Alaska's Redoubt volcano erupts for sixth time

The eruption, at 7:41 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, followed five eruptions that occurred late on Sunday and early Monday, marking the first major eruptions of the volcano for 20 years.

The latest blast lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which said "small, discrete earthquakes" are still occurring.

The 10,197-foot (3,108-meter) volcano had been showing signs of a possible eruption for about two months.

Ash from the volcano, which is 106 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, primarily drifted to the west and north, the observatory said.

There were no confirmed reports of ashfall from the latest eruption, but information was still being gathered, said Chris Waythomas, a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

A National Weather Service ashfall advisory is no longer in effect.

Alaska Air Group Inc, the state's largest carrier, canceled more than 45 flights on Monday because of the risk of ash damaging aircraft engines. It said it would resume flights on Tuesday following the clearing of ash clouds around Mount Redoubt.

Redoubt's first period of activity for two decades was expected to continue for weeks or even months, as it did in the last series of eruptions which lasted five months between December 1989 and April 1990. Ash from the first blast in December nearly downed a KLM jetliner.

(Editing by Bill Rigby and Vicki Allen)