Shishaldin 1946/8
Start: August 1946 [1]
Stop: January 1947 ± 2 Months [1]
Event Type: Explosive
Max VEI: 2 [2]
- Flank eruption [7]
- Tephra plume [8]
Description: Robinson (1948) reported a small steam plume from Shishaldin on June 6, 1946. Coats (1950) reports a minor explosive eruptions at Shishaldin from August - September 1946, December, 1946, and January, 1947. Hantke (1951) reported "ashfall over the Aleutians" in 1946 from Shishaldin. The January 10, 1947 edition of the Sitka Sentinel reports "A second volcanic disturbance in Alaska's Aleutian islands was reported today by the Navy, which said 9387 foot Mount Shishaldin on Unimak Island was erupting with such violence that it showered ashes two inches deep on the village of False Pass 20 miles away. * * * The USS Passiac, a netlayer, visited False Pass January 2 and reached Dutch Harbor today with news of the new eruption. Postmaster Frank Bell of False Pass told Passiac crewmen that Shishaldin had been erupting every five days for several weeks."
The Associated Press article from the January 10, 1947 edition of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin gives a few additional details: "Quartermaster 1-c Allan E. Sitter of Los Angeles, said he observed heavy black puffs of smoke bursting from the mountain. False Pass residents said the eruption caused electrical disturbances which looked like lightning flashes and lighted the entire area. Sitter said the village was covered with a two-inch coating of volcanic ash, and that cinders an inch and a half in diameter, lay on the wharf."
A January 11, 1947 Associated Press article describes the eruption: "The eruption of Mt. Shishaldin * * * also was photographed from Lieutenant Kissling's plane.
"He said cinders, smoke, and steam were spewing from an opening on the south side of Shishaldin's cone, and were being carried northward, obscuring the view of that side of the peak.
"Shishaldin's activity, at the time, was of less intensity than had been reported by Frank Bell, postmaster at False Pass. That village, about 30 miles east of the peak, has a blanket several inches deep of cinders and ash."
Meredith (1998) reports that on September 7, 1947, she could see "Mt. Shishaldin's smoking peak about 20 miles away."
The Associated Press article from the January 10, 1947 edition of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin gives a few additional details: "Quartermaster 1-c Allan E. Sitter of Los Angeles, said he observed heavy black puffs of smoke bursting from the mountain. False Pass residents said the eruption caused electrical disturbances which looked like lightning flashes and lighted the entire area. Sitter said the village was covered with a two-inch coating of volcanic ash, and that cinders an inch and a half in diameter, lay on the wharf."
A January 11, 1947 Associated Press article describes the eruption: "The eruption of Mt. Shishaldin * * * also was photographed from Lieutenant Kissling's plane.
"He said cinders, smoke, and steam were spewing from an opening on the south side of Shishaldin's cone, and were being carried northward, obscuring the view of that side of the peak.
"Shishaldin's activity, at the time, was of less intensity than had been reported by Frank Bell, postmaster at False Pass. That village, about 30 miles east of the peak, has a blanket several inches deep of cinders and ash."
Meredith (1998) reports that on September 7, 1947, she could see "Mt. Shishaldin's smoking peak about 20 miles away."
References Cited
[1] 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 [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] Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1941-1947, 1951
Hantke, Gustav, 1951, Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1941-1947: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 11, p. 161-208.[4] Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1948-1950, 1955
Hantke, Gustav, 1955, Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1948-1950: Bulletin Volcanlogique, v. 14, p. 151-184.[5] Alaska's search for a killer, 1946-1948 a seafaring medical adventure, 1998
Meredith, Susan, 1998, Alaska's search for a killer, 1946-1948 a seafaring medical adventure: Juneau, Alaska, Alaska Public Health Nursing History Association, 271 p.[6] 2nd volcano in Aleutians erupts, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, 2nd volcano in Aleutians erupts: Sitka Sentinel, v. VIII, n. 18, January 10, 1947, p. 1, 4.[7] Navy pilot describes lava stream in eruption of Aleutian volcano, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, Navy pilot describes lava stream in eruption of Aleutian volcano: Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, Portland, ME, January 12, 1947, p. A-11.[8] New volcano now active in far north, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, New volcano now active in far north: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA, January 10, 1947, p. 5.Complete Eruption References
Alaska's search for a killer, 1946-1948 a seafaring medical adventure, 1998
Meredith, Susan, 1998, Alaska's search for a killer, 1946-1948 a seafaring medical adventure: Juneau, Alaska, Alaska Public Health Nursing History Association, 271 p.
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
Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1948-1950, 1955
Hantke, Gustav, 1955, Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1948-1950: Bulletin Volcanlogique, v. 14, p. 151-184.
Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1941-1947, 1951
Hantke, Gustav, 1951, Uebersicht ueber die vulkanische Taetigkeit 1941-1947: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 11, p. 161-208.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
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 
Exploring Aleutian volcanoes, 1948
Robinson, G. D., 1948, Exploring Aleutian volcanoes: National Geographic Magazine, v. 94, n. 4, p. 509-528.
2nd volcano in Aleutians erupts, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, 2nd volcano in Aleutians erupts: Sitka Sentinel, v. VIII, n. 18, January 10, 1947, p. 1, 4.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
Navy pilot describes lava stream in eruption of Aleutian volcano, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, Navy pilot describes lava stream in eruption of Aleutian volcano: Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, Portland, ME, January 12, 1947, p. A-11.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
New volcano now active in far north, 1947
Associated Press, 1947, New volcano now active in far north: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA, January 10, 1947, p. 5.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet