissue resulting in tree mortality in as little as 2 years and stand mortality in as little as 5 years. Using the forest inventory and analysis database, we found that forest lands in the lower 48 states hold approximately 8.7 billion ash trees and saplings, which represent ~2.5 % of the aboveground forest carbon mass. Furthermore, we measured tree growth in 7 EAB impacted and 5 non-EAB impacted temperate forests in the Midwestern United States to quantify the impacts of EAB induced tree mortality on tree growth. We hypothesized that the initial C lost would be partly compensated for by the enhanced non-ash tree growth in EAB-impacted regions relative to non-EAB impacted regions. The EAB disturbance enhanced growth of non-ash trees in the EAB impacted region relative to the non-EAB impacted region. Results also indicate that in EAB impacted areas, growth of trees from the genera Acer and Ulmus responded most positively. Finally, we quantified annual biometric net primary productivity of the EAB impacted forests and compared these quantities to modeled growth of these forests in the absence of EAB and found that large scale ash tree mortality has reduced short term regional forest productivity. The loss of ash biometric net primary productivity is, in part compensated by enhanced growth of non-ash species. As expected, EAB disturbance severity was greater in forests with higher basal areas of ash. This study illustrates the ecosystem and regional scale impacts of invasive pest-induced disturbance on biogeochemical cycling and forest species composition.

Qualitative analysis of coal combusted in boilers of the thermal power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In this paper we have looked into the qualitative analysis of coals in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B-H). The analysis includes the following characteristics: moisture (W), ash (A), combustible matter (Vg) and lower heating value (Hd). From the statistic parameters we have determined: absolute range (R), arithmetic mean (X), standard deviation (S) and variations coefficient (Cv). It has been shown that the coal characteristics (W, A, Vg, Hd) have normal distribution. The analysis show that there are considerable deviations of ash characteristics: moisture (36.23%), ash (34.21%), combustible matter (16.15%) and lower heating value (25.16%) from the mean value which is shown by the variations coefficient (Cv). Large oscilations of mass portions: W, A, Vg and Hd around the mean value can adversely influence the function of a boiler plant and an electric filter plant in thermal power plants in B-H in which the mentioned types of coal burn. Large ash oscilations (34.21%) around the mean value point out to the inability of application of dry procedures of desulphurisation of smoke gasses (FGD) due to the additional quantity of ash. It has been shown that the characteristics of Bosnian types of coal do not deviate a lot from the characteristics of coal in the surrounding countries (coals of Serbia and Monte Negro). The results can be used in analysis of coal combustion in thermal power plants, optimisation of electrical-filtre, reduction of SO2 in smoke gas and other practical problems.

The microstructure of 4-year-old hardened cement-fly ash paste

In this study, the microstructure of 4-year-old hardened cement-fly ash paste containing 50% fly ash has been investigated. 65.44% of Ca(OH)2 produced by cement hydration is consumed by the pozzolanic reaction of fly ash in 4years and the Ca(OH)2 content of the hardened cement-fly ash paste is only 3.15% at the age of 4years. Most of the small fly ash particles react heavily but many large fly ash particles remain almost unreacted. 72.7% of fly ash remains after 4years, which indicates that most of the fly ash takes physical effect during the hardening process of paste. Compared with cement paste, there is a relative more significant improvement of the pore structure of cement-fly ash paste due to the pozzolanic reaction of fly ash from 90days to 4years. The mean Ca/Si, Al/Si, and Ca/(Si+Al) atom ratios of the gel in the 4-year-old hardened cement-fly ash paste are 1.52, 0.33 and 1.15 respectively, which indicate that the gel has a lower Ca/Si atom ratio and is richer in Al content than that of Portland cement paste.

Ash Cenosphere from Solid Fuels Combustion. Part 1: An Investigation into Its Formation Mechanism Using Pyrite as a Model Fuel

This paper reports a systematic investigation into the fundamental formation mechanism of ash cenosphere during solid fuels combustion using pyrite as a model fuel. The combustion of pulverized pyrite particles (38–45 μm) was carried out in a laboratory-scale drop-tube furnace at furnace temperatures of 530–1100 °C. The formation of ash cenosphere commences at 580 °C. At temperatures ≥600 °C, the ash products of pyrite combustion consist of dominantly large ash cenospheres (up to 130 μm in diameter) with thin shells (1–3 μm) and ash cenosphere fragments of various sizes. An increase in the temperature results in enhanced ash cenosphere fragmentation. The formation of molten Fe–S–O droplets during pyrite combustion is essential to ash cenosphere formation. The Fe–S–O melts inflate and expand into cenospheric forms (that may also burst into smaller fragments) via sulfur oxide gas generation inside the molten droplets as oxidation reactions progress. Further oxidation and resolidification transforms these ce...

Dust-Firing of Straw and Additives: Ash Chemistry and Deposition Behavior

In the present work, the ash chemistry and deposition behavior during straw dust-firing were studied by performing experiments in an entrained flow reactor. The effect of using spent bleaching earth (SBE) as an additive in straw combustion was also investigated by comparing with kaolinite. During dust-firing of straw, the large (>∼2.5 μm) fly ash particles generated were primarily molten or partially molten spherical particles rich in K, Si, and Ca, supplemented by Si-rich flake-shaped particles. The smaller fly ash particles (<∼2.5 μm) were predominantly formed from the nucleation, condensation, and coagulation of the vaporized K, Cl, S, and P species. Approximately 70% of K in the fly ash from straw combustion was water-soluble, and KCl was estimated to contribute to more than 40% of the water-soluble K. With the addition of SBE to straw dust-firing, the Cl retention in ash was reduced, the SO2 emission was increased, and the formation of water-soluble alkali species was decreased. Compared to kaolinite...

Trace elements in co-combustion of solid recovered fuel and coal

Trace element partitioning in co-combustion of a bituminous coal and a solid recovered fuel (SRF) was studied in an entrained flow reactor. The experiments were carried out at conditions similar to pulverized coal combustion, with SRF shares of 7.9wt.% (wet basis), 14.8wt.% and 25.0wt.%. In addition, the effect of additives such as NaCl, PVC, ammonium sulphate, and kaolinite on trace element partitioning was investigated. The trace elements studied were As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Sb and Zn, since these elements were significantly enriched in SRF as compared to coal. During the experiments, bottom ash was collected in a chamber, large fly ash particles were collected by a cyclone with a cut-off diameter of ~2.5μm, and the remaining fly ash particles were gathered in a filter. It was found that when coal was co-fired with SRF, the As, Cd, Pb, Sb and Zn content in filter ash/cyclone ash increased almost linearly with their content in fuel ash. This linear tendency was affected when the fuels were mixed with additives. The volatility of trace elements during combustion was assessed by applying a relative enrichment (RE) factor, and TEM–EDS analysis was conducted to provide qualitative interpretations. The results indicated that As, Cd, Pb, Sb and Zn were highly volatile when co-firing coal and SRF, whereas the volatility of Cr was relatively low. Compared with coal combustion, co-firing of coal and SRF slightly enhanced the volatility of Cd, Pb and Zn, but reduced the volatility of Cr and Sb. The Cl-based additives increased the volatility of Cd, Pb and As, whereas addition of ammonium sulphate generally decreased the volatility of trace elements. Addition of kaolinite reduced the volatility of Pb, while the influence on other trace elements was insignificant. The results from the present work imply that trace element emission would be significantly increased when coal is co-fired with SRF, which may greatly enhance the toxicity of the dusts from coal-fired power plant. In order to minimize trace element emission in co-combustion, in addition to lowering the trace element content in SRF, utilizing SRF with low Cl content and coal with high S and aluminosilicates content would be desirable.

Development of a novel fluidized bed ash cooler for circulating fluidized bed boilers: Experimental study and application

A novel bottom ash cooler (BAC) called compound fluidized bed ash cooler (CFBAC) was developed in this paper. The CFBAC combined the major technical features of spouted bed and bubbling bed, and could achieve the selective discharge on the bottom ash. Experiments about the gas–solid flow characteristics of the CFBAC were conducted in a visible cold test rig. The experimental results indicated that the separation chamber working in the spouted bed state had a good particle separation effect on the boiler bottom ash. A small quantity of fluidizing air was needed for the cooling chambers to work in the bubbling bed state. The particle separation effect could be controlled by the fluidizing air flow and physical dimensions such as the height of separation partition. The CFBAC had also been industrially applied in a 300 MW circulating fluidized bed unit. The application showed that the CFBAC had a well separation effect, an excellent adaptability on the bottom ash, a good cooling effect and a large ash discharge capacity over 30 t/h. Compared with the water-cooled BAC, the CFBAC had a better energy conservation performance.

