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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists find Aleutian Range volcano offers clues to ‘stealthy' eruptions
Mount Veniaminof is pictured on July 8, 2024. A newly published study of the mountain increases knowledge of what are known as stealthy volcanoes, like Veniaminof. (Photo by Tara Shreve/Alaska Volcano Observatory/University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute) An ice-clad behemoth among Alaska's Aleutian Range mountains is sharing secrets about what makes some volcanoes tick — namely, ones that show little sign of erupting before they blow. In a study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science, scientists said they have discovered why Mount Veniaminof is so stealthy — and that information may help improve volcano forecasting and perhaps save lives. Named after an 18th century Russian Orthodox priest, Veniaminof is what scientists call a 'stealthy volcano,' one that offers practically zero warning that an eruption is imminent. These volcanoes generally do not exhibit the typical precursors to eruptions, which may include rumbling, earthquakes, gas and steam plumes, and swollen or hot ground surfaces. Stealthy volcanoes can be especially hazardous when located close to population centers. Merapi in Indonesia, Galeras in Colombia, Stromboli in Italy and Popocatépetl and Colima in Mexico are examples, according to the paper. Unlike its more urban counterparts, Veniaminof sits in the remote Alaska Peninsula, some 480 miles southwest of Anchorage. The nearest village, Perryville, lies about 20 miles to the south. Perryville's population totaled 81 people at last count. Veniaminof is one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, with 13 recorded eruptions since 1993, according to the study. Unlike Mount Redoubt, which triggered a near-disaster in 1989 when a jet bound for Anchorage lost engine power after flying into an ash cloud before recovering, or Mount Spurr, which coated Anchorage in ash and prompted airport closures during its 1992 eruption, Veniaminof's seismic activity has caused relatively little trouble for Alaska residents. But its eruptions seem to come out of the blue. Of Veniaminof's 13 eruptions in the past three decades, only two produced warning signs, and a 2018 eruption went undetected until three days after it started. The paper's lead author, Yuyu Li, a volcanology doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, found Veniaminof's behavior fascinating but disturbing. Given that the volcano can send ash nearly 10 miles into the atmosphere without warning, with the potential for disrupting air travel or posing other hazards, Li wanted to know more. She and her team analyzed open-source monitoring data over three summer seasons immediately before the 2018 eruption. They created a model to understand what factors influence the likelihood of Veniaminof erupting. They considered several parameters, including magma flow rates, magma volumes and temperatures, and reservoir depths and shapes. In a phone interview on Tuesday, Li said she and her colleagues found that a high flow of magma, or molten rock, into what's known as a chamber increases the chances of an eruption. The volcano may not erupt. But if magma quickly fills the chamber and an eruption does occur, the ground will likely bulge or otherwise change shape, a process called deformation. That's something scientists would be able to detect. They also found rapid movement of magma into a small chamber is likely to produce an eruption capable of being detected, not one without warning. Stealthy eruptions occur more often when a low flow of magna enters a relatively small chamber, according to the research. The study's results suggest that Veniaminof has a small magma chamber and a low flow of magma. A chamber's size and shape factor heavily into the equation. Minimal earthquakes occur when magma enters larger, flatter chambers, according to the research. Elongated chambers seem to produce less ground disturbance or deformation. If the rock is warm, it's less likely to crumble in ways that produce earthquakes. Stealthy eruptions only occur when the precise conditions exist, involving the right magma flow and the right chamber size, depth and shape. One of the paper's big takeaways is that volcanoes with small, warm reservoirs and slow magma flows are among those that ought to be most closely watched. The biggest hazard from any eruption in Alaska is ashfall and disruption to aviation. Anything we can do to help predict that is important. – Dave Schneider, acting scientist-in-charge, Alaska Volcano Observatory Using the model created by Li and her colleagues and adding more instrumentation and real-time monitoring to stealthy volcanoes could help keep the public safer, Li said. It's a recipe for opening the door to improved volcano forecasting. Dave Schneider, acting scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, didn't have a chance to read the full study on Tuesday. But from what he gleaned from the news release, he said AVO scientists will evaluate it and determine if any of the findings and recommendations should be implemented. 'The biggest hazard from any eruption in Alaska is ashfall and disruption to aviation,' said Schneider. 