ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Friday, July 9, 2021, 1:30 PM AKDT (Friday, July 9, 2021, 21:30 UTC)
PAVLOF VOLCANO
(VNUM #312030)
55°25'2" N 161°53'37" W,
Summit Elevation 8261 ft (2518 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
The status of Pavlof Volcano was raised form GREEN/NORMAL to YELLOW/ADVISORY today. Seismic activity has increased over the past day and is characterized by near-continuous tremor. The tremor has also been observed in infrasound and regional seismic data. No eruptive activity or emissions from the summit have been observed in cloudy satellite and web camera views. The increase in seismicity does not mean that an eruption is imminent however past eruptions of Pavlof occurred with little or no warning.
Pavlof Volcano is a snow- and ice-covered stratovolcano located on the southwestern end of the Alaska Peninsula about 953 km (592 mi) southwest of Anchorage. The volcano is about 7 km (4.4 mi) in diameter and has active vents on the north and east sides close to the summit. With over 40 historic eruptions, it is one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc. Eruptive activity is generally characterized by sporadic Strombolian lava fountaining continuing for a several-month period. Ash plumes as high as 49,000 ft ASL have been generated by past eruptions of Pavlof, and during the March 2016 eruption, ash plumes as high as 40,000 feet above sea level were generated and the ash was tracked in satellite data as distant as eastern Canada. The nearest community, King Cove, is located 48 km (30 miles) to the southwest of Pavlof.
SEMISOPOCHNOI VOLCANO
(VNUM #311060)
51°55'44" N 179°35'52" E,
Summit Elevation 2625 ft (800 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Unrest at the north crater of Mount Cerberus on Semisopochnoi Island continues. Seismicity at the volcano is slightly elevated but no eruptive activity was detected. The volcano was obscured by cloudy weather in satellite and web camera images for most of the week but a steam and gas plume and sulfur dioxide gas emissions were detected in satellite data on Thursday, July 8 and Friday, July 9.
Small eruptions producing minor ash deposits within the vicinity of the active north crater of Mount Cerberus and ash clouds under 10,000 ft above sea level are typical of recent activity at Semisopochnoi. New explosions could occur at any time with no warning.
Semisopochnoi is monitored by a local seismic and infrasound network, and remotely by satellite and lightning detection sensors. Infrasound arrays in the region may detect explosive emissions from Semisopochnoi if atmospheric conditions permit.
Remote Semisopochnoi volcano occupies the largest, young volcanic island in the western Aleutians. The volcano is dominated by a 5-mile (8-km) diameter caldera that contains a small lake and several post-caldera cones and craters. The age of the caldera is not known with certainty but is likely early Holocene. Prior to 2018, the previous known historical eruption of Semisopochnoi occurred in 1987, probably from Sugarloaf Peak on the south coast of the island, but details are lacking. Another prominent, young post-caldera landform is Mount Cerberus, a three-peaked cone cluster in the southwest part of the caldera. The island is uninhabited and part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. It is located 40 miles (65 km) northeast of Amchitka Island and 130 miles (200 km) west of Adak.
CLEVELAND VOLCANO
(VNUM #311240)
52°49'20" N 169°56'42" W,
Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Weather conditions were cloudy at Cleveland volcano for most of the week. Elevated surface temperatures were observed at the summit in partly cloudy satellite images on July 5, July 8 and July 9. Weak degassing plumes were observed in web camera images from the past 24 hours. Seismicity was quiet and no eruptive activity was detected in regional infrasound data.
Episodes of lava effusion and explosions can occur without advance warning. Explosions from Cleveland are normally short duration and only present a hazard to aviation in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. Larger explosions that present a more widespread hazard to aviation are possible but occur less frequently.
Cleveland volcano is monitored by only two seismic stations, which restricts AVO's ability to precisely locate earthquakes and detect precursory unrest that may lead to an explosive eruption. Rapid detection of an ash-producing eruption may be possible using a combination of seismic, infrasound, lightning, and satellite data.
Cleveland volcano forms the western portion of Chuginadak Island, a remote and uninhabited island in the east central Aleutians. The volcano is located about 45 miles (75 km) west of the community of Nikolski, and 940 miles (1500 km) southwest of Anchorage. The most recent significant period of eruption began in February 2001 and produced 3 explosive events that generated ash clouds as high as 39,000 ft (11.8 km) above sea level. The 2001 eruption also produced a lava flow and hot avalanche that reached the sea. Since then, Cleveland has been intermittently active producing small lava flows, often followed by explosions that generate small ash clouds generally below 20,000 ft (6 km) above sea level. These explosions also launch debris onto the slopes of the cone producing hot pyroclastic avalanches and lahars that sometimes reach the coastline.
GARELOI VOLCANO
(VNUM #311070)
51°47'21" N 178°47'46" W,
Summit Elevation 5161 ft (1573 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Elevated seismicity was observed at Gareloi volcano over the past week. Seismic amplitude levels dipped to near background mid-week but have climbed back to levels observed last week over the past 24 hours. No eruptive activity was observed in satellite views of the volcano last week and no activity has been detected by local infrasound sensors.