Experimental Study on Size Effect of Compressive Strength and Deformation Properties of Large Size Fly Ash Concrete

The authors experimentally studied the size effect of axial compressive properties of concrete cube and slenderness ratio of 2:1 prism with cross-section side length of 100mm to 800mm in this paper. Commercial concrete was used for test specimens. Specimens were cast and cured outdoors. To highlight the size factors, accumulation of sand on the end surface of the specimen was used to eliminate the end cyclo-hoop effect. The test results show that, in the case of eliminating the end restraint, failure modes of the prism and the cube are the same. There isn’t determined relationship between the cubic compressive strength and cylinder axial compressive strength of concrete, in the case of the specimen slenderness ratio not more than 2 to 1. However, the decline trend of cylinder axial compressive strength with size is slightly greater than the cubic strength. Fly ash concrete, ordinary concrete without fly ash and fiber reinforced fly ash concrete show different size effects. Size effect for concrete with 40% fly ash replacement of cement significantly reduced. The experimental results also show that, strength, elastic modulus and ultimate strain of concrete are all size-dependent. But there are different size effect trends between strength and deformation properties. Ultimate strain of concrete decreases as size increases, and more attention should be taken to this point.

First Report of the Ash Dieback Pathogen Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (Anamorph Chalara fraxinea) on Fraxinus excelsior in Belgium.

Since the early 1990s, European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) has been affected by a lethal disease caused by the ascomycete fungus, Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus, originally known under the name of its anamorph, Chalara fraxinea (2,4). Pathogenicity of H. pseudoalbidus was demonstrated by inoculations on young trees (3). This emerging pathogen induces necrosis of leaf rachises, leaf wilting and shedding, bark necrosis, and wood discoloration as well as shoot, twig, and branch dieback. First observed in Poland, ash dieback now occurs in many parts of Europe. Since 2009, a survey of ash dieback caused by H. pseudoalbidus has been conducted in Wallonia (southern Belgium). Sampling units were selected to take the occurrence of ash stands and the potential points of entry of the pathogen into the country (nurseries, sawmills, rivers, and roads) into account. While the disease was not detected in 2009, young, naturally regenerated trees displaying typical symptoms of ash dieback were found in June 2010 in Silly, a village in the province of Hainaut. Symptomatic trees were located along a road in front of a large ash stand. Examination of shoots with bark necrosis from three symptomatic trees yielded positive results on the basis of a real time PCR test developed in our laboratory for the detection of H. pseudoalbidus (1). To confirm the molecular identification, fungal isolation from discolored wood onto malt extract agar supplemented with 100 mg liter-1 of streptomycin sulfate was attempted. After 18 days at 20 to 22°C in the dark, slow-growing, dull white colonies with gray patches, resembling those of C. fraxinea, had formed. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) was amplified with primers ITS1 and ITS4 (4) and partly sequenced (GenBank Accession No. FR667687). A BLASTn search in GenBank revealed that the sequence of the Belgian isolate (452 bp) displayed 100% identity with sequences of a H. pseudoalbidus isolate from Switzerland (GenBank Accession No GU586932). In contrast, the sequence showed some mismatches with that of the closely related and probably strictly saprotrophic fungus, Hymenoscyphus albidus (GenBank Accession No GU586891.1). The strain was deposited as reference material in the Fungal Biology collection (CBS 128012). To our knowledge, this is the first report of ash dieback caused by H. pseudoalbidus in Belgium. The discovery of this aggressive tree pathogen in Wallonia documents its further westward spread in Europe. In the future, we expect that H. pseudoalbidus will continue its range expansion into areas that have so far not been affected by ash dieback.

Experimental Study on Freeze-Thaw Resistance Durablilty of High Performance Concrete

Freeze-thaw cycle experiments on high performance concrete were carried out while cement was respectively replaced by fly ash for 30%～50%. The test results showed that maximum weight loss rate of concrete was 1.78% and minimum relative dynamic elastic modulus was 94.08% after 300 freeze-thaw cycles for high performance concrete based on low water-cement ratio, efficient air-water-reducing agent and large quantities of industrial waste fly ash. The test data were far less than limits of 5% and 60% in specification. Freeze-thaw resistance performance of high performance concrete with large volume fly ash was excellent according to test results. The high performance concrete with large volume fly ash can meet the requirements of frost resistance performance of concrete in the cold regions. Particularly, it can be fit for the railway concrete engineering.

