GUAGUA PICHINCHA 99-159 ECUADOR 0.17S 78.60W

BACKGROUND: GUAGUA PICHINCHA ECUADOR (1502-02)
SUMMIT HEIGHT 15695 FT (4784 M)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION: THE GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE IN ECUADOR. GOES-8
VISIBLE INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY. U.S. NUMERICAL MODEL
WIND FORECAST.

ERUPTION DETAILS: THE GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE REPORTED AN EXPLOSIVE
ERUPTION AT 2004 UTC.

DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD: GOES-8 IMAGERY THROUGH 2215 UTC SHOWS AN
ELONGATED ASH CLOUD APPROX 211 KM (114 NMI) WIDE AND 39 KM (21 NMI)
LONG FROM POINT .17N 78.73W TO POINT .56S 76.98W. THIS ASH IS
ESTIMATED TO BE AT FL300 AT THE NORTH POINT TO FL400 AT THE SOUTH
END. THE ASH IS EXPANDING AND MOVING AT A GENERAL SPEED OF 15 KNOTS
TO THE NORTHEAST. DUE TO RAPID SCAN OPERATIONS GOES-8 WILL LOSE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE IMAGERY BETWEEN 17/2226 UTC AND 18/0326 UTC.