Gareloi volcano persistently emits magmatic gases from a fumarole field on the south crater and commonly exhibits low-level seismic activity. These observations suggest the presence of shallow magma and potential interaction with a hydrothermal system. The current increase in seismicity likely reflects a change to the magmatic-hydrothermal system, but it is not clear that the likelihood of a volcanic eruption has increased. AVO will continue to monitor activity to determine if the recent changes are related to influx of new magma or other changes to the magma system.
Gareloi is monitored by a local seismic and infrasound network, satellite data, and regional infrasound and lightning-detection networks.
Mount Gareloi, which makes up all of Gareloi Island, is a stratovolcano located in the Delarof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands, about 2,000 km (1,242 mi) west-southwest of Anchorage and about 150 km (93 mi) west of Adak, the westernmost community in Alaska. This small volcano is 10 × 8 km (6.2 × 5.0 mi) in diameter at its base with two summits, separated by a narrow saddle. The northern, slightly higher peak contains crater about 300 m (1,000 ft) across. The southern summit has a crater open to the south and a persistent degassing vent (fumarole) on its western rim. Gareloi has been one of the most active in the Aleutians since the 1740s, with 16 reports of eruptive activity at Gareloi since 1760. In 1929, its largest historical eruption produced sixteen small south- to southeast-trending craters that extend from the southern summit to the coast, as well as lava flows and pyroclastic deposits on the southeastern flank of the volcano. Eruptions of Gareloi commonly produce ash clouds and lava flows, and the primary hazard is airborne clouds of ash that could affect aircraft. Since seismic instruments were installed in 2003, they have detected small but consistent seismic signals from beneath Mount Gareloi’s edifice.
GREAT SITKIN VOLCANO
(VNUM #311120)
52°4'35" N 176°6'39" W,
Summit Elevation 5709 ft (1740 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Seismicity remained slightly above background levels at Great Sitkin last week with small earthquakes observed on several days. Weather conditions at the volcano were cloudy for most of the week preventing clear views in satellite and web camera images. Elevated surface temperatures likely from still-warm deposits were observed in partly cloudy satellite data on Thursday, July 8. No other signs of unrest were observed in regional infrasound data.
The prognosis for renewed eruptive activity is uncertain, although the ongoing quiescence is suggestive of a gradual return to normal background conditions. It remains possible for the level of unrest at the volcano to change quickly, and if so, additional explosive events could occur in the coming days, weeks, or months. AVO is monitoring the volcano closely and will report on significant changes and observations in monitoring data should they occur.
Great Sitkin is monitored with a local real-time seismic and infrasound network, which will typically allow AVO to detect changes in unrest that may lead to an explosive eruption. Rapid detection of an ash-producing eruption would be accomplished using a combination of seismic, infrasound, lightning, and satellite data.
Great Sitkin Volcano is a basaltic andesite volcano that occupies most of the northern half of Great Sitkin Island, a member of the Andreanof Islands group in the central Aleutian Islands. It is located 43 km (26 miles) east of the community of Adak. The volcano is a composite structure consisting of an older dissected volcano and a younger parasitic cone with a 3-km-diameter summit crater. A steep-sided lava dome, emplaced during the most recent significant eruption in 1974, occupies the center of the crater. That eruption produced at least one ash cloud that likely exceeded an altitude of 25,000 ft above sea level. A poorly documented eruption occurred in 1945, also producing a lava dome that was partially destroyed in the 1974 eruption. Within the past 280 years a large explosive eruption produced pyroclastic flows that partially filled the Glacier Creek valley on the southwest flank.
VENIAMINOF VOLCANO
(VNUM #312070)
56°11'52" N 159°23'35" W,
Summit Elevation 8225 ft (2507 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
The status of Veniaminof Volcano was moved from UNASSIGNED/UNASSIGNED to GREEN/NORMAL this week. Alaska Volcano Observatory field crews were successful in restoring several seismic stations on the volcano allowing AVO to resume routine monitoring operations.
Mount Veniaminof volcano is an andesitic stratovolcano with an ice-filled 10-km diameter summit caldera located on the Alaska Peninsula, 775 km (480 mi) southwest of Anchorage and 35 km (22 mi) north of Perryville. Veniaminof is one of the largest (~300 cubic km; 77 cubic mi) and most active volcanic centers in the Aleutian Arc and has erupted at least 14 times in the past 200 years. Recent eruptions in 1993-95, 2005, 2013, and 2018 all occurred at the intracaldera cone and lasted for several months. These eruptions produced lava spattering and fountaining, minor emissions of ash and gas, and small lava flows into intracaldera icefield. Minor ash-producing explosions occurred nearly annually between 2002 and 2010. Previous historical eruptions have produced ash plumes that reached 15,000 to 20,000 ft above sea level (1939, 1956, and 2018) and ash fallout that blanketed areas within about 40 km (25 mi) of the volcano (1939, 2018).
OTHER ALASKA VOLCANOES
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michelle Coombs, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS mcoombs@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497
David Fee, Coordinating Scientist, UAF dfee1@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.