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Katmai

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Leaflet U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey | Policies

Facts

  • Official Name: Mount Katmai
  • Seismically Monitored: Yes
  • Color Code: GREEN
  • Alert Level: NORMAL
  • Elevation: 2047m (6715ft)
  • Latitude: 58.279
  • Longitude: -154.9533
  • Smithsonian VNum: 312170
  • Pronunciation:
  • Nearby Towns:
    • Karluk 52 mi (84 km) SE
    • Larsen Bay 62 mi (100 km) SE
    • Kanatak 63 mi (102 km) SW
    • King Salmon 68 mi (109 km) NW
    • Aleneva 77 mi (124 km) SE

    Distance from Anchorage: 269 mi (432 km)

  • Subfeatures:
    • Horseshoe Island

Description

From Miller and others (1998) [1] : "Katmai volcano is a large stratovolcano about 10 km in diameter with a central lake-filled caldera whose rim is about 4.2 by 2.5 km in area. The caldera rim has a maximum elevation of 2047 m and in 1975 the lake surface was at an elevation of about 1236 m. The estimated elevation of the caldera floor is about 995 m.
"The volcano is one of five stratovolcanoes near the Novarupta dome, source of the voluminous pyroclastic flows erupted in 1912 [2] . It consists chiefly of lava flows, pyroclastic rocks, and non-welded to agglutinated air fall [3] [2] . The Quaternary volcanic rocks at Katmai and adjacent cones are less than 1500 m thick [2] . Much of the volcano is mantled by snow and ice and several valley glaciers radiate out from the flanks and three glaciers originating from the upper caldera walls descend into the crater to the lake [4] .
"Katmai volcano is built on the sedimentary rocks of the Naknek Formation of Late Jurassic age, which are exposed just west of the caldera rim at an elevation of about 1520 m, as well as north and southeast of the crater [5] [6] "

Name Origin

This locality was published as "Katmai Volcano" in 1910 by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and as "Mount Katmai" by G.C. Martin in 1913. "Mount Katmai" is the current proper name (Orth, 1971).

References Cited

[1] Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska, 1998

Miller, T. P., McGimsey, R. G., Richter, D. H., Riehle, J. R., Nye, C. J., Yount, M. E., and Dumoulin, J. A., 1998, Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-0582, 104 p.

[2] The compositionally zoned eruption of 1912 in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai National Park, Alaska, 1983

Hildreth, Wes, 1983, The compositionally zoned eruption of 1912 in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai National Park, Alaska: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 18, n. 1-4, p. 1-56.

[3] The Katmai region, Alaska, and the great eruption of 1912, 1920

Fenner, C. N., 1920, The Katmai region, Alaska, and the great eruption of 1912: Journal of Geology, v. 28, n. 7, p. 569-606.

[4] Recent investigations on the crater lake, Katmai Caldera, Alaska, 1975

Motyka, R.J., and Benson, C.S., 1975, Recent investigations on the crater lake, Katmai Caldera, Alaska [abs]: Transactions, American Geophysical Union, v. 56, no. 12, p. 1072-1973.

[5] The stratigraphy of the ejecta from the 1912 eruption of Mount Katmai and Novarupta, Alaska, 1968

Curtis, G. H., 1968, The stratigraphy of the ejecta from the 1912 eruption of Mount Katmai and Novarupta, Alaska: in Coats, R. R., Hay, R. L., and Anderson, C. A., (eds.), Studies in volcanology, Geological Society of America Memoir MWR 0116, p. 153-210.

[6] Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska, 1987

Riehle, J. R., Detterman, R. L., Yount, M. E., and Miller, J. W., 1987, Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 87-0593, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Current Activity

March 16, 2025, 6:47 am

Strong northwesterly winds in the vicinity of Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes have picked up loose volcanic ash erupted during the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai eruption and are carrying it to the southeast toward Kodiak Island. The National Weather Service has issued a SIGMET for this low-level event and suggests that the maximum cloud height is 6,000 ft (1.8 km) above sea level.

