The eruptions blanketed interior Alaska with ash that resulted in the disruption of air traffic in southern Alaska, the closing of schools, and the nearly catastrophic encounter of a 747 passenger aircraft with one of the ash clouds. Other features of interest can be seen on this SAR image. Most noticeable are circulation patterns in the water, tidal flats, coastal wetlands and glaciers. The circulation patterns are caused by winds or currents that generate waves which, in some cases, interact with topographic and bathymetric features such as islands, shoals or tidal flats. The tidal flats are the generally brighter, elongated features along the coast that tend to have a smoother texture than other terrestrial features but dissected by seaward flowing drainages.
Wetlands are shoreward of the tidal flats where the streams flow across the coastal lowlands.
Glaciers occupy most of the valleys at higher elevations. Double Glacier, south and across the Drift River Valley from Reboubt Volcano, is the largest. This description was prepared from material provided by Prof. Kenneson Dean , Geophysical Institute, and Dr. Juergen Kienle, Alaska Volcano Observatory, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Brantley, Steven R., ed., 1990. The eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, December 14, 1980-August 31, 1990.