Major ash eruptions of Barren Island volcano (Andaman Sea) during the past 72 kyr: clues from a sediment core record

Barren Island (Andaman Sea) is the northernmost active volcano of the Indonesian Arc. To construct the eruptive history of this little studied volcano, we measured 14C dates of inorganic carbon in sediment beds, and Sr and Nd isotopic ratios of seven discrete ash layers, in a marine sediment core collected from 32 km southeast of the volcano. The study reveals that the volcano had seven major ash eruptions at ~70, 69, 61, 24, 19, 15, and 10 ka. The ash layers erupted from 70 ka through 19 ka have highly uniform Nd isotopic composition, and since the ~15 ka eruption to the present the isotopic composition has been highly variable. Between ~24 ka and ~10 ka, the volcano had large ash eruptions spaced at 4,500 year intervals. Isotopically correlating the precaldera lavas and ash exposed on the volcano to the uppermost ash layer in the core, we infer that the caldera of Barren Island volcano is younger than 10 ka.

Aerosol measurements from a recent Alaskan volcanic eruption: Implications for volcanic ash transport predictions

Size and time-resolved aerosol compositional measurements conducted during the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano provide quantitative information on the size and concentration of the fine volcanic ash emitted during the eruption and carried and deposited downwind. These data can be used as a starting point to attempt to validate volcanic ash transport models. For the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano, an island volcano in south-central Alaska, size and time-resolved aerosol measurements were made using an eight-stage (0.09–0.26, 0.26–0.34, 0.34–0.56, 0.56–0.75, 0.75–1.15, 1.15–2.5, 2.5–5.0, and 5.0–35.0 μm in aerodynamic diameter) Davis Rotating Unit for Monitoring (DRUM) aerosol impactor deployed near ground level in Homer, Alaska, approximately 110 km east–northeast of the volcano. The aerosol samples collected by the DRUM impactor were analyzed for mass and elemental composition every 90 min during a four-week sampling period from January 13 to February 11, 2006, that spanned several explosive episodes during the 2006 eruption. The collected aerosols showed that the size distribution of the volcanic ash fallout changed during this period of eruption. Ash had its highest concentrations in the largest size fraction (5.0–35.0 μm) with no ash present in the less than 1.15 μm size fractions during the short-lived explosive events. In contrast, during the continuous ash emission phase, concentrations of volcanic ash were more significant in the less than 1.15 μm size fractions. Settling velocities dictate that the smaller size particles will transport far from the volcano and, unlike the larger particles, not be retained in the proximal stratigraphic record. These results show that volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) model predictions based on massless tracer particles, such as the predictions from the PUFF VATD model, provide a good first-order approximation of the transport of both large and small volcanic ash particles. Unfortunately, the concentration of particles in different size fractions depends on eruptive style and ash generation processes, so predicting the actual behavior of the ash particles from an eruption requires additional information in real time.

The 16 April 2010 major volcanic ash plume over central Europe: EARLINET lidar and AERONET photometer observations at Leipzig and Munich, Germany

The optically thickest volcanic ash plume ever measured over Germany was monitored with multiwavelength Raman lidars and Sun photometer at Leipzig and Munich. When this ash layer, originating from the Eyjafjoll eruptions in southern Iceland, crossed Leipzig between 2.5 and 6 km height on 16 April 2010, the total 500 nm aerosol optical depth reached 1.0, and the ash–related optical depth was about 0.7. Volume light–extinction coefficients (40–75–minute mean values) measured over Leipzig and Munich at 355 and 532 nm reached values of 400–600 Mm−1 and ash mass concentrations were on the order of 1000 ± 350 μg/m3 in the center of the main ash layer. Extinction–to–backscatter ratios ranged from 55 ± 5 sr (Munich) to 60 ± 5 sr (Leipzig) in the main ash layer, and the particle linear depolarization ratio was close to 0.35 at both wavelengths. Rather low photometer–derived Ångström exponents (500–1640 nm wavelength range) indicated the presence of a significant amount of large ash particles with diameters &gt;20 μm.

Bed agglomeration in fluidized combustor fueled by wood and rice straw blends

Petrographic techniques have been used to examine bed materials from fluidized bed combustion experiments that utilized wood and rice straw fuel blends. The experiments were conducted using a laboratory-scale combustor with mullite sand beds, firing temperatures of 840 to 1030 °C, and run durations of 5.5 h. A narrow continuous zone borders virtually all bed particles. The highest concentrations of potassium are found in this surface zone that also is enriched in appreciable amounts of other elements. Thin discontinuous films of adhesive cement, formed preferentially on surfaces and contact areas between bed particles, ultimately led to bed agglomeration. The interfaces and the presence of gas bubbles in the cement suggest a bonding material with a high surface tension and a liquid state. The cement films originate by filling of irregularities on individual and partially agglomerated bed particle surfaces by accumulation of liquid droplets preferentially in areas sheltered from turbulence and mechanical interaction. The composition of the film suggests melting of locally accumulated dust or aerosol mixture of ash particles and mullite. The film only locally enlarged bed particles. Large straw ash particles appear to have mostly been passively incorporated into the adhesive melt without melting or reaction.