This phenomenon is not the result of recent volcanic activity and occurs during times of high winds and dry snow-free conditions in the Katmai area and other young volcanic areas of Alaska. No eruption is in progress. All of the volcanoes of the Katmai area (Griggs, Katmai, Novarupta, Mageik, Martin, Snowy and Trident) remain at Aviation Color Code GREEN and Alert Level NORMAL. Resuspended volcanic ash should be considered hazardous and could be damaging to aircraft and health.

For more information on volcanic ash and human health, visit the following website: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/

Official warnings about these ash resuspension events are issued by the National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/afc/

Forecasts of airborne ash hazard to aircraft: https://www.weather.gov/aawu/. Volcanic Ash Advisories: https://www.weather.gov/vaac/

Forecasts of ashfall: http://www.weather.gov/afc

Air quality hazards and guidance from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Air Quality: http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/Advisories/Index

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Katmai

Katmai Eruption Timeline

Katmai 1912/6

June 6, 1912 — June 9, 1912

Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) provide information about the magitude of the 1912 eruption at Novarupta and Katmai: "The world's largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century broke out at Novarupta [see fig. 1 in original text] in June 1912, filling with hot ash what came to be called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and spreading downwind more fallout than all other historical Alaskan eruptions combined. Although almost all the magma vented at Novarupta, most of it had been stored beneath Mount Katmai 10 km away, which collapsed during the eruption. Airborne ash from the 3-day event blanketed all of southern Alaska, and its gritty fallout was reported as far away as Dawson, Ketchikan, and Puget Sound [see fig. 21 in original text]. Volcanic dust and sulfurous aerosol were detected within days over Wisconsin and Virginia; within 2 weeks over California, Europe, and North Africa; and in latter-day ice cores recently drilled on the Greenland ice cap."
Schaaf (2004) contains excerpts and summaries of eyewitness accounts of the eruption; a copy of this publication is available online at www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v11-i…. Detailed, firsthand narratives of the events as experienced at Kodiak are given in Perry, 1914, and Erskine, 1962.
Hildreth and Fierstein also published a free download tome of information about this eruption: pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1791/
From Fierstein and others (1998): "On the afternoon of June 6, 1912, an ominous cloud rose into the sky above Mount Katmai on the Alaska Peninsula. The cloud quickly reached an altitude of 20 miles, and within 4 hours, ash from a huge volcanic eruption began to fall on the village of Kodiak, 100 miles to the southeast. By the end of the eruption on June 9th, the ash cloud, now thousands of miles across, shrouded southern Alaska and western Canada, and sulfurous ash was falling on Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington. The next day the cloud passed over Virginia, and by June 17th it reached Algeria in Africa.
"During the 3 days of the eruption, darkness and suffocating conditions caused by falling ash and sulfur dioxide gas immobilized the population of Kodiak. Sore eyes and respiratory distress were rampant, and water became undrinkable. Radio communications were totally disrupted, and with visibility near zero, ships couldn't dock. Roofs in Kodiak collapsed under the weight of more than a foot of ash, buildings were wrecked by ash avalanches that rushed down from nearby hillslopes, and other structures burned after being struck by lightning from the ash cloud.
"Similar conditions prevailed elsewhere in southern Alaska, and several villages were abandoned forever. Animal and plant life was decimated by ash and acid rain from the eruption. Bears and other large animals were blinded by ash and starved when large numbers of the plants and small animals they lived on were wiped out. Millions of dead birds that had been blinded and coated by volcanic ash littered the ground. Aquatic organisms, such as mussels, insect larvae, and kelp, as well as the fish that fed upon them, perished in ash-choked shallow water. Alaska's salmon-fishing industry was devastated, especially from 1915 to 1919, because of the starvation and failure of many adult fish to spawn in ash-choked streams.
