Okmok 1899

Start: 1899 [1]

Event Type: Explosive

Max VEI: 2 [2]

Event Characteristics:
  • Tephrafall [1]

Description: From Grey (2003): "An explosive eruption is said to have occurred in 1899 (Dunn, 1908). Robert Dunn (1908) details his visit to Umnak Island while 'vulcaneering' in the Aleutians. After landing on the beach south of Cape Aslik [see figure 4.2 in original text], he hiked up the slope past Jag Peak to the top of the ridge (the WSW rim), where he first laid eyes on the caldera: 'Below, yawned simply one titanic crater, five miles from far side to far side, if one single inch. Strewn on its floor, like toys perfectly carved, rose seven ash-cones; cones varied from symmetrical mounds that towered upon quite circular steep terraces, up to 500 feet and more, to the broken, chaotic black thing, like a big sand dump right under me. And that was the living soul of the discovery. Out of some vague cavern in its midst, undulated a column of white steam, a serpent-like Atlas, buoying the world's cloud cover.'
"Dunn also observed the ash spread to the west and south of the caldera: 'The devastation reached between four and five miles from the crater edge. This, of course, was the eruption of 1899.' Judging from Dunn's description of his location and his map, his black 'sand dump' is likely Cone A, thus implicating the then undeveloped cone as the source of this event [see figure 4.3 in original text]. Dunn is the first white man known to recognize the existence of the caldera and name it."

References Cited

[1] On the chase for volcanoes, 1908

Dunn, Robert, 1908, On the chase for volcanoes: The Outing Magazine, v. 51, p. 540-550.

[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.

[3] Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska, 1998

Miller, T. P., McGimsey, R. G., Richter, D. H., Riehle, J. R., Nye, C. J., Yount, M. E., and Dumoulin, J. A., 1998, Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-0582, 104 p.

[4] Post-caldera eruptions at Okmok volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska, with emphasis on recent eruptions from Cone A, 2003

Grey, D. M., 2003, Post-caldera eruptions at Okmok volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska, with emphasis on recent eruptions from Cone A: University of Alaska Fairbanks unpublished M.S. thesis, 135 p.

Complete Eruption References

Post-caldera eruptions at Okmok volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska, with emphasis on recent eruptions from Cone A, 2003

Grey, D. M., 2003, Post-caldera eruptions at Okmok volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska, with emphasis on recent eruptions from Cone A: University of Alaska Fairbanks unpublished M.S. thesis, 135 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet

Paleohydrology of a catastrophic flood release from Okmok caldera and post-flood eruption history at Okmok Volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska, 2001

Wolfe, B. A., 2001, Paleohydrology of a catastrophic flood release from Okmok caldera and post-flood eruption history at Okmok Volcano, Umnak Island, Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks unpublished M.S. thesis, 100 p.
link to PDF on ScholarWorks @ UA page
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet

Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska, 1998

Miller, T. P., McGimsey, R. G., Richter, D. H., Riehle, J. R., Nye, C. J., Yount, M. E., and Dumoulin, J. A., 1998, Catalog of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-0582, 104 p.
title page PDF 52
intro and TOC PDF 268 KB
eastern part - Wrangell to Ukinrek Maars PDF 972 KB
central part - Chiginagak to Cleveland PDF 2,463 KB
western part - Carlisle to Kiska PDF 956 KB
references PDF 43 KB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

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

Volcanic activity in the Aleutian Arc, 1950

Coats, R. R., 1950, Volcanic activity in the Aleutian Arc: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 0974-B, p. 35-49, 1 sheet, scale 1:5,000,000.
plate 1 PDF 819 KB
full-text PDF 783 KB
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

On the chase for volcanoes, 1908

Dunn, Robert, 1908, On the chase for volcanoes: The Outing Magazine, v. 51, p. 540-550.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
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