Cleveland 2001/2
Start: February 2, 2001 [1]
Stop: April 15, 2001 [1]
Event Type: Explosive
Max VEI: 3 [2]
Description: From Dean and others (2002): "Mt. Cleveland erupted explosively on 19 February and on 11 and 19 March 2001.
* * * "The first indication to AVO of activity at Mt. Cleveland was the 19 February eruption. However, after the eruption, AVO received reports indicating that precursory activity had taken place. Most graphic was a photograph taken on 2 February by a pilot flying by the volcano showing a dark, lobate deposit on the snow-covered southwest flank and robust steaming from the summit crater. During this same period, residents of Nikolski observed steaming at the summit and snowmelt on the flanks of the cone.
"On 19 February, Mt. Cleveland erupted explosively at approximately 1430 UT. Pilot reports indicate that the altitude of the plume increased with time from 7.5 km a few hours after the start of the eruption, and up to 12 km eight hours later. The eruption cloud and a thermal anomaly were detected on AVHRR satellite data at 1655 UTC. The plume was complex and extended in two directions, 40 km northwest and 60 km southeast of the volcano.
* * * "By 21 February (0300 UT), 35 hours after the eruption, the ash cloud was over 1000 km long and extended from Cook Inlet, Alaska, to Chukotsk Peninsula, Russia. Eventually this long, arcing cloud split into three segments that drifted north over the Arctic Ocean, over Fairbanks near the center of the state, and south into the Gulf of Alaska.
* * * "Mt. Cleveland erupted again on 11 March. This explosive eruption lasted 3 hours (1400 to 1700 UT) based on satellite observations, with an estimated cloud height of 8 km.
* * * "The 19 March eruption lasted up to 6 hours (2330-0530 UT), with an estimated cloud height of up to 9 km according to the National Weather Service.
* * * "Throughout March and April, elevated surface temperatures and low altitude ash clouds were periodically observed on satellite data. Ground and air observers noticed minor ash clouds over the volcano during the same period.
* * * "Despite the extensive area traversed by the February plume, ash fall was observed only at Nikolski over a period of approximately 5 hours on 19 February. Residents reported that the ash fall occurred under a hazy sky and consisted of a very light dusting of fine-grained material. School children in Nikolski were given paper masks to wear home and residents were advised to stay indoors. No injuries or health impacts have been reported; one resident noted that breathing outside without a mask 'made you want to cough.'
"A sample from Nikolski shows that the ash is composed of glass shards, crystals, and lithics. * * * The glass is dacitic and has a magmatic morphology rather than phreatomagmatic."
Smith (2005), estimates a total erupted volume of deposits (not including tephra) from January through late March 2001 as 1.12 x10^6 cubic meters (+/- 3.07x10^5 cubic meters).
* * * "The first indication to AVO of activity at Mt. Cleveland was the 19 February eruption. However, after the eruption, AVO received reports indicating that precursory activity had taken place. Most graphic was a photograph taken on 2 February by a pilot flying by the volcano showing a dark, lobate deposit on the snow-covered southwest flank and robust steaming from the summit crater. During this same period, residents of Nikolski observed steaming at the summit and snowmelt on the flanks of the cone.
"On 19 February, Mt. Cleveland erupted explosively at approximately 1430 UT. Pilot reports indicate that the altitude of the plume increased with time from 7.5 km a few hours after the start of the eruption, and up to 12 km eight hours later. The eruption cloud and a thermal anomaly were detected on AVHRR satellite data at 1655 UTC. The plume was complex and extended in two directions, 40 km northwest and 60 km southeast of the volcano.
* * * "By 21 February (0300 UT), 35 hours after the eruption, the ash cloud was over 1000 km long and extended from Cook Inlet, Alaska, to Chukotsk Peninsula, Russia. Eventually this long, arcing cloud split into three segments that drifted north over the Arctic Ocean, over Fairbanks near the center of the state, and south into the Gulf of Alaska.
* * * "Mt. Cleveland erupted again on 11 March. This explosive eruption lasted 3 hours (1400 to 1700 UT) based on satellite observations, with an estimated cloud height of 8 km.
* * * "The 19 March eruption lasted up to 6 hours (2330-0530 UT), with an estimated cloud height of up to 9 km according to the National Weather Service.
* * * "Throughout March and April, elevated surface temperatures and low altitude ash clouds were periodically observed on satellite data. Ground and air observers noticed minor ash clouds over the volcano during the same period.