'Anything we can do to help predict that is important, given the constraints we have in terms of being able to get things in the ground and be able to interpret the data.' Other stealthy volcanoes in Alaska include Cleveland, Shishaldin and Pavlov. The National Volcano Early Warning System lists them, as well as Veniaminof and others, as high priority in terms of their threat level. Highest on the threat list are Akutan, Augustine, Makushin, Redoubt and Spurr. Logistics and finances don't always allow for high-tech, costly instruments to be placed in as many spots as volcanologists would like or to the extent they would prefer to see. 'Resources are finite,' Schneider said. Eruptions from stealthy volcanoes in Alaska also tend to be less explosive and life- and property-threatening than those from volcanoes offering ample warning signs, he said. Right now, Spurr is by far more of an issue than Veniaminof for volcanologists. The volcano, located about 75 miles west of Anchorage, is currently in 'code yellow' status. That means low-level unrest is occurring with small earthquakes continuing beneath the surface and a weak steam plume arising from the top. If magma were to move closer to the surface and other eruption indications were present, like ground deformation or increased hot gases and vapor plumes, the threat level would rise and scientists would advise the public that an eruption is very likely. In March, scientists predicted that Spurr would erupt within weeks or months but the threat has since lessened. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Massive volcano eruption is imminent amid earthquake surge, leaving major US city on high alert, scientists fear
Is it going to blow — or blow over? Seismic activity levels on Alaska's Mount Spurr soared to March levels earlier this week, sparking fear that an eruption could be on the horizon. 'Earthquake activity beneath Mount Spurr remains elevated,' the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) warned in a May 28 report. 'Following a steady decline from late March through April, shallow earthquake activity has increased in the past two weeks to March levels of about 100 events per week.' Advertisement And while the advisory assured that the 'likelihood of an eruption continues to gradually decline,' the 11,000-foot volcano remains at an 'elevated state of unrest,' meaning that an 'explosive eruption' is still possible. 4 A roiling eruption column rising from Mount Spurr's Crater Peak vent during its Aug. 18, 1992, eruption. R.G. McGimsey, /, Alaska Volcano Observatory 'We're not out of the woods yet, by any means,' Matt Haney, a researcher with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, told Alaska Public Media. 'There's still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr.' Advertisement However, an AVO report on May 29 found that while 'low-level unrest continues, no changes have been observed in the monitoring data to indicate that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption.' 'If an eruption occurred, it would be preceded by additional signals allowing warning,' they said. If an eruption were to occur, it would likely send a spout of ash shooting as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney previously told the Daily Mail, adding that the resulting cloud could cover the neighboring city of Anchorage. Spurr has been on officials' radar since April 2024, when they observed a spike in seismic activity. Advertisement 4 Mount Spurr. 'We're not out of the woods yet, by any means,' researcher Matt Haney saud. 'There's still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr.' Matt Loewen / Alaska Volcano Observatory/ USGS By October, the rate of tremors had soared from 30 per week to 125 per week. The recent return to those levels has raised alarm bells. Meanwhile, a gas measurement probe from May 23 found that emissions were slightly lower, but within the 'uncertainty bounds' of those measured during the last gas analysis on April 24. They wrote that 'CO2 values' from the volcano's vents remain at 'above background' levels which could indicate the presence of magma underneath the surface. Advertisement However, AVO noted these levels were similar to the readings in 2004 and 2006, a similar period of activity when Spurr didn't blow its stack. 4 Chart detailing earthquake activity and deformation at Mount Spurr from Sept. 1, 2023, to May 23, 2025. 4 The summit of Mount Spurr on Oct. 24, 2024. AP Alaskans likely won't need to batten down the hatches just yet. 'The pause in deformation suggests' that the shallow intrusion of magma 'over the past 17 months has stalled,' according to the agency. 'This intrusion of magma could still lead to an eruption, but gas and earthquake activity do not clearly indicate an unstable or pressurizing system.' A Spurr eruption, the AVO said, would likely be nearly identical to eruptions in 1953 and 1992, which involved explosive events that lasted several hours and produced ash clouds that traveled hundreds of miles and rained ash across southcentral Alaska. Advertisement The latter year's explosion notably blanketed Anchorage with ash, causing officials to shutter the airport. A possible Spurr eruption — which would likely originate from its side vent, called Crater Peak — would also cause mudslides and avalanches of volcanic debris and ash to roar down the mountain at 200 miles per hour. 'Fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,' Haney said. Advertisement
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
This Alaska volcano might erupt soon. Here's the chaos it could cause.
Over the past 12 months, an Alaskan volcano named Mount Spurr has become noticeably agitated: It's been swelling, quaking, and venting noxious gases. As it stands today, the evidence could point to a major explosive event on the horizon—or the mountain might just be harmlessly blowing off some steam. If an eruption were to happen, the good news is that there aren't any communities living on its slopes that would be smothered by scalding avalanches of rock and vapor. The bad news is that such an eruption would likely generate a plethora of ash—and if the wind blows to the east that day, the city of Anchorage about 80 miles away would see the worst of it. 'Ashfall is going to be a big hazard,' says Matt Haney, the scientist-in-charge at the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory. Though volcanic ash might sound exceptionally perilous for humans, it's less dangerous than you might thing. Instead, ash from Alaskan volcanoes poses a significant hazard for airplanes above all else, as it can quickly melt and stall their engines. An eruption at Mount Spurr, then, would not only require diverting all flights away from the region; it would also necessitate shutting down Anchorage's busy international airport, which could cause serious economic damage. Mount Spurr's hazards could extend beyond threatening airplanes. Depending on the amount of ash produced, and where it lands, it could become an issue to people, infrastructure, and the wider environment. Here's everything you need to know about why the volcano has been so restless and what to expect from an eruption. (Here's the science behind Santorini's mysterious quakes.) Mount Spurr has two key eruptive vents: one at the 11,000-foot summit, which appears to have been sealed shut for thousands of years, and one nearby, named Crater Peak, which has exploded multiple times in the past few millennia. The last eruption took place in 1992, featuring three distinct explosions. Spurr is known to exhibit earthquakes without consequence. But in late-April 2024, the quake frequency rose while the volcano began to swell up—a phenomenon where the ground literally inflates. Things quietened down in the summer before getting more agitated again in the fall. And by mid-October, with the volcano continuing to inflate and trembling rather dramatically, the Alaska Volcano Observatory issued an alert: Something unusual was going on. 'There's a magma intrusion causing the volcano to inflate, causing those earthquakes,' says Haney. The observatory changed the aviation notice from green (the volcano is acting normally) to yellow (the volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest). In other words: The volcano might be gearing up for an eruption, and its ash cloud would endanger any planes in the vicinity. Through January and February, quakes continued to be frequent (and sometimes intense), and more began to cluster beneath Crater Peak. In March, things escalated even further: both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide began to gush out of the summit, while only carbon dioxide was detected around Crater Peak. These gases are known to escape from magma as it rises and depressurizes—and these readings indicated that magma was very close to the summit, while being somewhat deeper below Crater Peak. Despite its proximity to the summit, volcanologists were more concerned that magma was close enough to Crater Peak—which, in modern times, is the vent that ultimately explodes—to make it at least somewhat gassy. All these signals together indicated that 'the conduit beneath Crater Peak has been activated,' says Haney. As of May, things have calmed slightly. The gas emissions have persisted, but the volcanic inflation has slowed a little and the quakes are a little less frequent. Things could continue to climbdown from here on out. 'A failed eruption, where the magma stalls and does not reach the surface, as happened in 2004–2006, is also a possibility,' says David Fee, a volcanologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alternatively, things could ramp up again, ending in an explosion, likely from Crater Peak. And that would probably produce an ash cloud that would rise tens of thousands of feet into the sky. Those in Anchorage would not be in any immediate, life-threatening danger. 'You're not living on the volcano, you're not going to be inundated by a pyroclastic flow,' says Michelle Coombs, a research geologist for the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The problem, though, is that a Crater Peak blast, or succession of blasts, 'each lasting as long as a few hours, would produce ash clouds carried downwind for hundreds of miles and ashfall over southcentral Alaska,' says Fee. Before it falls from the sky, though, it will linger at altitude—and any planes in the region will need to be hastily diverted. Unlike the ash in wildfire smoke, it's not made of burned organic material. Volcanic ash is hard, sharp and glass-like. It's not only abrasive, but also capable of melting inside jet engines, causing them to fail. Cabin windows can be blocked up and eroded, and a plane's electronic circuitry can be disturbed. Two modern eruptions from Crater Peak—one in 1953, and the episode in 1992—both deposited ash on Anchorage. One of the 1992 explosions dumped one-eighth of an inch of ash on Anchorage, and the airport closed for 20 hours. 'It was a big deal then. If it happens today, it'll be an even bigger deal,' Haney says, noting just how much more air traffic goes through the city in 2025. (What you need to know about volcano tourism in Iceland.) Fortunately, a Spurr explosion would not be reminiscent of the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which caused the biggest shutdown of European airspace since the Second World War. An explosive episode at Crater Peak would last only a few hours—meaning the airspace would only be briefly affected. Still, Anchorage's international airport is the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world, so any shutdown would be highly disruptive. If much of that ash does eventually descend upon Anchorage, it would certainly be unpleasant, not least because of its ominous appearance. 'It darkens the skies, it makes it turn night in the middle of day,' says Haney. And although volcanic ash rarely endangers human life, it can be problematic in several ways. 'Ash in the air is a respiratory hazard, and can also irritate exposed eyes and skin,' says Carol Stewart, a disaster environmental health specialist at Massey University in New Zealand. Vulnerable groups—the very young and the elderly, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions—may feel this irritation more strongly. Prolonged exposure may lead to hospital admissions for some, but for the most part, ash inhalation is a nuisance, not a lethal danger. As for other animals, 'ash impacts on livestock are quite similar to impacts on people in terms of eye, skin and airway irritation,' says Stewart. Unsurprisingly, if they eat ash, it can have deleterious effects on their health. 'Ash will also cover pasture so that they will need supplementary feeding, and it can contaminate their water sources.' Volcanic ash can cause power outages, either through short-circuiting electrical circuits or weighing down tree branches so much they fall onto power lines. It also often blankets rooftops and, because it's dense, it can in some rare cases cause rooftops to buckle and collapse. But that requires remarkably high volumes of ash—much higher than Spurr's typical production levels. The greatest risk ash poses may be to drivers. 'Ash on roads makes for hazardous driving conditions,' says Stewart. 'The ash leads to a loss of traction, it covers up the road markings, and it also gets lifted into the air, impairing visibility. Accidents are common after ashfall.' The air filters on cars can also quickly clog up. Because ash contains a lot of iron and aluminum, significant quantities can make water undrinkable, although not outright poisonous. The work of removing these particles from the water can cause water production to grind to a halt, while demand for water spikes as people use it to wash all the ash off their homes, cars and driveways. 'Running out of water is a much greater health risk than minor chemical changes to the water,' says Stewart. (Meet the volcanologist who changed how scientists see volcanoes.) All things considered, the disruption to air traffic is the primary hazard from an ash-heavy Spurr eruption, says Haney. Based on Crater Peak's historical explosive episodes, people in Anchorage should not be overly concerned about the other, more minor effects of the volcano's ashfall. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be prepared to deal with it. According to the U.S. Geological Service, if ashfall is forecast, residents should stay at home, move pets indoors, put vehicles under cover, and make sure to keep anyone with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions safe and close to their medical supplies. If you are caught outside, use a face mask or cloth to avoid breathing the ash in, and seek shelter. At this stage, it isn't clear if an eruption is inevitable. If scientists detected an uptick in the rate of volcanic inflation, a lot more volcanic outgassing, a significant melting of snow and ice, and a swarm of earthquakes suggesting magma was rising and effortlessly breaking rock, 'that would be a no-brainer,' says Haney. At that point, they would raise the aviation alert level to orange, indicating an increased potential of an eruption. But even then, an explosion isn't guaranteed. If one were inevitable, the timeframe would still be unclear: This intense degree of unrest could be brief, but it could also last for several weeks, or months, before an eruption occurs. One day, ash jettisoned from Mount Spurr will once again blanket Anchorage. But will that be sooner, or later? 'We're in a watching and waiting mode right now,' says Coombs.
