Description: From Neal and others (2005): "On February 15, 2002, AVO received a pilot report of steaming from the vicinity of Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula. AVO determined that the pilot had most likely spotted a steam plume from the summit crater of Hague, a youthful volcanic cone about 7 km (4 mi) southwest of Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula. The pilot reported that snow had melted in a crater at the site of this steaming, but the 'activity was not significant.' AVO had received a similar report in mid-December, 2001 (steam was reported emanating from a 'hill' southwest of Pavlof, rising to about 6,000 ft [1,830 m] and dissipating, accompanied by a strong sulfur smell; McGimsey and others, 2005). The Pavlof seismic network showed nothing unusual in conjuction with any of the reports, and no anomalies were observed in satellite images.
"'Steaming' reports for the vicinity of Hague on the Alaska Peninsual continued into the spring. In early April, AVO received email from a teacher in King Cove (35 km [20 mi]) south-southwest of Hague) describing 'steam from a large crater offset on the southwest side of Pavlof.' Based on the position of the reported activity, it appears likely that the source was also a crater at the summit of Hague. This same observer got a better look from the air on April 18 and confirmed that the crater was still steaming and releasing notable amounts of sulfur-bearing gas. On May 1, USFWS personnel in Cold Bay shared photographs of steaming from the vicinity of Hague and noted that this was the first such observation in at least three years.
"In mid-April, AVO seismologist examined records from the adjacent Pavlof Volcano network and noted that a family of shallow long-period events had been recorded in the general vicinity of Hague (J. Caplan-Auerback, written comm., 2002). A second swarm of similar events occurred in May. While the significance of this seismicity remains unclear, its coincidence in time with reports of increased steaming from the Hague crater does suggest a transient increase in heat flux and resulting hydrothermal activity."