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A sudden eruption of an isolated volcano in Alaska has led to a series of warnings and alerts in the region. Although the event seems to be a rather isolated one, the area continues to be closely monitored to avoid any problems a new eruption might create.

On Dec. 20, several airplane pilots reported an eruption on the small island called Bogoslof, which is along the Aleutian Islands chain. The event surprised everyone, as there was no indication that a new eruption was about to take place.

A Lucky Circumstance

Luckily, the island is quite isolated and the eruption itself had no effect on the lives of the local population, as only around 4,300 people live within 62 miles (100 kilometers) from the volcano.

Nevertheless, the eruption should not be treated lightly. The ashes of the short-lived event reached up 6 miles (10 kilometers) in the sky. The volcano itself is not exactly a small one, as it rises 4,900 feet (about 1,500 meters) above the seabed, more than 900 feet (about 300 meters) of which are above the water.

Even if no inhabitant of the area is directly jeopardized by such an eruption, not the same could be said about those flying above the Aleutians.

In fact, the area is rather well-known for the intense air traffic, especially when it comes to routes that tie America to Asia. Acknowledging these risks, the Alaska Volcano Observatory announced a red alert in the region and was further passed on to air traffic controllers and airlines.

The observatory does not have equipment on the island, but that did not prevent it from closely monitoring the activity of the volcano. The lack of activity observed after the eruption led to the decision of reducing the level of the alert to orange. The area continues to be monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

"We will monitor satellite images and data from distant seismic and infrasound instruments for indications of significant explosive activity," noted the observatory.

An Expected Eruption

The Bogoslof Volcano has erupted several times in the past, about six times since the end of the 18th century. The last known eruption took place in 1992. Some of these phenomena were quite impressive, the lava from the eruption led to the creation of several small islands, which were later covered by the sea.

The visible top of the volcano was also created through the same phenomenon, and scientists wonder whether the process is about the start again. However, according to the data covered so far, it seems unlikely for another eruption to happen very soon.

ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. </s> For the third time this week, a volcano on Alaska’s Bogoslof Island has erupted, sending yet another ash plume into the air. Bogoslof is located in the Aleutian Islands, a chain of mostly volcanic islands in the Bering Sea.

Volcano erupts for third time on Bogoslof Island in Alaska’s Aleutian chain

As reported by Alaska Dispatch News, the third eruption took place on the morning of Friday, December 23. The aviation color code has since been raised to red by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, with its status being updated to “warning” after reviewing reports that Bogoslof Island had experienced a short eruption defined as explosive. The volcano sits around 60 miles west of Unalaska, the largest city of the Aleutian Islands.

The eruption was reported to have lasted for just over an hour, according to VolcanoDiscovery. No visual observations have yet been recorded as the sky was quite cloudy at the time of the Bogoslof Island eruption, with the plume not having reached the regional cloud deck of 30,000 feet.

Lava and fragmental material were ejected from the volcano, with ash emission subsiding at around 10:37 a.m. Alaskan time, this according to the coast guard. The attempts of volcanologists to receive signals from monitoring stations near Bogoslof Island were interrupted due to a major storm in the area, the structure of which was already radically altered due to the first two storms. The island itself has changed dramatically in shape since its first cartographical record, which was in the 1700s. These changes are due not only to frequent eruptive activity, but also energetic wave action, according to KCUB.

Alaska communities have been assured that no ash will make its way into the state’s mainland, as forecast winds are expected to carry it over water into the northeast. A volcanic ash cloud forecast was nevertheless issued by The National Weather Service, with the area of concern located west of the Nunivak Islands. The NWS’s aviation desk, based in Anchorage, has been tracking weather issues related to Bogoslof Island since its first eruption on Wednesday, December 21. A major characteristic of this is said to be dozens of lightning strikes, which Alaska Volcano Observatory geophysicist John Lyons says are still being monitored very closely.

Michael Kutz, a NWS meteorologist based in Anchorage, announced that a single system is expected to be formed by three low-pressure systems in the Aleutian Islands come Sunday afternoon, Christmas Day. Stormy conditions, he continues, are the majority of the reason why ash from the volcano on Bogoslof Island has and will not land on the mainland of Alaska post-eruption.

By Lorelai Zelmerlow

Share On </s> ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A volcano on a remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian chain has simmered down after erupting and prompting an aviation alert.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory said Friday the Bogoslof volcano sent an ash plume about 20,000 feet in the air in its eighth explosion detected since Dec. 16.

The latest eruption caused the observatory to issue its highest alert for aircraft, but the Federal Aviation Administration says the eruption has had no effect on flight operations.

Observatory geologist Chris Waythomas says the volcano has quieted down, but the alert remains in place.

He says most of the volcano’s vent is underwater, which adds steam to ash plumes when magma is dislodged.

The volcano began erupting shortly before midnight Thursday. It is located on an island in the Bering Sea about 850 miles southwest of Anchorage.
An eruption on Bogoslof Island of the Aleutian Islands disrupts air transportation routes, distributing tephra over populated areas, including Kodiak Island, 660 miles (1,060 km) away from the volcano.