ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 12:49 PM AKDT (Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 20:49 UTC)

SHISHALDIN VOLCANO (VNUM #311360)
54°45'19" N 163°58'16" W, Summit Elevation 9373 ft (2857 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Unrest continues at Shishaldin. Seismicity remains above background with occasional low-frequency earthquakes. A steam plume was seen in cloudy daytime satellite data and weakly elevated surface temperatures were observed overnight. Eruptive activity appears confined to the summit area during this most recent period of unrest, which started mid-March. Activity could increase with little or no warning, however, resulting in lava flows outside of the crater, lahars, and ash emissions.

Shishaldin is monitored by local seismic and infrasound sensors, satellite data, web cameras, a telemetered geodetic network, and distant infrasound and lightning networks.

SEMISOPOCHNOI VOLCANO (VNUM #311060)
51°55'44" N 179°35'52" E, Summit Elevation 2625 ft (800 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

Seismicity has been characterized by occasional small low-frequency earthquakes during the past 24 hours. There have been no detections of explosive activity coming from the direction of Semisopochnoi on a regional infrasound array. Nothing significant was observed in cloudy satellite images.

Semisopochnoi is monitored by local seismic sensors, satellite data, and lightning detection networks. An infrasound array on Adak Island may detect explosive emissions from Semisopochnoi with a slight delay (approximately 13 minutes) if atmospheric conditions permit.

GREAT SITKIN VOLCANO (VNUM #311120)
52°4'35" N 176°6'39" W, Summit Elevation 5709 ft (1740 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

Small local earthquakes have continued at Great Sitkin over the past day. No activity was observed in cloudy satellite imagery.

Great Sitkin volcano is monitored with a local real-time seismic network, which typically allows AVO to detect changes in unrest that may lead to an explosive eruption. Rapid detection of an ash-producing eruption would be accomplished using a combination of seismic, infrasound, lightning, and satellite data.

CLEVELAND VOLCANO (VNUM #311240)
52°49'20" N 169°56'42" W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

The local geophysical stations at Cleveland experienced prolonged outages over the past day due to an ongoing network outage. The limited amount of data received shows no indications of unusual seismicity. No explosive activity was detected from the direction of Cleveland on regional infrasound arrays. No volcanic activity was seen in cloudy satellite imagery. Webcam imagery is impacted by the data outages and limited views were obscured by clouds.

Episodes of lava effusion and explosions can occur without advance warning. Explosions from Cleveland are normally short duration and only present a hazard to aviation in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. Larger explosions that present a more widespread hazard to aviation are possible, but are less likely and occur less frequently.

Cleveland volcano is monitored by only two seismic stations, which restricts AVO's ability to detect precursory unrest that may lead to an explosive eruption. Rapid detection of an ash-producing eruption may be possible using a combination of seismic, infrasound, lightning, and satellite data.

OTHER ALASKA VOLCANOES

Information on all Alaska volcanoes is available at : http://www.avo.alaska.edu.

For definitions of Aviation Color Codes and Volcano Alert Levels, see: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/color_codes.php

SUBSCRIBE TO VOLCANO ALERT MESSAGES by email: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns/

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

Michelle Coombs, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS
mcoombs@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497

David Fee, Coordinating Scientist, UAFGI
dfee1@alaska.edu (907) 322-4085

The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.

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