Alaskan Volcano Could Erupt In Coming Days
Mount Cleveland on Chuginadak Island is one of the most active volcanoes out of the 75+ in the Aleutian Arc, and has erupted 22 times in the past 230 years. It is currently showing signs of a potential explosion in the coming days, as lava expels out of its crater. The 1,730 meter tall volcano (5,676 feet) is approximately 1,500 kilometers from Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, and according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, something serious may occur within the coming days or weeks.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory is jointly operated by federal and state scientists, as well as scientists from the University of Alaska. They have raised Cleveland’s alart code to orange, which is one level below the highest level of concern; red. This indicates that a major eruption could occur, and potentially effect flights in the area. Scientist Jeff Freymueller, from the University of Alaska said that Mount Cleveland is “sort of a little nuisance volcano.”
Freymueller added that based on Mount Cleveland’s history, the formation of lava at the volcano’s crater is a precursor to more powerful activity. The lava acts like a cap on Mount Cleveland’s vent and there is a strong likelihood that a powerful explosion will blow this cap. “Things that get to 30,000 feet [such as ash], or even close to that, would start affecting trans-Pacific flights,” Freymueller said.
An eruption in 2001 sent ash as high as 40,000 feet (12,000 meters), however the majority of Mount Cleveland’s recent ash plumes have reached about 20,000 feet.
