Alaska’s remote wilderness area faces potential volcano eruption threat
Mount Spurr, a volcano near Alaska’s most populous city, is exhibiting signs of unrest, prompting concerns of an impending eruption. Over the past 10 months, the area has experienced hundreds of small earthquakes, indicating volcanic activity. The Alaska Volcano Observatory is tracking these developments closely, as ground deformations and the formation of a small lake within the crater have been observed.
According to David Fee of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the rising magma and moving fluids underground are causing the ground to swell and deform, signaling potential volcanic activity. While experts cannot predict the exact timing of an eruption, they are monitoring for warning signs such as increased water temperatures and other changes at the volcano’s summit.
Despite the current volcano alert level being at advisory, experts estimate a 50-50 chance of an eruption occurring. The main hazards would be ash clouds affecting air travel and ash fall over regional communities, including Anchorage. The observatory warns of potential ash clouds traveling hundreds of miles downwind and various hazardous events around the volcano.
Mount Spurr’s history includes eruptions in 1953 and 1992, with ash reaching as far as Anchorage and disrupting airport operations. While no immediate threat is posed to nearby communities, experts remain vigilant in monitoring the situation for any signs that an eruption may be imminent.
Many hours passed after the eruption, and multiple air-quality alerts were issued for several consecutive days. According to Fee, a future eruption is likely to occur at Crater Peak once again. “There has been no eruption from the summit of Spurr in thousands of years,” Fee stated. “That’s one of the reasons we believe it’s more probable for an eruption to originate from Crater Peak.” Sign up for more CNN news and newsletters by creating an account at CNN.com.
