The Bogoslof Volcano, which has been active for the past six months in the Alaskan Aleutian Island, erupted yet again. The plume of smoke and ash from the volcano covered the sky and reduced the visibility, which led to fears of flights in the area being delayed.
The volcano eruption started at around 2:16 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. It lasted for around 55 minutes and in that time, sent ash clouds almost 35,000 feet high.
Alaska Volcano Eruption Sparks Aviation Alert
The volcanic eruption may cause flights between Asia and North America to be delayed or even canceled for several days. The Aviation Color Code was raised to red, which is the color assigned to the highest possible alert.
Ashes from volcanoes adversely impact a plane's engines and may even shut them down completely. This is the reason why aviation authorities usually ground flights in an area where the volcano eruption has been severe and where the ash has spread higher than 20,000 feet.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory or AVO claims that the ash cloud from the Bogoslof Volcano may rise to heights of 45,000 feet in the coming days. The National Weather Service Alaska Aviation Weather Unit said that it may even reach 50,000 feet.
These conditions are unfavorable for flying and so, it is almost certain that most flights will be grounded till the ash cloud clears up. Other flights may be diverted to different airports, which may cause further inconvenience to travelers.
History Of Bogoslof Volcano Eruption
Bogoslof Volcano is a conical structure whose summit forms the Bogoslof Island. It is located 35 miles off the north-western coast of Unalaska Island and 850 miles southwest of Anchorage. It has been active since December 2016 and erupted almost regularly since then. The last Bogoslof Volcano eruption occurred on May 17 and send smoke cloud at least 34,000 feet high in the air at the time.
The Bogoslof Volcano first emerged from the sea in 1796 due to an underwater eruption. Prior to its eruption in 2016, the Bogoslof Volcano last erupted in 1992. However, this sustained activity for the last half year has puzzled many in the scientific community.
Scientists at the AVO state that these volcano eruptions provide ample opportunity to study underwater eruptions, a subject about which geologists know very little about. Scientists said that the volcanic eruption at Bogoslof created smoke and ash clouds, which are different from the ones volcanoes on the ground produce.
Bogoslof Volcano Alert Status Changed To Orange
The AVO has changed the alert status from red to orange as no additional ash emissions were detected post the Alaska volcano's eruption.
"No further ash emissions have occurred at Bogoslof Volcano since the explosion on Sunday, 28 May at 14:16 AKDT (22:16 UTC) and seismicity remains low. We are therefore lowering the Aviation Color Code to ORANGE and the Alert Level to WATCH. Additional ash-producing eruptions could occur at any time, however, with no detectable precursors," the AVO noted.