National Geographic
09-05-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
This Alaska volcano might erupt soon. Here's the chaos it could cause.
An explosion on Mount Spurr could generate massive cloud of ash, which could mess with airplanes and cause issues for humans. For the last year, Alaska's Mount Spurr has been showing signs of a potential eruption on the horizon. If an eruption happens, it would likely occur at Crater Peak, shown in the background of this summit photograph. Photograph by Matt Loewen, Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey Over the past 12 months, an Alaskan volcano named Mount Spurr has become noticeably agitated: It's been swelling, quaking, and venting noxious gases. As it stands today, the evidence could point to a major explosive event on the horizon—or the mountain might just be harmlessly blowing off some steam. If an eruption were to happen, the good news is that there aren't any communities living on its slopes that would be smothered by scalding avalanches of rock and vapor. The bad news is that such an eruption would likely generate a plethora of ash—and if the wind blows to the east that day, the city of Anchorage about 80 miles away would see the worst of it. 'Ashfall is going to be a big hazard,' says Matt Haney, the scientist-in-charge at the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory. Though volcanic ash might sound exceptionally perilous for humans, it's less dangerous than you might thing. Instead, ash from Alaskan volcanoes poses a significant hazard for airplanes above all else, as it can quickly melt and stall their engines. An eruption at Mount Spurr, then, would not only require diverting all flights away from the region; it would also necessitate shutting down Anchorage's busy international airport, which could cause serious economic damage. Mount Spurr's hazards could extend beyond threatening airplanes. Depending on the amount of ash produced, and where it lands, it could become an issue to people, infrastructure, and the wider environment. Here's everything you need to know about why the volcano has been so restless and what to expect from an eruption. (Here's the science behind Santorini's mysterious quakes.) Mount Spurr's shaking and quaking Mount Spurr has two key eruptive vents: one at the 11,000-foot summit, which appears to have been sealed shut for thousands of years, and one nearby, named Crater Peak, which has exploded multiple times in the past few millennia. The last eruption took place in 1992, featuring three distinct explosions. Spurr is known to exhibit earthquakes without consequence. But in late-April 2024, the quake frequency rose while the volcano began to swell up—a phenomenon where the ground literally inflates. Things quietened down in the summer before getting more agitated again in the fall. And by mid-October, with the volcano continuing to inflate and trembling rather dramatically, the Alaska Volcano Observatory issued an alert: Something unusual was going on. 'There's a magma intrusion causing the volcano to inflate, causing those earthquakes,' says Haney. The observatory changed the aviation notice from green (the volcano is acting normally) to yellow (the volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest). In other words: The volcano might be gearing up for an eruption, and its ash cloud would endanger any planes in the vicinity. In 1992, Crater Peak saw three explosions. The second explosion, shown here, lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes and propelled an ash cloud to an altitude of 44,950 feet above sea level. Traces of ash were reported up to 745 miles downwind of the vent. Photograph by R.G. McGimsey, Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey Through January and February, quakes continued to be frequent (and sometimes intense), and more began to cluster beneath Crater Peak. In March, things escalated even further: both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide began to gush out of the summit, while only carbon dioxide was detected around Crater Peak. These gases are known to escape from magma as it rises and depressurizes—and these readings indicated that magma was very close to the summit, while being somewhat deeper below Crater Peak. Despite its proximity to the summit, volcanologists were more concerned that magma was close enough to Crater Peak—which, in modern times, is the vent that ultimately explodes—to make it at least somewhat gassy. All these signals together indicated that 'the conduit beneath Crater Peak has been activated,' says Haney. As of May, things have calmed slightly. The gas emissions have persisted, but the volcanic inflation has slowed a little and the quakes are a little less frequent. Things could continue to climbdown from here on out. 'A failed eruption, where the magma stalls and does not reach the surface, as happened in 2004–2006, is also a possibility,' says David Fee, a volcanologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alternatively, things could ramp up again, ending in an explosion, likely from Crater Peak. And that would probably produce an ash cloud that would rise tens of thousands of feet into the sky. Those in Anchorage would not be in any immediate, life-threatening danger. 