Yunaska 1824
Start: 1824 [1]
Stop: 1825 [2]
Event Type: Explosive
Max VEI: 3 [3]
- "Smoke" [2]
- "Fire", "Glowing", or incandescence [2]
Description: Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch) writes that Litke reported "renewed eruption," an "enormous eruption after long dormancy." in 1824. The English translation of Litke "A voyage around the world, 1826-1829) does not contain reference to this event. However, the English translation does not cover all of Litke's publications for this voyage, which he published in both Russian and French.(Dall (1870) writes that a "major eruption took place on Yunaska." Petroff (1884) writes that "[Y]unaska in violent eruption after a long repose." Becker (1898) reports this eruption as a "great eruption." Powers (1958) reports this eruption as an ash eruption.)
Veniaminov (as translated by Black and Geoghegan, 1984) writes that in 1825 "The peak on Iunaska Island, which burned in antiquity but then went out, also in time immemorial, exploded at the beginning of 1825 with a thunderous roar heard on Umnak. Its summit collapsed with an accompanying expulsion of burned rocks (gorely kamen'ia - pumice) which floated on the sea even until June. Since then it has smoked incessantly."
Sapper (1917) reports that Perrey said the eruption continued "until the end of June, with stones thrown out" leaving which year or years the eruption occurred in still uncertain.
Perhaps this description refers to this eruption from Yunaska; perhaps the eruption occurred around the end of 1824 and beginning of 1825, explaining the discrepancy in years. Khlebnikov (translated in 1994) seems to support this theory, as he relays what Davydov reported: "In the winter of 1824-1825 a mountain erupted on Iunaska Island. It was not very high and did not have a sharp peak. Toion Ivan Pan'kov, who was sent to this island with a party of Aleuts to hunt sea otters in the spring of 1825, found the appearance of the island completely altered. All the shores were covered with igneous rock, while thick smoke streamed from the mountain, which, when the nights were dark, glowed like fires. In June 1827, passing within sight of this island, we noticed smoke coming out of a mountain on the island."
Veniaminov (as translated by Black and Geoghegan, 1984) writes that in 1825 "The peak on Iunaska Island, which burned in antiquity but then went out, also in time immemorial, exploded at the beginning of 1825 with a thunderous roar heard on Umnak. Its summit collapsed with an accompanying expulsion of burned rocks (gorely kamen'ia - pumice) which floated on the sea even until June. Since then it has smoked incessantly."
Sapper (1917) reports that Perrey said the eruption continued "until the end of June, with stones thrown out" leaving which year or years the eruption occurred in still uncertain.
Perhaps this description refers to this eruption from Yunaska; perhaps the eruption occurred around the end of 1824 and beginning of 1825, explaining the discrepancy in years. Khlebnikov (translated in 1994) seems to support this theory, as he relays what Davydov reported: "In the winter of 1824-1825 a mountain erupted on Iunaska Island. It was not very high and did not have a sharp peak. Toion Ivan Pan'kov, who was sent to this island with a party of Aleuts to hunt sea otters in the spring of 1825, found the appearance of the island completely altered. All the shores were covered with igneous rock, while thick smoke streamed from the mountain, which, when the nights were dark, glowed like fires. In June 1827, passing within sight of this island, we noticed smoke coming out of a mountain on the island."
References Cited
[1] Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003], 1850
Grewingk, Constantine, 1850, Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003]: Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series 11, Fairbanks, AK, The University of Alaska Press, 242 p.[2] Notes on Russian America, Parts II-V: Kad'iak, Unalashka, Atkha, the Pribylovs (translated by Marina Ramsay), 1994
Khlebnikov, K. T., 1994, Notes on Russian America, Parts II-V: Kad'iak, Unalashka, Atkha, the Pribylovs (translated by Marina Ramsay): Liapunova, R. G. and Fedorova, S. G., (comps.), Kingston, Ontario and Fairbanks, Alaska, The Limestone Press, 424 p.[3] 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.[4] Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands, 1958
Powers, H. A., 1958, Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands: in Williams, H., (ed.), Landscapes of Alaska, Los Angeles, CA, University of California Press, p. 61-75.[5] Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984], 1840
Veniaminov, Ivan, 1840, Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984]: Pierce, R. A., (ed.), Kingston, Ontario, Limestone Press, 511 p.Complete Eruption References
Notes on Russian America, Parts II-V: Kad'iak, Unalashka, Atkha, the Pribylovs (translated by Marina Ramsay), 1994
Khlebnikov, K. T., 1994, Notes on Russian America, Parts II-V: Kad'iak, Unalashka, Atkha, the Pribylovs (translated by Marina Ramsay): Liapunova, R. G. and Fedorova, S. G., (comps.), Kingston, Ontario and Fairbanks, Alaska, The Limestone Press, 424 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet
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
A voyage around the world, 1826-1829, 1987
Litke, Frederic, 1987, A voyage around the world, 1826-1829: Pierce, R. A., Alaska History 29, v. 1, Kingston, Ontario, Limestone Press, 230 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf
Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands, 1958
Powers, H. A., 1958, Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands: in Williams, H., (ed.), Landscapes of Alaska, Los Angeles, CA, University of California Press, p. 61-75.
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 
Katalog der geschichtlichen vulkanausbruche, 1917
Sapper, Karl, 1917, Katalog der geschichtlichen vulkanausbruche: Strassburg, Germany, Karl J. Trubner, 358 p.
Reported volcanic eruptions in Alaska, Puget Sound, etc., 1690-1896, 1898
Plummer, F. G., 1898, Reported volcanic eruptions in Alaska, Puget Sound, etc., 1690-1896: in Holden, E. S., (ed.), A Catalogue of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Institution Miscellaneous Collections 1087, City of Washington D.C., Smithsonian Institution, p. 24-27.
The volcanic region of Alaska, 1884
Petroff, Ivan, 1884, The volcanic region of Alaska: in Population, Industries, and Resources of Alaska, Washington DC, Government Printing Office, p. 93-96.
full-text PDF 10.9 MB 
Alaska and its resources, 1870
Dall, W. H., 1870, Alaska and its resources: Boston, Lee and Shepard, 627 p.
Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003], 1850
Grewingk, Constantine, 1850, Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003]: Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series 11, Fairbanks, AK, The University of Alaska Press, 242 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf
Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984], 1840
Veniaminov, Ivan, 1840, Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984]: Pierce, R. A., (ed.), Kingston, Ontario, Limestone Press, 511 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet