FVXX21 KWBC 181930 VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT ISSUED 1930 UTC 18 MAR 2000 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . TUNGURAHUA 00-329 ECUADOR 0128S 7826W . BACKGROUND: TUNGURAHUA ECUADOR (1502-08) SUMMIT HEIGHT 16480 FT (5023 M) . SOURCES OF INFORMATION: GOES-8 VISIBLE INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY. WIND FORECAST FROM THE AVIATION MODEL GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE REPORT . ERUPTION DETAILS: ALMOST CONTINUOUS EMISSIONS OF GASES AND OCCASIONAL ASH EMISSIONS. AN MINOR ASH EMISSION WAS REPORTED AT ABOUT 18/1800 UTC. . DETAILS OF ASH: SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 18/1845 UTC SHOWS EXTENSIVE CLOUDS OBSCURING ANY ASH. EARLIER VISIBLE IMAGES INDICATED A PLUME OF MOSTLY STEAM EXTENDING ABOUT 50 NMI TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE VOLCANO. THE GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE REPORTED A MINOR EMISSION OF ASH AT ABOUT 18/1800 UTC. LOCAL SURFACE OBSERVATIONS PLACES THE HEIGHT AT FL170. TRAJECTORY: TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 15-20 KNOTS. . OUTLOOK: SEE SIGMETS. . THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 19/0130 UTC. . REAL TIME SATELLITE IMAGERY ALONG WITH THIS AND OTHER VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENTS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A MAP DEPICTING ASH LOCATION ARE AVAILABLE AT INTERNET URL ADDRESS http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/washington.html (all lower case except /VAAC/) . PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS. . . NNNN