Description: From Reeder (1990): "Steam emissions were continuous from a large solfatara field near the summit of Makushin Volcano during 1987. Larger than normal steam-blast eruptions were observed on 1 and 2 February and again with some particulate matter on 1 and 2 March as described below.
"The crew (Hall Ostbevik and others) of the 40 m Great Pacific fishing boat observed in the afternoon of 1 February as they were going E toward Dutch Harbor above average continuous steam emissions from Makushin, Akutan, and Shishaldin volcanoes. On the evening of 1 February, Shawn Richardson, a resident of Dutch Harbor, observed from Dutch Harbor above average continuous steam emissions from the top of Makushin Volcano, which she estimated reached 600 m above the top of the volcano and which appeared like a large vertical mushroom white cloud. Such continuous above average steam-blast activity continued throughout 2 February up to at least 1430LT ( = GMT - 9 hours) when clouds obscured the volcano.
"At 1845LT 1 March, Benny Golodoff, Suzi Dengler, and Tom Madsen, all of Dutch Harbor, observed from Dutch Harbor a steam plume with minor particulate matter that extended at least 30 km at an unknown altitude to E from the summit of the volcano. Midday on 2 March, pilot Harold E. Wilson of Peninsula Airways observed several up to 250 m high steam plumes from the summit of the volcano with traces of particulate matter that had also drifted at least 3 km to WNW. He also observed particulate matter (possibly ash) over snow in the summit region of the volcano."