Volcanic activity is on the rise at Mount Spurr, a snowcapped volcano in Alaska standing over 11,000 feet tall. Experts suggest that this uptick may indicate an imminent eruption, marking the first since 1992. Located approximately 75 miles west of Anchorage, Mount Spurr has been displaying unusual behavior in recent weeks, leading the U.S. Geological Survey and Alaska Volcano Observatory to issue a yellow alert. This alert signifies heightened unrest compared to its typical activity, hinting at a potential eruption in the near future. The presence of localized earthquakes, gas emissions, and other indicators suggests that an eruption could occur in the coming weeks and months.
Despite uncertainty around the exact timing of a potential eruption, increased gas emissions detected on March 7 imply that one could happen within a short timeframe, as stated by the USGS in a recent news release. Previous eruptions of Mount Spurr have disrupted air travel in nearby Anchorage, at times causing flight cancellations for several days.
Mount Spurr is part of a chain of volcanoes on the Aleutian Islands, within the Ring of Fire—a region shaped by the Pacific plate subducting beneath the North American plate. Rising 11,070 feet above sea level, Mount Spurr lies northwest of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.
The volcano comprises two vents: the summit vent, dormant for over 5,000 years, and Crater Peak vent, which has experienced frequent eruptions in recent history. Notably, eruptions in 1953 and 1992 emanated from Crater Peak, disrupting air travel and closing the Anchorage airport for multiple days. In addition, volcanic activity beneath the glacier between 2004 and 2006 led to ice cauldron hydrothermal events.
Recent observations by the Alaska Volcano Observatory and USGS have revealed a significant increase in volcanic activity at Mount Spurr. Elevated gas emissions, reactivated gas fissures, heightened earthquake activity, and ground deformation suggest that fresh magma has intruded beneath the volcano’s crust, pointing to a probable explosive eruption akin to those in 1953 and 1992 in the coming weeks or months.
Each eruption lasted for several hours, generating ash clouds that traveled hundreds of miles downwind, resulting in minor ashfall of up to about ¼ inch in southcentral Alaska communities. The agency anticipates a sustained rise in seismic activity, gas emissions, and surface heating in the upcoming days and weeks leading to a potential eruption. Experts will closely monitor this escalation to provide timely guidance and warnings to the public ahead of the eruption. (Contributing: Marc Ramirez, Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY) [Source: USA TODAY – What is Mount Spurr? Alaska volcano may erupt in the near future]
