Pavlof Volcano in Alaska is spewing ash and dust, giving every sign it is ready to erupt. The churning volcano sits just 625 miles southwest of the city of Anchorage.
Officials in Alaska have raised the alert level for the volcano from "Watch" to "Warning" after the potentially explosive mountain released a pair of massive ash clouds. The outpouring of gases and dust began on Saturday, 30 May. One of these soared to a high of 20,000 feet and traveled 50 miles north from the volcano, located on the Alaskan Peninsula.
"The low-level eruption of Pavlof continues. Highly elevated surface temperatures observed in satellite imagery persist at the summit of the volcano, which is consistent with lava at the surface. Clear FAA web camera images from Cold Bay last night showed strong incandescent glowing at the summit, and low-level ash emissions are visible in early morning views," the AVO reported on their Pavlof information page.
The volcano stands 8,262 feet high and is one of the most active of all such bodies in the state. Dozens of eruptions have taken place since 1980.
Some campers reported seeing lava streaming from the northeast face of the volcano, as per John Power, scientist-in-charge at the AVO.
The ash plume generated by this volcano could threaten flights over the region. Tons of airborne particles of volcanic glass can easily destroy jet engines. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the Sangeang Api volcano in Indonesia erupted in a massive blast of gas and dust on 30 May, closing the airport in Bima in that nation. That eruption was captured by the NASA Earth Observatory.
Lava has been seen streaming from the volcano, and ground vibrations are evidence of subterranean movements of magma just beneath the surface.
Pavlof last erupted in May 2013; local airlines were forced to cancel flights to isolated communities like Cold Bay, King Cove and Sand Point. Seismic activity continued for several months before quieting down.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains a web cam in Cold Bay, which shows updated images of the volcano.
Pavlof is part of a long chain of volcanoes called the ring of fire, which encloses the Pacific Ocean. It stretches from New Zealand, located east of Australia, up through Japan, Alaska, and then down the western coasts of North and South America.
Previous eruptions in the last 34 years include events in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986 to 1988, 1996 to 1997, 2007 and last year.
"By Tuesday morning seismicity under the mountain had subsided. A red aviation warning level, the highest, remains in effect but... it could be lowered in the afternoon," the Anchorage Daily News reported on 3 June.