* * * "Despite the extensive area traversed by the February plume, ash fall was observed only at Nikolski over a period of approximately 5 hours on 19 February. Residents reported that the ash fall occurred under a hazy sky and consisted of a very light dusting of fine-grained material. School children in Nikolski were given paper masks to wear home and residents were advised to stay indoors. No injuries or health impacts have been reported; one resident noted that breathing outside without a mask 'made you want to cough.'
"A sample from Nikolski shows that the ash is composed of glass shards, crystals, and lithics. * * * The glass is dacitic and has a magmatic morphology rather than phreatomagmatic."
Smith (2005), estimates a total erupted volume of deposits (not including tephra) from January through late March 2001 as 1.12 x10^6 cubic meters (+/- 3.07x10^5 cubic meters).
Impact: From Dean and others (2002): "In the case of the 19 February eruption of Mt. Cleveland, a number of intra-state flights in western and southern Alaska were cancelled. Westbound and eastbound trans-Pacific flights were directed well north and south of Mt. Cleveland. On 20 February, there was increased traffic on the more northerly Russian routes, presumably to avoid the projected track of the ash cloud that was drifting across Alaska. We are not aware of any damaging encounters reported to aviation authorities, although several pilots at locations well south and southeast of the volcano mentioned smelling sulfur. Except for local air traffic, the March eruptions caused relatively minor disruptions compared to the February event, due to the limited area affected by the ash cloud. The FAA restricted air traffic within 30 km of Mt. Cleveland through the end of May, due to concern for additional explosive events that may have been preceded by little or no warning. * * * Despite the extensive area traversed by the February plume, ash fall was observed only at Nikolski over a period of approximately 5 hours on 19 February. Residents reported that the ash fall occurred under a hazy sky and consisted of a very light dusting of fine-grained material. School children in Nikolski were given paper masks to wear home and residents were advised to stay indoors. No injuries or health impacts have been reported; one resident noted that breathing outside without a mask 'made you want to cough.'" [3] [7]
Aircraft Impact: From Dean and others (2002): "In the case of the 19 February eruption of Mt. Cleveland, a number of intra-state flights in western and southern Alaska were cancelled. Westbound and eastbound trans-Pacific flights were directed well north and south of Mt. Cleveland. On 20 February, there was increased traffic on the more northerly Russian routes, presumably to avoid the projected track of the ash cloud that was drifting across Alaska. We are not aware of any damaging encounters reported to aviation authorities, although several pilots at locations well south and southeast of the volcano mentioned smelling sulfur. Except for local air traffic, the March eruptions caused relatively minor disruptions compared to the February event, due to the limited area affected by the ash cloud. The FAA restricted air traffic within 30 km of Mt. Cleveland through the end of May, due to concern for additional explosive events that may have been preceded by little or no warning." [3] [7]
Images
References Cited
[1] Eruption of Cleveland Volcano, 2001
Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2001, Eruption of Cleveland Volcano: unpaged internet resource.
[2] Volcanoes of the world: an illustrated catalog of Holocene volcanoes and their eruptions, 2003
Siebert, L., and Simkin, T., 2002-, Volcanoes of the world: an illustrated catalog of Holocene volcanoes and their eruptions: Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Digital Information Series GVP-3, http://volcano.si.edu/search_volcano.cfm, unpaged internet resource.[3] Satellite imagery proves essential for monitoring erupting Aleutian volcano, 2002
Dean, Kenneson, Dehn, Jonathan, McNutt, Steve, Neal, Christina, Moore, Richard, and Schneider, Dave, 2002, Satellite imagery proves essential for monitoring erupting Aleutian volcano: Eos, v. 83, n. 22, p. 241, 246-247.[4] Cleveland, 2001
Smithsonian Institution, 2001, Cleveland: Global Volcanism Network Bulletin v. 26, n. 01, unpaged.[5] Cleveland, 2001
Smithsonian Institution, 2001, Cleveland: Global Volcanism Network Bulletin v. 26, n. 04, unpaged.[6] 2001 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2004
McGimsey, R.G., Neal, C.A., and Girina, Olga, 2004: 2001 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1453, 53 p.
full-text PDF on AVO's server 2.67 MB [7] The February 2001 eruption of Mount Cleveland, Alaska: case study of an aviation hazard, 2002
Simpson, J. J., Hufford, G. L., Pieri, David, Servranckx, Rene, Berg, J. S., and Bauer, Craig, 2002, The February 2001 eruption of Mount Cleveland, Alaska: case study of an aviation hazard: Weather and Forecasting, v. 17, n. 4, p. 691-704.Complete Eruption References
Satellite imagery proves essential for monitoring erupting Aleutian volcano, 2002
Dean, Kenneson, Dehn, Jonathan, McNutt, Steve, Neal, Christina, Moore, Richard, and Schneider, Dave, 2002, Satellite imagery proves essential for monitoring erupting Aleutian volcano: Eos, v. 83, n. 22, p. 241, 246-247.
