Akutan 1962/11
Start: November 7, 1962 ± 7 Days [1]
Event Type: Explosive
Max VEI: 2 [2]
- Tephrafall [1]
- "Fire", "Glowing", or incandescence [1]
Description: From Reeder (1988): "Some evening during the first part of November 1962, Nick Borenin of Akutan village observed from his boat that was just outside of Akutan Harbor lava "fire" that was being emitted from the summit caldera of Akutan volcano. Larry Mensoff of Akutan village said that at the time one could hear a rumbling sound from the volcano at the village, which is 12 km east of Akutan volcano. In the next morning, the village awoke to find snow and window ledges covered with a very noticeable layer of ash. The ash was thick enough that the village board walks had to be swept off. The ash also got into the village water system for several days.
"Vince Tutiakoff of Unalaska village also reported that up to 0.0025 m of fine to coarse sand-size tephra had also fallen early the same morning at Unalaska village, which is located 47 km SW of Akutan volcano. The event was so rare for Unalaska village that there was no school that day.
"The exact day in the early part of November 1962 of this eruption event is unknown, but numerous residents of both Unalaska and Akutan villages clearly remembered the event when they first told me about it in 1985."
"Vince Tutiakoff of Unalaska village also reported that up to 0.0025 m of fine to coarse sand-size tephra had also fallen early the same morning at Unalaska village, which is located 47 km SW of Akutan volcano. The event was so rare for Unalaska village that there was no school that day.
"The exact day in the early part of November 1962 of this eruption event is unknown, but numerous residents of both Unalaska and Akutan villages clearly remembered the event when they first told me about it in 1985."
Impact: Ashfall at Akutan village (12 km from volcano) got into the water system for several days - the ash layer was thick enough that village boardwalks had to be swept. Ash also fell at Unalaska village (47 km from volcano) and school was cancelled. [1]
References Cited
[1] Akutan, 1988
Reeder, J. W., 1988, Akutan: in Annual report of the world volcanic eruptions in 1985, Bulletin of Volcanic Eruptions, v. 25, p. 56.[2] Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition], 1994
Simkin, Tom, and Siebert, Lee, 1994, Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition]: Tucson, Arizona, Geoscience Press, 349 p.Complete Eruption References
Akutan, 1988
Reeder, J. W., 1988, Akutan: in Annual report of the world volcanic eruptions in 1985, Bulletin of Volcanic Eruptions, v. 25, p. 56.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition], 1994
Simkin, Tom, and Siebert, Lee, 1994, Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition]: Tucson, Arizona, Geoscience Press, 349 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf