ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
U.S. Geological Survey
Sunday, January 24, 2016, 9:29 AM AKST (Sunday, January 24, 2016, 18:29 UTC)
AUGUSTINE VOLCANO
(VNUM #313010)
59°21'45" N 153°26'6" W,
Summit Elevation 4134 ft (1260 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
The M7.1 earthquake that occurred this morning at 1:30 AM AKDT between Augustine and Iliamna volcanoes was a result of tectonic plate motions and was not directly related to the volcanoes. According to the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC), it was located about 17 miles N of Augustine, and 31 miles S of Iliamna, at a depth of 77 miles. This depth indicates it occurred in the subducting (downgoing) Pacific plate crust, as opposed to in the crust immediately below the volcanoes. AVO has not detected any changes at either Augustine or Iliamna Volcano from the earthquake at this time.
For more information, see the AEC website: http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/
and the NEIC website: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10004gqp#general_summary
Augustine Volcano is a 1260 m high (4134 ft) conical-shaped island stratovolcano located in southern Cook Inlet, about 290 km (180 mi) southwest of Anchorage, Alaska and 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Homer, Alaska. Historically, Augustine is the most active volcano in the Cook Inlet region with significant eruptions in 1812, 1883, 1908, 1935, 1963-64, 1976, 1986, and 2006. These eruptions were primarily explosive events that produced volcanic ash clouds (to 30,000-40,000 feet above sea level), ash fall, pyroclasic flows, and and lava domes or flows. During the 1883 eruption, a large avalanche on the north flank of the volcano flowed into Cook Inlet and may have initiated a tsunami observed at Nanwalek, about 90 km to the east.
OTHER ALASKA VOLCANOES
Other Alaska volcanoes show no signs of significant unrest: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/
AVO scientists conduct daily checks of earthquake activity at all seismically-monitored volcanoes, examine web camera and satellite images for evidence of airborne ash and elevated surface temperatures, and consult other monitoring data as needed.
For definitions of Aviation Color Codes and Volcano Alert Levels, see: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/color_codes.php
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALASKA VOLCANOES: http://www.avo.alaska.edu
SUBSCRIBE TO VOLCANO ALERT MESSAGES by email: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns/
FOLLOW AVO ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/alaska.avo
FOLLOW AVO ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/alaska.avo
CONTACT INFORMATION:
John Power, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS
jpower@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497
Jeff Freymueller, Coordinating Scientist, UAFGI
jeff.freymueller@gi.alaska.edu (907) 322-4085
The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.