"In 1916, a National Geographic Society expedition led by Robert Griggs visited Mount Katmai and found a 2-mile-wide crater where its summit had been before 1912. Nearby, the expedition discovered a newly formed lava dome they called 'Novarupta' and huge flows of volcanic ash filling what they named the 'Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes' for the numerous plumes of steam rising from the still hot ground. Griggs' descriptions of these spectacular features helped persuade President Woodrow Wilson to create Katmai National Monument (now National Park) in 1918.
"In the 1950's, volcanologists discovered that the 1912 eruption was actually from Novarupta, not Mount Katmai. Novarupta's eruption had removed so much molten rock (magma) from beneath Mount Katmai that it caused a cubic mile of Katmai's summit to collapse."
Hildreth (1983) gives the following detailed description of the events of the eruption: "Because there were no geophysical instruments in Alaska, no scientfic observers in the district, and no eyewitnesses with a view of the VTTS [Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes], most reports of seismic, acoustic, and eruptive phenomena were not necessarily very accurate, chronologically or descriptively. The most reliable data are the visual observations from aboard the steamer Dora and the record of tephra falls at Kodiak [see figs. 1, 4, in original text] (Martin, 1913; Griggs, 1922). Martin visited Kodiak, Uyak, Katmai village, and Cold Bay [see fig. 1 in original text] in August of 1912 and gathered what accounts he could from residents of the district, but he did not venture inland to the volcanoes nor was he able to interview anyone from the two bands of native hunter-fishermen said to have been within 30 and 40 km, respectively, north and south of Novarupta at the time of the initial outburst. Reconstructions of the eruptive sequence by Griggs (1922) and Fenner (1923, 1925, 1950) are heavily inferential, overinterpretive both of Martin's data and of latter-day interviews with people said to have been at Savonoski when the eruption began (see below), and suffer badly from the incorrect assumption that much of the tephra had come from Mt. Katmai. The following is a critical reappraisal of what appear to be the facts, as assembled largely by G.C. Martin (1913; and unpublished USGS field notes); all times cited are adjusted to Alaskan local time.
"Earthquakes were reported to have been felt at Katmai village (30 km SSE of Novarupta) as early as the evening of 31 May, and severe shocks were felt at Uyak, Kanatak, and Nushugak (200 km WNW) on 4 and 5 June. On the morning of 6 June, explosions were heard at Nushugak and at Seldovia (240 km ENE) but there were no reports of accompanying seismicity or ash clouds. The same morning the Dora left Uyak at 0845 and steamed north-eastward up Shelikof Strait, the Katmai-group volcanoes in full view with a 'strong westerly breeze and fine clear weather,' but no one aboard noticed a tephra column until 1300 (when the vessel was ~88 km southeast of Novarupta). That column was clearly Plinian and, as shown below by the stratigraphic data, it was predominantly rhyolitic; the cloud overtook the Dora by 1500 and began dropping ash at Kodiak (170 km ESE) [see figs. 1, 4, in original text] by 1700.
"Separate interviews with two individuals said to have been in or near Savonoski (30 km N) on the morning of 6 June were conducted in 1918 (Griggs, 1922, p. 17) and in 1923 (Fenner, 1925, p. 216); these have been interpreted to suggest that the ash flow in the VTTS began in the morning several hours prior to the first high tephra column. This is quite unlikely in view of: (1) the record of the Dora; (2) the fact that the basal tephra layer in the VTTS, the distinctively rhyolitic Layer A, does not occur atop the ash-flow deposit; and (3) the common association of pumiceous pyroclastic flows with the collapse of vertical eruption columns. Preliminary eruptive activity at Novarupta on the morning of 6 June is quite reasonable and may be the best explanation of the noise and dust reported that morning at Savonoski and the explosions heard at Nushugak and Seldovia; but a major eruption column and a rhyolitic ash flow several km^3 in volume are certainly excluded prior to 1300.
"Major shocks that punctuated virtually continuous seismic activity were reported locally at ~1300 and ~2300 on 6 June and ~2240 on 7 June. These times are not necessarily very accurate. The first instrumentally recorded teleseism (at Seattle) is reported to have arrived at 1241 on 6 June (Fenner, 1925). Harvard, Ottawa, and several Eurasian stations recorded many teleseisms originating in southwest Alaska between 1805 on 6 June and ~2100 on 11 June. One of these near midnight on 6/7 June has been estimated at magnitude 6.4 and another at 0606 on 10 June at magnitude 7.0 (Coffman and von Hake, 1973). Earthquakes following the main phases of the eruption were felt at Cold Bay (60 km SSW) on 50 of the 70 days through mid-August (Fenner, 1925).
