Mount Mageik experienced a large landslide during the 1912 eruption of Novarupta and Mount Katmai. That deposit is described by Hildreth and others (2000) as follows: "The youngest of the three [debris avalanches] was emplaced in Martin Creek on 6 June 1912 during the eruption at Novarupta, presumably triggered by the seismicity accompanying caldera collapse at Mount Katmai (Hildreth, 1991). The deposit is overlain by most of the 1912 fallout but not by the earliest layers (Fierstein and Hildreth, 1992). Described in detail by Griggs (1920, 1922), who called it 'the Mageik Landslide', the 1912 avalanche deposit extends 6 km southeast of its headwall and overruns the medial part of the more subdued larger deposit [see fig. 2 in original text]. Consisting predominantly of angular blocks of fresh dacite, it broke loose from a steep face glacially carved into a stack of dacite lava flows that make up the southeast planeze of the Southwest Summit edifice, leaving behind a 120-m-high scarp with a rim at the 3,000-ft level. The deposit has millions of angular blocks larger than 1 m (mostly dacite, plus sparse basement sandstone), contains dacite slabs as long as 20 m, and supports hummocks as high as 20 m. It locally left superelevated trimlines and ponded drainages along its abrupt margins. About 800 m wide proximally, the deposit spreads out to 1.5 km medially and covers about 6 square km. Griggs (1920) estimated its area as more than 10 square km, but this included parts of the subjacent older deposit. Although thickness (5-30 m) is hard to average, the volume is probably in the range 0.05-0.1 cubic km." While impressive, this landslide does not represent a volcanic eruption.
Powers (1958) erroneously (see note by Fierstein and Hildreth, 2001, below) reported an ash eruption at Mount Mageik in 1912.
From Fierstein and Hildreth (2001): "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

Griggs (1922) reported a "thin column of steam" from Mount Mageik in 1915.
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) discount this account as an eruption: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

From Hubbard (1931): "The day [in 1922] was unusually clear, and Martin, Mageik, and Kukak volcanoes were sending graceful columns of smoke high into the air." This activity does not constitute a volcanic eruption.

Fenner (1930) reported a constant heavy roar and steam at Mount Mageik in 1923, stating that "rocks and ash on rim of crater suggest recent eruption."
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) discount this account as an eruption: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

Jaggar (1927) reports on an event in 1927: "The Seattle 'News-Tribune' carries an Associated Press dispatch of the date September 30 stating that Mageik Volcano of the Katmai group erupted explosively 'late in August (1927.)' The authority quoted is Captain Harry W. Crosby, President of the Crosby Fisheries, who spent the summer aboard his schooner-cannery 'Salmon King' in the northeast arm of Uganik Bay on the northwest side of Kodiak Island. Mageik and Martin were two volcanoes seen by Dr. Jaggar to be steaming, looking northwest from Shelikof Strait on May 18, 1927. Both took part in the great Katmai eruptions of 1912. Mageik is forty nautical miles from the middle of Shelikof Strait, and sixty miles from the Crosby anchorage in Uganik Bay. NEW PARA "Thousands of tons of pumice stone and ashes were reported by Crosby as showered over an area 50 miles square. The article quotes him:
"'We were about 50 miles off the Alaskan Peninsula in clear weather, when suddenly we noticed a gigantic puff at the top of Mageik. Soon the air was filled with volcano ash, and it began to rain pumice stone. After the explosion, the volcano smoked like a factory chimney. A short distance from the ship we found large quantities of pumice stone, some pieces as big as your fist, floating on the ocean.
"'We scooped up a bushel or more of the stones and brought them to Seattle. For five days the eruption continued, and the mountain was still smoking when we left for Seattle.
"'Each morning while we were off the Alaskan Peninsula, the decks and rigging of the ship would be covered with the fine powdered volcanic ash, some of it so white that it resembled snow. The first duty of the crew in the mornings would be to sweep the decks clear and to dust off the rigging.
"'The eruption followed a period of unusual weather, a great calm with scarcely a breath of air, and a depressing atmosphere. The air was full of white volcanic ash for a week, and thousands of tons of pumice stone fell around us.'
"No dates or ship's positions appear in this article, but apparently the vessel did not sail until five days after the major explosion. Captain Crosby is a reliable commercial man, navigator, and fisherman of many years' experience in Alaskan waters."
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) provide clarification that this account does not describe a volcanic eruption at Mount Mageik: "Although fumarolic 'puffs' are common, there is no evidence of a post-1912 plinian pumice-fall deposit anywhere between Mount Mageik and Shelikof Strait. The [Jaggar] report also mentioned fine white ash falling on the decks, but fine white ash still falls occasionally today during spells of dry summer weather when windstorms loft ash from the barren surface of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes to altitudes of many kilometers."
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) also firmly state: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."
Hildreth (1983) also states: "In particular, a pumice shower said by a fisherman to have issued from Mt. Mageik in August 1927 (Jaggar, 1927) cannot be corroborated by detectable deposits in the volcano's crater or on its flanks."

