Alaskan Volcano Has Scientists Concerned

The two-month long, low-level eruptions occurring at a volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands have volcanologists worried that there could be a larger eruption forthcomingThe volcano causing concern is Cleveland Volcano also known as Mount Cleveland a 5,676-foot peak located less about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage.an eruption warning was issued by the Alaska Volcano Observatory in late July.At that time, the Daily Mail warned that Cleveland Volcanocould be poised for its first big eruption in ten years,” and that experts believed that it could “erupt at any moment, spewing ash clouds up to 20,000 feet above sea level with little further warning.”Nearly eight weeks later, such an eruption remains a definite possibility.The big thing we’re concerned about is an explosive eruptionSteve McNutt of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a coordinating scientist for the observatorySuch an eruptioncould come with “little warning.” Satellite imagery hasshown a lava dome growing inside the volcano’s crater, and the observatorythat Mount Cleveland continues to generate heat. To date, there have been no signs of ash clouds, Rosen but those, too, could come with little warning.that they are concerned that the dome could completely seal off the crater vent, thus causing pressure to build until it is released suddenly and violently. Alternatively, the dome could topple, which would trigger “molten flow down the mountain that releases gas and ash into the atmosphere while lava and rocks tumbleCleveland Volcano rests underneath a flight path between North America and Asia that isutilized by several major airlines, which means that an eruption there could create havoc when it comes to airline travel.Twenty-one confirmed eruptions have taken place at Cleveland Volcano over the past 230 years, with the only fatality coming in 1944, when a US soldier stationed there during World War II went missing and was presumed dead following VEI 3 level eruption. The mountain erupted twice in 2010 and three times in 2009.As of 11:53 a.m. Saturday, the Aviation Color Code at the volcano was Orange, with the following notice posted on the ObservatoryNo activity observed in mostly cloudy satellite images from the past day. No ash emissions have been observed during this current eruptive episode that began in mid-July 2011. No other new reports have been received regarding the volcanoThe current episode of dome growth resumed around September 3,the Observatory statusA growing lava dome in the crater increases the possibility of an explosive eruption, but does not necessarily indicate that one will occur. Short-lived explosions could produce ash cloudsthat exceed 20,000 ft above sea level. These events can occur without warning and may go undetected in satellite imagery for hours. If lava dome growth continues, it could overflow the crater rim to produce a lava flow and/or collapse to produce pyroclastic flows. Collapse of a lava flow or dome would likely result in the generation of a volcanic ash cloud.”