"A great explosion, accompanied by an earthquake felt at Cold Bay ~1300 on 6 June (Martin, 1913), was audible throughout the region and close in time to the first recorded teleseism and to the first sighting of tephra by the Dora. Another blast at ~1500 on 6 June, for which no accompanying earthquake was noted, may have been the most severe outburst of all, being heard for hundreds of kilometers (Martin, 1913). Martin suggested, but did not cite any evidence for, explosions synchronous with the large earthquakes felt nearby at ~2300 on 6 June and 2240 on 7 June. There were, however, reports of loud noises between midnight and 0200 on 8 June, at Katanak (95 km SW) and at Cordova (590 km ENE) (Martin, 1913; Fenner, 1925). Explosions continued to be heard, some as far away as Juneau (1200 km) until 10 June, though how many of the noises may have been thunder is impossible to assess.
"Major tephra eruptions, first noted by the Dora at 1300 on 6 June, continued to fall heavily on downwind settlements nearby until 9 June. The principal sector of dispersal was southeastward [see fig. 1 in original text], and the most distant positive record of ashfall was in Puget Sound (2400 km SE); atmospheric effects were worldwide (Griggs, 1922; Volz, 1975). In the main downwind direction at Kodiak (170 km ESE) there were three discrete periods of ashfall [see fig. 4 in original text]: (1) 1700 6 June until 0910 7 June; (2) ~1200 7 June until 1430 8 June; and (3) during the night of 8/9 June. The 9th of June dawned clear, and no further ash-falls were recorded on Kodiak Island. A major vapor plume and, possibly, sporadic ashfalls close to the source lasted all summer (Martin, 1913; Griggs, 1922; Fenner, 1925). Timing of the emplacement of the Novarupta dome is poorly known; its extrusion followed the last major tephra fall and was complete at the time of discovery on 31 July 1916.
"Details of correlation between audible explosions, tephra falls, and seismic events are not well known. Martin (1913) is the principal source, but his article has been misread and overinterpreted and ensuing errors propagated in successive publications. The seismicity does not correlate very well with eruptive events, and indeed there need be no correspondence (e.g. Filson and others, 1973; Nairn and others, 1976; Yokoyama and others, 1981). Much of the seismic activity seems more likely to have been related to fitful subsidence of Katmai and Novarupta calderas.
"At the onset of eruption, no one is known to have had a view of the VTTS (much less the Novarupta area itself), and only the party of native fishermen then southwest of Katmai village en route to Cold Bay may have been in a position to see Mt. Katmai. The Savonoski interviews (above) smack of ex post facto embellishment, although Martin (1913, p. 147) accepted a third hand report in 1912 that the villagers there may have seen Mt. Katmai after its collapse, but before 9 June. It is not clear where they might have had such a view, because, even notwithstanding the ash clouds, Mt. Katmai is not visible from Savonoski or along their escape route down the lake to Naknek [see fig. 1 in original text]. Martin, Griggs, and Fenner accepted such reports to mean that Mt. Katmai had lost its top by the afternoon of 6 June. This may be true, but it is not clear how Mt. Katmai could have been seen at all during the eruptive interval at Novarupta or what meaning should be attached to such expressions as 'blown off' or 'blown up.' No definitive geologic evidence has been found to fix the timing of Mt. Katmai's collapse, but it may be a reasonable inference that in addition to the syneruptive earthquakes, much of the summer-long seismicity can be attributed to such collapse, as well as to tectonic adjustments over a somewhat wider area, or even to dome emplacement at Novarupta."
Hildreth (1983) also reports that "pumice in the intial fall unit (A) is 100% rhyolite, but fall units atop the ash flow are >98% datcite; black andesitic scoria is common only in the ash flows and in near-vent air-fall tephra." He also states: The Novarupta lava dome is "diameter 380 m, its hieight ~65 m, and the intermediate (mostly dacite) lava interbanded with the rhyolite consitutes no more than 5% of the exposure; most of the conspicuous banding reflects textural variation in the rhyolite."
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) estimate that the Novarupta eruption of 1912 ejected "at least 17 cubic km of fall deposits and about 11 cubic km of ash-flow tuff (ignimbrite) * * * emplaced in about 60 hours, representing a magma volume of about 13 cubic km (Fierstein and Hildreth, 1992). Hildreth (1987) estimates the volume of the Novarupta lava dome to be 0.005 cubic km.