Jaggar (1929) states that Martin and Mageik were steaming throughout 1929. Miller and others (1998) write that a report of an eruption at Mageik in December, 1929, was possibly based on a newspaper account of "unusual activity" and from reports of a ship's crew - "the crew probably was no closer than 25 km to the volcano." The Fairbanks Daily News of December 7, 1929 states that passengers of the steamer Starr viewed "great white smoke clouds" "belching forth" from Mount Mageik, and that the smoke was "plainly visible from the decks of the Starr, which was 20 miles at sea."
Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) also state: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

From Fierstein and Hildreth (2001): "The supposed eruption of Mount Mageik listed for 1936 appears to be based wholly on a romantic travel book (Hutchison, 1937) that mentions a brief call by the SS Star at Halibut Bay on the southwest corner of Kodiak Island, 95 km south of Mount Mageik. Although the writer did not land, the captain 'brought back some interesting specimens of pumice stone with which the water of the were sprinkled as well as the shore. It had been vomited from the crater of the giant Mageik * * * on the 4th and 5th of July, a week previous to our visit.' The floating pumice was, of course, that of 1912, which lines the beaches of Shelikof Strait to this day."
They also state: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

Coats (1950) lists a questionable explosive eruption at Mount Mageik in 1946. Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) doubt the validity of this report, stating: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953."

Muller and others (1954) state that the ash that fell on Kukak Bay on July 22, 1951, was probably from an eruption of Mount Martin, rather than Mount Mageik.
However, Sumner (1952), who flew over Mount Mageik in June, 1951, does not mention any eruptive activity at Mageik. Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) state that there was no eruption in 1951, and that any ashfall witnessed was simply remobilized ash from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in 'Volcanoes of the World' (Simkin and Siebert, 1994) seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice lapilli); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953-74."

MacDonald (1953) reports that on February 21, 1953, the Kodiak Mirror reported that Mount Mageik had erupted. Addiontal reports of activity at Mageik ("steaming and smoking badly") are found in the July 13 and 14 editions of the Anchorage Daily News. Fierstein and Hildreth (2001) doubt the validity of these reports, stating: "Not a single one of the 20th century tephra eruptions of Mageik listed in Simkin and Siebert's (1994) "Volcanoes of the World" seems plausible. Configuration of the crater has not changed since it was first photographed in 1923; there are no juvenile ejecta in the crater or around its rim (except a scattering of 1912 pumice clasts from Novarupta); and the only late Holocene fall deposits on the or near the lower flanks of Mageik are the Novarupta pumice falls of 1912 and the black Trident ash of 1953." Many other accounts report that Mount Mageik was steaming during 1953 (MacDonald, 1953; Military observers, 1953; Muller and others, 1954; Snyder, 1954). Such steam does not constitute a volcanic eruption.

Mount Mageik steamed intermittently during 1954. Such steaming does not constitute a volcanic eruption. A summary of reports given by military observers (on file at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute) is as follows:
-20 Jan: steam and light grey smoke bubbling actively from a small peak crater. There is some likelihood of fire within this crater. This was originally thought to be Mt. Cerberus but subsequent observations establish this to be Mageik which had at an earlier date been reported with a single whisp of steam.
-16 February 1954: steam rising from hole in peak to be blown eastward down slope. No smoke, no odor.
-25 June: Quantities of white smoke and steam. Molten sulphur pool in crater. Smoke rising approx. 1000ft. Dispersing to the west. 5 August: Light steam rising 500 feet.
-1 Oct: Small amount of steam coming out of two different vents: one at tip of peak with the other on east shoulder of peak about 500' from top.

The Bulletin of Volcanic Eruptions (1980) notes that in 1978: "Mageik also steams profusely from its crater." (Communications from D.C. Shackelford)." This steaming does not constitute a volcanic eruption.

From McGimsey and others (1995): "On March 3 [1992], a plume-like cloud seemingly originating from Mount Mageik appeared on two successive National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite images prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a warning to aircraft of a possible eruption. AVO responded by compiling pilot reports, analyzing the satellite imagery, obtaining seismic information from the research seismic net in Katmai, issuing an information release, and then dispatching staff on an observation flight to assess the situation; AVO did not, however, confirm an eruption. Pilots reported smelling sulfur dioxide but detected no gas or ash plume. The seismic data indicated no unusual seismicity had occurred in the Katmai volcanic group. Airborne AVO observers found no evidence of eruptive activity at Mt. Mageik or in the areas downwind from the volcano. AVO then issued an update announcing that no eruption had occurred. The incident was deemed useful in exercising AVO's response to a potential eruption in a remote area."

From McGimsey and Wallace (1999): "On Thursday, February 19, 1997, AVO received multiple pilot reports (PIREPs) of ash and steam rising to 5,000 ft (~1,500 m) above either Martin or Mageik volcanoes. No anomalous seismic activity was recorded on the Katmai seismic network, and no indication of eruptive activity was detected on satellite imagery.
"* * * Another observation of unusual steaming at Martin and Mageik was reported to AVO on December 11, 1997, via the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, who received the report from a resident of Karluk Village on Kodiak Island. Using a spotting scope, the village resident had observed the peaks for the previous three weeks - noting no unusual activity - when on the morning of the 11th he witnessed a sudden increase in steam activity and watched as white, towering steam clouds billowed from Martin, subsided, and then rose again to about 600-700 ft (~200 m) above the vent, forming a large mushroomed top before dissipating. A second white, billowing steam plume then rose from adjacent Mageik. Local pilots also noticed the unusually vigorous activity." This steaming does not constitute a volcanic eruption.

From Neal and others (2005): "On December 11, 2002, the National Weather Service office in King Salmon reported a 'large steam plume' emanating from mountains east of King Salmon and extending up into the cloud deck. No discoloration was noted in the cloud. AVO staff examined the real-time seismic data from the Katmai area network and saw no evidence of anomalous behavior. No cloud or thermal anomaly was detected in Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images. This information was relayed back to NWS in King Salmon.
"About 45 minutes later, the NWS at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center issued an urgent pirep (UUA) based on a pilot report of a ‘strange plume' from Martin or Mageik that extended into cloud deck at about 7,000-10,000 ft. AVO concluded that this was the same observation reported earlier from King Salmon and took no further action.
"Mageik and Martin are adjacent, mostly ice-covered stratovolcanoes within Katmai National Park and Preserve on the Alaska Peninsula. Other than fumarolic activity from summit craters, there are no credible reports of historical eruptive activity at either volcano (Fierstein and Hildreth, 2000). Steam from the 500-meter-wide (1,640 ft) summit crater of Martin is vigorous and nearly continuous, with plumes occasionally rising 600 m (2,000 ft) or more above the vent and extending downwind for up to 20 km (12 mi). Steam plumes rising from the summit crater of Mageik are also common. This activity at both volcanoes results in frequent telephone calls to AVO."

From McGimsey and others (2005): "AVO received a PIREP of steaming in the Katmai area -- specifically at coordinates 58°16', 154°50' -- that was rising to an estimated 17,000 ft. ASL on February 15, 2003. The AAWU called to consult as to whether or not to issue a Significant Meteorological Information Statement (SIGMET). A check of the webicorders and spectrograms revealed no unusual seismicity at any of the Katmai Group volcanoes and no advisory was forthcoming. Based on the coordinates reported and the past reports of steaming, the most likely source was Mageik [see fig. 9 in original text]. Nearby Martin also typically issues a vigorous steam plume.
"An observer in the town of Naknek (about 110 km [70 mi.] from Mageik) called on April 8, 2003 to report two 'significant' steam plumes coming from 2 mountains in the VTTS the previous evening. Having lived in the area for 40 years, he stated that he had never seen anything as large as these plumes, although he estimated the plumes to be about 3,000 ft above the mountaintops. AVO staff checked the webicorders and spectrograms of the greater Katmai network and found nothing out of the ordinary. The observer was advised that he was likely seeing vigorous steam plumes emanating from Martin and Mageik, a common occurrence in the Katmai area."

From McGimsey and others (2007): "On February 26 [2005], AVO received from the Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) several pilot reports of a steam cloud rising to 12,000 ft (3,360 m) from Katmai. An inspection of the webicorders, spectrograms, and satellite logs revealed nothing unusual. Because Katmai Volcano does not have active fumaroles, the reported activity was attributed to nearby Mounts Mageik or Martin, both of which have active fumaroles that frequently produce noticeable steam plumes. Nonvolcanic meterological phenomena that commonly are mistaken for volcanic activity also are common in this area."