Pavlof 1953/11
Start: November 25, 1953 [1]
Stop: August 1954 ± 4 Months [2]
Event Type: Explosive
- Tephrafall [2]
- Central eruption [2]
- Lava flow [2]
- Minor explosive eruption [2]
Description: Powers (1953) reports "glowing" from Pavlof on November 25, seen "by the personnel of the Penguin, sailing from the Pribilof Islands.
From the Volcano Observations folder on file at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute: "1953 Dec 26: Small light grey smoke column from peak rising 200 feet, dispersing to north. No odor detected at 2 miles distance. Sides of mountain were covered with what appeared to be ashes halfway down the slope on the southeast side. The other side couldn't be observed that day." Selected Pavlof volcano observation forms on file in this folder for the year 1953 record the following observations:
- January 4: "dark smoke" being emitted, fresh ash on snow visible, and a "red cone was visible at the core"
- January 8: "steady puffs of smoke and steam intermingled with rocks, flames, and lava were seen blowing from at least one hole on the NNE side, the rocks shooting as high as 200 feet, the lava trickling down to 2000 feet * * * The red glow was visible as far as Rocky Point, some 275 miles northeast."
-January 9: "much smoke seen drifting eastward and forming a layer at 8000 feet. Black smoke with red tinge was boiling actively from area just below area whence lava is flowing"
-January 12: "Belching smoke * * * ash on southwest side as well as across northern face * * * Appears to be a lava flow along NW side"
-January 14: "Black smoke rising from hole on north side of the summit to height of approximately 500 feet. Hole 15 feet across and glowing dull red."
-January 16 - March 1: smoke rising to low levels
-March 7: "Dark cloud" up to 14,000 feet.
-March12 - April 2: Grey to black smoke
-April 21: "Throwing out red hot bombs to northwest side as seen from FWS Penguin in the passage from the Shumagin Islands past Pavlof Bay to Dutch Harbor - visible all through the night - throwing out showers of bombs"
-May 3 - Oct 31 (date of last Pavlof observation for 1954) - continuing intermittent "black" or "grey" smoke and ash.
Pavlof observations for 1955 continue in July - observations on July 4 and 16 record "black smoke" and ashes to 200 feet.
From the Volcano Observations folder on file at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute: "1953 Dec 26: Small light grey smoke column from peak rising 200 feet, dispersing to north. No odor detected at 2 miles distance. Sides of mountain were covered with what appeared to be ashes halfway down the slope on the southeast side. The other side couldn't be observed that day." Selected Pavlof volcano observation forms on file in this folder for the year 1953 record the following observations:
- January 4: "dark smoke" being emitted, fresh ash on snow visible, and a "red cone was visible at the core"
- January 8: "steady puffs of smoke and steam intermingled with rocks, flames, and lava were seen blowing from at least one hole on the NNE side, the rocks shooting as high as 200 feet, the lava trickling down to 2000 feet * * * The red glow was visible as far as Rocky Point, some 275 miles northeast."
-January 9: "much smoke seen drifting eastward and forming a layer at 8000 feet. Black smoke with red tinge was boiling actively from area just below area whence lava is flowing"
-January 12: "Belching smoke * * * ash on southwest side as well as across northern face * * * Appears to be a lava flow along NW side"
-January 14: "Black smoke rising from hole on north side of the summit to height of approximately 500 feet. Hole 15 feet across and glowing dull red."
-January 16 - March 1: smoke rising to low levels
-March 7: "Dark cloud" up to 14,000 feet.
-March12 - April 2: Grey to black smoke
-April 21: "Throwing out red hot bombs to northwest side as seen from FWS Penguin in the passage from the Shumagin Islands past Pavlof Bay to Dutch Harbor - visible all through the night - throwing out showers of bombs"
-May 3 - Oct 31 (date of last Pavlof observation for 1954) - continuing intermittent "black" or "grey" smoke and ash.
Pavlof observations for 1955 continue in July - observations on July 4 and 16 record "black smoke" and ashes to 200 feet.
References Cited
[1] Current activity of Aleutian volcanoes, 1953
Powers, H. A., 1953, Current activity of Aleutian volcanoes: The Volcano Letter, v. 522, p. 6.
full-text PDF 397 KB [2] Volcano observations, 1954
Unknown, 1954, Volcano observations: Unpublished volcano observation sheets filled out by U.S. military and stored on file at the Geophyiscal Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, unpaged.[3] A seismotectonic analysis of the seismic and volcanic hazards in the Pribilof Islands - Eastern Aleutian Islands Region of the Bering Sea, 1983
Jacob, K. H., and Hauksson, Egill, 1983, A seismotectonic analysis of the seismic and volcanic hazards in the Pribilof Islands - Eastern Aleutian Islands Region of the Bering Sea: Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University Annual Report NOAA 03--5-022-70, New York, 224 p.Complete Eruption References
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
Current activity of Aleutian volcanoes, 1953
Powers, H. A., 1953, Current activity of Aleutian volcanoes: The Volcano Letter, v. 522, p. 6.
full-text PDF 397 KB 
Volcano observations, 1954
Unknown, 1954, Volcano observations: Unpublished volcano observation sheets filled out by U.S. military and stored on file at the Geophyiscal Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, unpaged.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
Eruption of Trident Volcano, Katmai National Monument, Alaska, Feb.-June 1953, 1954
Snyder, G. L., 1954, Eruption of Trident Volcano, Katmai National Monument, Alaska, Feb.-June 1953: U.S. Geological Survey Circular C 0318, 7 p., 2 sheets, scale unknown.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet