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Kaguyak

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5 km
3 mi
Leaflet U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey | Policies

Facts

  • Official Name: Kaguyak Crater
  • Seismically Monitored: No
  • Color Code: UNASSIGNED
  • Alert Level: UNASSIGNED
  • Elevation: 901m (2956ft)
  • Latitude: 58.6113
  • Longitude: -154.0245
  • Smithsonian VNum: 312250
  • Nearby Towns:
    • Port William 53 mi (85 km) SE
    • Aleneva 58 mi (93 km) SE
    • Afognak 62 mi (99 km) SE
    • Kokhanok 63 mi (101 km) NW
    • Port Lions 66 mi (106 km) SE

    Distance from Anchorage: 230 mi (370 km)

Description

From Wood and Kienle (1990) [1] : "Kaguyak is a stratovolcano abbreviated by a caldera. The highest point on the caldera rim (901 m) is over 550 m above a crater lake (depth >180 m) that partially fills the caldera. The lake is 2.5 km in diameter. Exposed in the walls of the caldera are pre-caldera agglomerates, lava flows, dikes, and some small plugs. A saddle on the northwest rim of the caldera represents a pre-caldera stream valley that was beheaded by caldera formation.
"An extensive apron of pyroclastic flow deposits surrounds Kaguyak crater. These deposits consist of white dacitic tephra and pumice and are the result of the caldera-forming eruptions. Immediately after eruption, the pyroclastic flows filled the stream valleys around the volcano. Subsequent stream erosion has provided exposures up to 30 m thick of the pyroclastic flows, but the base of the deposits has not been observed. A paleosol immediately on top of the pyroclastic flow deposits yields a C14 date of 1,060 yr BP; this is a minimum age for the caldera-forming eruption. The caldera has not been modified by glacial activity, thus making its origin post-glacial.
"Both pre- and post-caldera domes are found at Kaguyak Crater. A pre-caldera dome (elevation 706 m) on the southeast flank of the volcano is heavily mantled by caldera-related pumice, while a post-caldera dome (elevation 616 m) on the east flank does not have any pumice mantle. Within the caldera two large post-caldera domes (elevation 614 m, 1 km diameter) have coalesced on the southwest edge of the caldera. A smaller dome forms an island rising ~10 m above the center of the lake. Weak solfataric activity has been reported from this dome but was not seen in 1982.
"Kaguyak is better known than some of the other Katmai volcanoes. Caldera formation resulted from the eruption of a dacite with phenocrysts of augite, hypersthene, hornblende, quartz, and plagioclase. The extensive pyroclastic deposits surrounding Kaguyak suggest that tephra from the eruption might be widespread and, indeed, possible correlative tephras have been found 100 km from the volcano. Work is in progress to better define the timing of caldera formation and the petrochemical evolution of the Kaguyak system."

Name Origin

Kaguyak Crater was named in 1951 by the U.S. Geological Survey after the nearby village of Kaguyak, which is now abandoned (Orth, 1971).

References Cited

[1] Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada, 1990

Wood, C. A., and Kienle, Juergen, (eds.), 1990, Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada: New York, Cambridge University Press, 354 p.

Reported Activity

Modern Eruptions

3 Event Date(s)

Past Activity Legend:
Eruption
Questionable eruption
Non-eruptive activity


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Map Images

Map References

Tephra occurrence in Alaska: a map-based compilation of stratigraphic tephra data, 2018

Worden, A.K., Schaefer, J.R., and Mulliken, K.M., 2018, Tephra occurrence in Alaska: a map-based compilation of stratigraphic tephra data: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 165, 19 p., http://doi.org/10.14509/30059

Preliminary geologic map of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska - including parts of the Talkeetna, Talkeetna Mountains, Tyonek, Lake Clark, Kenai, Seward, Iliamna, Seldovia, Mount Katmai, and Afognak 1:250,000-scale Quadrangles, 2009

Wilson, F.H., Hults, C.P., Schmoll, H.R., Haeussler, P.J., Schmidt, J.M., Yehle, L.A., and Labay, K.A., compilers; digital files prepared by Wilson, F.H., Hults, C.P., Labay, K.A., and Shew, Nora, 2009, Preliminary geologic map of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska - including parts of the Talkeetna, Talkeetna Mountains, Tyonek, Lake Clark, Kenai, Seward, Iliamna, Seldovia, Mount Katmai, and Afognak 1:250,000-scale Quadrangles: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1108, scale 1:250:000, available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1108/ .

Volcanoes of Alaska, 1998

Nye, C. J., Queen, Katherine, and McCarthy, A. M., 1998, Volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Information Circular IC 0038, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:4,000,000, available at http://www.dggs.dnr.state.ak.us/pubs/pubs?reqtype=citation&ID=7043 .
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Volcanoes of Alaska, 1995

Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 1995, Volcanoes of Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Information Circular IC 0038, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:4,000,000.

Geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska, 1994

Riehle, J. R., Detterman, R. L., Yount, M. E., and Miller, J. W., 1994, Geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 2204, unpaged, 1 plate, scale 1:250,000.

Geothermal resources of the Aleutian Arc, 1993

Motyka, R. J., Liss, S. A., Nye, C. J., and Moorman, M. A., 1993, Geothermal resources of the Aleutian Arc: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Professional Report PR 0114, 17 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Quaternary geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska, 1993

Riehle, J. R., and Detterman, R. L., 1993, Quaternary geologic map of the Mount Katmai quadrangle and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 2032, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Holocene volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, Alaska, 1993

March, G. D., 1993, Holocene volcanoes of the Aleutian Arc, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Public-Data File PDF 93-85, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:2,000,000.

Map showing potassium-argon ages from the Mount Katmai and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, 1992

Shew, Nora, and Lanphere, M. A., 1992, Map showing potassium-argon ages from the Mount Katmai and adjacent parts of the Naknek and Afognak quadrangles, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF 2021-E, unpaged, 1sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska, 1987

Riehle, J. R., Detterman, R. L., Yount, M. E., and Miller, J. W., 1987, Preliminary geologic map of the Mt. Katmai quadrangle and portions of the Afognak and Naknek quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 87-0593, unpaged, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf

Map showing distribution, composition, and age of Late Cenozoic volcanic centers in Alaska, 1986

Luedke, R. G., and Smith, R. L., 1986, Map showing distribution, composition, and age of Late Cenozoic volcanic centers in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I 1091-F, unpaged, 3 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.

Geothermal energy resources of Alaska, 1980

Turner, D. L., Forbes, R. B., Albanese, Mary, Macbeth, Joyce, Lockhart, A. B., and Seed, S. M., 1980, Geothermal energy resources of Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute Report UAG-R 279, 19 p., 3 sheets, scale 1 at 1:2,500,000.

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