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Katmai 1914

1914

Coleman (1946) reports that "There were eruptions of Katmai on a smaller scale in 1914, but the volcano is now quiet." However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1920/3

March 9, 1920

Coats (1950) reports minor eruptions at Katmai on March 9, 1920. However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1921/11

November 27, 1921

Coats (1950) reports minor explosive eruptions at Katmai on November 27, 1921. However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1927

1927

From Jaggar (1927): "When Dr. Jaggar was at Naknek May 24, 1927, the teacher there, who had been to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, reported that a trapper in January, 1927, had seen an ash eruption from one of the Katmai hills, and that two trappers were missing who had gone into that region." However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1929/12

December 1929

Jaggar (1932) reported that "volcanoes of the Katmai group continued fuming" in 1929, and Coats (1950) reported Katmai active in December, 1929. However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1931/5

May 8, 1931 — July 1931

Finch (1931) recorded: "Katmai volcano was observed to be smoking early in July." Coats (1950) also reports Katmai smoking on May 8, 1931. However, Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 1951/8

August 1951

From Jones (1952): "On August 9 [1951], A.E. Jones saw the volcanoes from Pavlof to Douglas, and, although an ash fall near Katmai had been reported a few days before, he could see no signs of activity." Hildreth (1983) states: "Published compilations notwithstanding, there are no credible reports of historic eruptions in the Katmai group except at Novarupta in 1912 and at Trident in 1953 - 1968."

Katmai 2003/9

September 21, 2003

From McGimsey and others (2005): "On September 21, 2003, strong northwesterly winds sweeping through the VTTS in Katmai National Park entrained ash from the 1912 deposits to form a substantial cloud that was carried over Shelikof Strait, Kodiak Island, and the Gulf of Alaska. Particle fallout on Kodiak Island was mistaken as material from an eruption cloud. Upon receiving the reports from Kodiak, AVO scientists analyzed satellite imagery and area seismic data and determined that the phenomenon was non-eruptive in origin. The National Weather Service (NWS) was contacted to confirm the existence of strong winds in the area, and then AVO issued an Information Release at 2:30 pm ADT (22:30 UTC) explaining the cloud's source and cautioning that despite the non-eruptive origin, the cloud -- composed of remobilized volcanic ash -- nonetheless posed a potential hazard to aircraft."

Katmai 1912/6

Katmai 1914

Katmai 1920/3

Katmai 1921/11

Katmai 1927

Katmai 1929/12

Katmai 1931/5

Katmai 1951/8

Katmai 2003/9

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TimelineJS

11 Event Date(s)

Past Activity Legend:
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Questionable eruption
Non-eruptive activity


Showing 1 - 20 of 146

Map Images

Map References

Recently active volcanoes of Alaska, 2023

Cameron, C.E., Bull, K.F., and Macpherson, A.E., 2023, Recently active volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 133 v. 6, 2 sheets. https://doi.org/10.14509/31086.

Tephra occurrence in Alaska: a map-based compilation of stratigraphic tephra data, 2018

Worden, A.K., Schaefer, J.R., and Mulliken, K.M., 2018, Tephra occurrence in Alaska: a map-based compilation of stratigraphic tephra data: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 165, 19 p., http://doi.org/10.14509/30059

Historically active volcanoes of Alaska, v. 3, 2018

Cameron, C.E., Schaefer, J.R., and Mulliken, K.M., 2018, Historically active volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 133 v. 3, 2 sheets. Http://doi.org/10.14509/30142

Historically active volcanoes of Alaska, 2014

Schaefer, J.R., Cameron, C.E., and Nye, C.J., 2014, Historically active volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 133 v. 1.2, 1 sheet, scale 1:3,000,000. This publication has been superseded. Newest version available at http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/pubs/id/20181 .

Geologic map of the Katmai volcanic cluster, Katmai National Park, Alaska, 2003

Hildreth, Wes, and Fierstein, Judy, 2003, Geologic map of the Katmai volcanic cluster, Katmai National Park, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigation Series Map I 2778, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.
full-text PDF 23.9 MB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet

Historically active volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, 2002

Schaefer, Janet, and Nye, C. J., 2002, Historically active volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication MP 0123, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:3,000,000. Superceded by Miscellaneous Publication 133: http://www.dggs.dnr.state.ak.us/pubs/pubs?reqtype=citation&ID=20181

Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for the Katmai volcanic cluster, Alaska, 2001

Fierstein, Judy, and Hildreth, Wes, 2001, Preliminary volcano-hazard assessment for the Katmai volcanic cluster, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-0489, 50 p., 1 plate, scale not applicable.
full-text PDF 28.8 MB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Volcanoes of Alaska, 1998

Nye, C. J., Queen, Katherine, and McCarthy, A. M., 1998, Volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Information Circular IC 0038, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:4,000,000, available at http://www.dggs.dnr.state.ak.us/pubs/pubs?reqtype=citation&ID=7043 .
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Catalog and initial analyses of geologic data related to middle and late Quaternary deposits, Cook Inlet region, Alaska, 1996

Reger, R. D., Pinney, D. S., Burke, R. M., and Wiltse, M. A., 1996, Catalog and initial analyses of geologic data related to middle and late Quaternary deposits, Cook Inlet region, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigation 95-06, 188 p., 6 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Volcanoes of Alaska, 1995

Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 1995, Volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Information Circular IC 0038, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:4,000,000.

Geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska, 1994

Riehle, J. R., Detterman, R. L., Yount, M. E., and Miller, J. W., 1994, Geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 2204, unpaged, 1 plate, scale 1:250,000.

Interpretation of exploration geochemical data for the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska, 1994

Church, S. E., Riehle, J. R., and Goldfarb, R. J., 1994, Interpretation of exploration geochemical data for the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2020, 67 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.
full-text PDF 3.6 MB
plate 1 PDF 32 MB
plate 2 PDF 34 MB
plate 3 PDF 32 MB

Aleutian arc volcanoes, 1994

Nye, C. J., 1994, Aleutian arc volcanoes: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Public-Data File PDF 94-54, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:2,126,841.

Geothermal resources of the Aleutian Arc, 1993

Motyka, R. J., Liss, S. A., Nye, C. J., and Moorman, M. A., 1993, Geothermal resources of the Aleutian Arc: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Professional Report PR 0114, 17 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Quaternary geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska, 1993

Riehle, J. R., and Detterman, R. L., 1993, Quaternary geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 2032, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Holocene volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, Alaska, 1993

March, G. D., 1993, Holocene volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Public-Data File PDF 93-85, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:2,000,000.

Map showing potassium-argon ages from the Mount Katmai and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, 1992

Shew, Nora, and Lanphere, M. A., 1992, Map showing potassium-argon ages from the Mount Katmai and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF 2021-E, unpaged, 1sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Mineral and energy resource assessment maps of the Mount Katmai, Naknek, and western Afognak quadrangles, Alaska, 1992

Church, S. E., Riehle, J. R., Magoon, L. B., and Campbell, D. L., 1992, Mineral and energy resource assessment maps of the Mount Katmai, Naknek, and western Afognak quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF 2021-F, 22 p., 2 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska, 1987

Riehle, J. R., Detterman, R. L., Yount, M. E., and Miller, J. W., 1987, Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 87-0593, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Map showing distribution, composition, and age of Late Cenozoic volcanic centers in Alaska, 1986

Luedke, R. G., and Smith, R. L., 1986, Map showing distribution, composition, and age of Late Cenozoic volcanic centers in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 1091-F, unpaged, 3 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.