'You're not living on the volcano, you're not going to be inundated by a pyroclastic flow,' says Michelle Coombs, a research geologist for the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The problem, though, is that a Crater Peak blast, or succession of blasts, 'each lasting as long as a few hours, would produce ash clouds carried downwind for hundreds of miles and ashfall over southcentral Alaska,' says Fee. Before it falls from the sky, though, it will linger at altitude—and any planes in the region will need to be hastily diverted. Unlike the ash in wildfire smoke, it's not made of burned organic material. Volcanic ash is hard, sharp and glass-like. It's not only abrasive, but also capable of melting inside jet engines, causing them to fail. Cabin windows can be blocked up and eroded, and a plane's electronic circuitry can be disturbed. Two modern eruptions from Crater Peak—one in 1953, and the episode in 1992—both deposited ash on Anchorage. One of the 1992 explosions dumped one-eighth of an inch of ash on Anchorage, and the airport closed for 20 hours. 'It was a big deal then. If it happens today, it'll be an even bigger deal,' Haney says, noting just how much more air traffic goes through the city in 2025. (What you need to know about volcano tourism in Iceland.) Fortunately, a Spurr explosion would not be reminiscent of the 2010 eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which caused the biggest shutdown of European airspace since the Second World War. An explosive episode at Crater Peak would last only a few hours—meaning the airspace would only be briefly affected. Still, Anchorage's international airport is the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world, so any shutdown would be highly disruptive. How volcanic ash can (and can't) endanger people If much of that ash does eventually descend upon Anchorage, it would certainly be unpleasant, not least because of its ominous appearance. 'It darkens the skies, it makes it turn night in the middle of day,' says Haney. And although volcanic ash rarely endangers human life, it can be problematic in several ways. 'Ash in the air is a respiratory hazard, and can also irritate exposed eyes and skin,' says Carol Stewart, a disaster environmental health specialist at Massey University in New Zealand. Vulnerable groups—the very young and the elderly, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions—may feel this irritation more strongly. Prolonged exposure may lead to hospital admissions for some, but for the most part, ash inhalation is a nuisance, not a lethal danger. As for other animals, 'ash impacts on livestock are quite similar to impacts on people in terms of eye, skin and airway irritation,' says Stewart. Unsurprisingly, if they eat ash, it can have deleterious effects on their health. 'Ash will also cover pasture so that they will need supplementary feeding, and it can contaminate their water sources.' Volcanic ash can cause power outages, either through short-circuiting electrical circuits or weighing down tree branches so much they fall onto power lines. It also often blankets rooftops and, because it's dense, it can in some rare cases cause rooftops to buckle and collapse. But that requires remarkably high volumes of ash—much higher than Spurr's typical production levels. The greatest risk ash poses may be to drivers. 'Ash on roads makes for hazardous driving conditions,' says Stewart. 'The ash leads to a loss of traction, it covers up the road markings, and it also gets lifted into the air, impairing visibility. Accidents are common after ashfall.' The air filters on cars can also quickly clog up. Because ash contains a lot of iron and aluminum, significant quantities can make water undrinkable, although not outright poisonous. The work of removing these particles from the water can cause water production to grind to a halt, while demand for water spikes as people use it to wash all the ash off their homes, cars and driveways. 'Running out of water is a much greater health risk than minor chemical changes to the water,' says Stewart. (Meet the volcanologist who changed how scientists see volcanoes.) The days to come All things considered, the disruption to air traffic is the primary hazard from an ash-heavy Spurr eruption, says Haney. Based on Crater Peak's historical explosive episodes, people in Anchorage should not be overly concerned about the other, more minor effects of the volcano's ashfall. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be prepared to deal with it. According to the U.S. Geological Service, if ashfall is forecast, residents should stay at home, move pets indoors, put vehicles under cover, and make sure to keep anyone with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions safe and close to their medical supplies. If you are caught outside, use a face mask or cloth to avoid breathing the ash in, and seek shelter. At this stage, it isn't clear if an eruption is inevitable. If scientists detected an uptick in the rate of volcanic inflation, a lot more volcanic outgassing, a significant melting of snow and ice, and a swarm of earthquakes suggesting magma was rising and effortlessly breaking rock, 'that would be a no-brainer,' says Haney. At that point, they would raise the aviation alert level to orange, indicating an increased potential of an eruption. But even then, an explosion isn't guaranteed. If one were inevitable, the timeframe would still be unclear: This intense degree of unrest could be brief, but it could also last for several weeks, or months, before an eruption occurs. One day, ash jettisoned from Mount Spurr will once again blanket Anchorage. But will that be sooner, or later? 'We're in a watching and waiting mode right now,' says Coombs.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
More earthquakes rattle Alaska volcano as eruption fears rise
More than two dozen earthquakes have rattled a massive Alaska volcano over the last two days, potentially signaling an imminent eruption. Mount Spurr, which is 11,000 feet tall and located 81 miles from Anchorage, has been showing signs of unrest for more than a year. Scientists have been closely monitoring this volcano for signs of an eruption, which they say could happen in a matter of weeks or months. Over the past 48 hours, 28 small, shallow earthquakes have been detected beneath the volcano. This is a continuation of heightened seismic activity that has been ongoing since April 2024, which experts believe could be a sign that new magma is rising closer to the surface. Mount Spurr has also been emitting gas and steam from its summit crater, which an Anchorage resident recently caught on camera. A local in Anchorage shared a clip Wednesday showing gray vapor rising from the volcano's peak, caused by magma heating underground water. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), which has been tracking Mount Spurr's activity, said 'clear web camera views showed an occasional vapor plume at the summit' in a Wednesday update. 'Although low-level unrest continues, no changes have been observed in the monitoring data to indicate that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption,' the update states. But Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people, is bracing for Mount Spurr to blow and have stockpiled everything from groceries to water and protective gear. If the volcano does, 'it would be explosive,' Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) at US Geological Survey (USGS) told This event would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney added. Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and other nearby communities in a thick layer of dust. This would force international hubs such as Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and potentially Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) to shut down. Halting all incoming and departing flights at these airports could have a ripple effect across the country, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations and even disrupting the global supply chain. Hundreds of planes fly over Anchorage and Fairbanks per day, and it's not just passenger flights that would be impacted. ANC is the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world, with more than 8,000 cargo flights passing through each month. The eruption would also produce destructive mudslides and avalanches volcanic debris racing down the volcano's side at over 200 miles per hour, 'but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,' Haney said. The event would most likely occur at the volcano's Crater Peak side vent, which last erupted in 1992 (pictured). During that eruption, ANC shut down for 20 hours while the ash cloud hung over Anchorage. It darkened skies in the middle of the day, and ultimately settled an eighth of an inch thick across the city. The Municipality of Anchorage reported nearly $2 million in damages, office closures and cleanup costs from the August eruption. No one was killed by these events directly. But two heart attacks, one fatal, from shoveling ashfall were reported in Anchorage. Since last April, Haney and his colleagues at the AVO have been tracking shallow earthquakes, ground deformation, and gas and steam emissions at Mount Spurr. All of these are signs that a volcano is getting ready to erupt. If Mount Spurr's activity continues to ramp up, the next sign of an eruption will be a volcanic tremor, Haney said. This would be different from the brief, shallow earthquakes this volcano has already been experiencing. A volcanic tremor is a longer stretch of ongoing shaking that can persist for minutes to days. It occurs when magma beneath the volcano begins rising toward the surface as the eruption grows imminent. The last time Mount Spurr erupted — volcanic tremors began about three weeks before it finally blew.
