Scientists Warn One of America’s Most Volatile Volcanoes is ‘Likely’ to Erupt in the Next Few Weeks

Scientists Warn One of America’s Most Volatile Volcanoes is ‘Likely’ to Erupt in the Next Few Weeks

Ben Kew

Scientists are warning that an eruption of one of America’s most volatile volcanoes is “likely” to happen in the next few weeks.

Alaska’s Mount Spurr, a stratovolcano located around 80 miles away from Anchorage, is expected to erupt as a result of the significantly elevated levels of volcanic gas emissions.

This is all according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which monitors the state’s many active volcanoes.

During overflights on March 7 and 11, AVO measured significantly elevated volcanic gas emissions from Mount Spurr volcano. Newly reactivated fumaroles (gas vents) were also seen at the volcano’s Crater Peak vent. Elevated earthquake activity and ground deformation continue.

The increase in gas emissions confirms that new magma has intruded into the Earth’s crust beneath the volcano and indicates that an eruption is likely, but not certain, to occur within the next few weeks or months.

The most likely outcome of the current unrest is an explosive eruption (or eruptions) like those that occurred in 1953 and 1992. Those eruptions each lasted a few hours and produced ash clouds that were carried downwind for hundreds of miles and minor ashfall (up to about ¼ inch) on southcentral Alaska communities.

We expect to see further increases in seismic activity, gas emissions, and surface heating prior to an eruption, if one were to occur. Such stronger unrest may provide days to weeks of additional warning.