In SituLeaching of Trace Elements in a Coal Ash Dump and Time Dependence Laboratory Evaluation†

This paper investigates the leaching behavior of trace elements in a typical ash dump in the Guizhou province of western China. The ash samples obtained from a power plant were sieved into three sizes: <45, 45−71, and >71 μm. Column leaching tests were performed for the size-classified fly ash samples. The HCl solution of pH 4.5 was used to simulate local precipitation. The flow rate was chosen as 1 mL/min. Leaching time intervals were selected in a range from 15 min to 40 days. The results show that the surrounding soil is strongly affected by the ash dump, and the concentrations of some harmful elements in soil are much higher than the background values. The maximal single element pollution index of the soil sample is 134.81 for Cd. In comparison to the concentrations of trace elements in the upstream water, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Co are greatly enriched in the downstream water. The pollution of the underground water is mitigated by the use of leakproof film. The column leaching test results show that the concentrations of Pb and Cd fluctuate in short-time column leaching. The concentrations of Cd are kept stable after 16 days in three size-classified fly ash samples. However, the concentrations of Pb increase from 1 day to 40 days in the fly ash with a small particle size but are kept stable after 16 days for large particle size fly ash. In comparison to Cd and Pb, the concentrations of Zn in short-time column leaching increase significantly with relatively small fluctuations.

Application of 11B MAS-NMR to the characterization of boron in coal fly ash generated from Nantun coal

Boron and its compounds are environmentally hazardous substance and are well-known condensed products that appear in coal fly ash during combustion of coal in coal-fired electric power stations. In a previous study, we suggested that boron in coal fly ash obtained from Nantun coal in China, identified as Ash–N, may exist on the surface of relatively large coal fly ash particles or as very fine particles generated by homogeneous nucleation. Although the characterization of boron in coal fly ash is important for its effective stabilization or removal, its detection is quite difficult because of its low concentration in coal fly ash and its light atomic weight. In the present work, solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) technique has been applied to reveal the local chemical structures of boron in Ash–N. In the 11B MAS-NMR spectrum of Ash–N, two peaks which are attributed to a three-oxygen coordinated boron unit (BO 3) and a four-oxygen coordinated boron unit (BO 4) were observed with high resolution. We have estimated quadrupole parameters of the BO 3 unit in Ash–N using computer simulation, and we have fingerprinted these moieties with the parameters of borates. The result of the present analysis shows that calcium- or magnesium-bearing orthoborate or pyroborate are the most likely forms of boron in Ash–N.

Using Statistical and Computer Models to Quantify Volcanic Hazards

Risk assessment of rare natural hazards, such as large volcanic block and ash or pyroclastic flows, is addressed. Assessment is approached through a combination of computer modeling, statistical modeling, and extreme-event probability computation. A computer model of the natural hazard is used to provide the needed extrapolation to unseen parts of the hazard space. Statistical modeling of the available data is needed to determine the initializing distribution for exercising the computer model. In dealing with rare events, direct simulations involving the computer model are prohibitively expensive. The solution instead requires a combination of adaptive design of computer model approximations (emulators) and rare event simulation. The techniques that are developed for risk assessment are illustrated on a test-bed example involving volcanic flow.

Eruption of Alaska Volcano Breaks Historic Pattern

In the late morning of 12 July 2008, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) received an unexpected call from the U.S. Coast Guard, reporting an explosive volcanic eruption in the central Aleutians in the vicinity of Okmok volcano, a relatively young (∼2000‐year‐old) caldera. The Coast Guard had received an emergency call requesting assistance from a family living at a cattle ranch on the flanks of the volcano, who reported loud “thunder,” lightning, and noontime darkness due to ashfall. AVO staff immediately confirmed the report by observing a strong eruption signal recorded on the Okmok seismic network and the presence of a large dark ash cloud above Okmok in satellite imagery. Within 5 minutes of the call, AVO declared the volcano at aviation code red, signifying that a highly explosive, ash‐rich eruption was under way.