Geothermal energy resources of Alaska, 1980

Turner, D. L., Forbes, R. B., Albanese, Mary, Macbeth, Joyce, Lockhart, A. B., and Seed, S. M., 1980, Geothermal energy resources of Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute Report UAG-R 279, 19 p., 3 sheets, scale 1 at 1:2,500,000.

Thermal spring list for the United States, 1980

Berry, G. W., Grim, P. J., and Ikelman, J. A., 1980, Thermal spring list for the United States: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geophysical Records Document 0012, 60 p., 2 plates, scale 1:5,000,000.

Quaternary geology of Alaska, 1975

Pewe, T. L., 1975, Quaternary geology of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper PP 0835, 145 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:5,000,000.
full-text PDF 7.6 MB
plate 1 PDF 2.3 MB
table 2 PDF 277 KB
table 3 PDF 232 KB

Some effects of recent volcanic ash falls with special reference to Alaska, 1959

Wilcox, R. E., 1959, Some effects of recent volcanic ash falls with special reference to Alaska: in Investigations of Alaskan volcanoes, U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1028-N, p. 409-476, 5 sheets, scale unknown.
full-text PDF 1.5 MB
plate 54 PDF 76 KB
plate 55 PDF 194 KB
plate 56 PDF 234 KB
plate 57 PDF 177 KB
plate 58 PDF 140 KB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Volcanic activity in the Aleutian Arc, 1950

Coats, R. R., 1950, Volcanic activity in the Aleutian Arc: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 0974-B, p. 35-49, 1 sheet, scale 1:5,000,000.
plate 1 PDF 819 KB
full-text PDF 783 KB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

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Before an eruption

Ashfall & Preparedness Information

During and After an Eruption

Other Useful Links

Ash Forecasting

Mathematical models developed by the USGS forecast various aspects of how a volcanic ash plume will interact with wind—where, how high, and how fast ash particles will be transported in the atmosphere, as well as where ash will fall out and accumulate on the ground. AVO runs these models when a volcano is restless by assuming a reasonable hypothetical eruption, to provide a pre-eruptive forecast of areas likely to be affected. During an ongoing eruption, AVO will update the forecast with actual observations (eruption start time and duration, plume height) as they become available.

View the current airborne ash cloud models for Katmai

Ashfall thickness forecast

The Ash3d model was developed by the USGS to forecast how a volcanic ash plume will interact with wind and where ash will fall out and accumulate on the ground. AVO runs these models twice daily when a volcano is restless by assuming a reasonable hypothetical eruption altitude and duration. The map shows the model results of ashfall thickness for areas that are likely to be affected, if one were to occur. During an ongoing eruption, AVO will update the forecast with actual observations (eruption start time and duration, plume height) as they become available, and these plots will be automatically updated. The National Weather Service Anchorage Forecast Office will issue the official ashfall warning product and post them at weather.gov/afc

THESE PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE CURRENT.

During an actual eruption, see National Weather Service forecasts of ashfall:https://weather.gov/afc.

Ashfall Forecast

Click on the X on the graphic (upper right) to expand the map to show the map legend.

Ashfall Start Time

This map shows the modeled estimate of the time it would take for ashfall to begin following an eruption. It corresponds to the ashfall thickness forecast map shown above. This map uses the start time of either the twice-daily hypothetical model runs (time shown in the legend) or the actual eruption start time (if one were to occur). In the case of an actual eruption, the National Weather Service Anchorage Forecast Office will issue the official ashfall warning product that includes the ashfall start time and post them at weather.gov/afc

THESE PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE CURRENT.

During an actual eruption, see National Weather Service forecasts of ashfall:https://weather.gov/afc.

Ashfall Start Times Forecast

Click on the X on the graphic (upper right) to expand the map to show the map legend.
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