Cleveland, 2001
Smithsonian Institution, 2001, Cleveland: Global Volcanism Network Bulletin v. 26, n. 01, unpaged.
Cleveland, 2001
Smithsonian Institution, 2001, Cleveland: Global Volcanism Network Bulletin v. 26, n. 04, unpaged.
Volcanoes of the world: an illustrated catalog of Holocene volcanoes and their eruptions, 2003
Siebert, L., and Simkin, T., 2002-, Volcanoes of the world: an illustrated catalog of Holocene volcanoes and their eruptions: Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program Digital Information Series GVP-3, http://volcano.si.edu/search_volcano.cfm, unpaged internet resource.
Eruption of Cleveland Volcano, 2001
Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2001, Eruption of Cleveland Volcano: unpaged internet resource.
2001 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, 2004
McGimsey, R.G., Neal, C.A., and Girina, Olga, 2004: 2001 volcanic activity in Alaska and Kamchatka: Summary of events and response of the Alaska Volcano Observatory: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1453, 53 p.
full-text PDF on AVO's server 2.67 MB 
Cleveland Volcano spits ash 20,000 feet, 2006
Anchorage Daily News, 2006, Cleveland Volcano spits ash 20,000 feet: Anchorage Daily News, Monday, October 30, 2006, p. B-3.
Chronologic multisensor assessment for Mount Cleveland, Alaska from 2000 to 2004 focusing on the 2001 eruption, 2005
Smith, S.J., 2005, Chronologic multisensor assessment for Mount Cleveland, Alaska from2000 to 2004 focusing on the 2001 eruption: University of Alaska Fairbanks M.S. thesis, 142 p., available at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/downloads/ .
full-text PDF 20.1 MB 
Integrated satellite observations of the 2001 eruption of Mt. Cleveland, Alaska, 2004
Dean, K. G., Dehn, Jonathan, Papp, K. R., Smith, Steve, Izbekov, Pavel, Peterson, Rorik, Kearney, Courtney, and Steffke, Andrea, 2004, Integrated satellite observations of the 2001 eruption of Mt. Cleveland, Alaska: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 135, p. 51-73.
Thermal infrared remote sensing of volcanic emissions using the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, 2004
Watson, I. M., Prata, A. J., Bluth, G. J. S., Gu, Y., Bader, C. E., Yu, Tianxu, Realmuto, V. J., and Rose, W. I., 2004, Thermal infrared remote sensing of volcanic emissions using the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 135, n. 1-2, p. 75-89.
Advantageous GOES IR results for ash mapping at high latitudes: Cleveland eruptions 2001, 2005
Gu, Yingxin, Rose, William I., Schneider, David J., Bluth, Gregg J. S., and Watson, I. M., 2005, Advantageous GOES IR results for ash mapping at high latitudes: Cleveland eruptions 2001: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 32, 5 pages.
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar studies of Alaska volcanoes, 2003
Lu, Zhong, Wicks, C. J., Dzurisin, Daniel, Power, John, Thatcher, Wayne, and Masterlark, Tim, 2003, Interferometric synthetic aperture radar studies of Alaska volcanoes: Earth Observation Magazine, v. 12, n. 3, p. 8-10.
The February 2001 eruption of Mount Cleveland, Alaska: case study of an aviation hazard, 2002
Simpson, J. J., Hufford, G. L., Pieri, David, Servranckx, Rene, Berg, J. S., and Bauer, Craig, 2002, The February 2001 eruption of Mount Cleveland, Alaska: case study of an aviation hazard: Weather and Forecasting, v. 17, n. 4, p. 691-704.
Automatic identification and quantification of volcanic hotspots in Alaska using HotLINK: the hotspot learning and identification network, 2024
Saunders-Schultz, P., Lopez, T., Dietterich, H., and Girona, T., 2024, Automatic identification and quantification of volcanic hotspots in Alaska using HotLINK - the hotspot learning and identification network: Frontiers in Earth Science v. 12, 1345104. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1345104
Full-text PDF 46.1 MB