Volcanoes near Alaska’s biggest city are showing new signs of anxiety. Experts say the likelihood of an eruption at Mount Spur is increasing in the coming weeks or months.
The Alaska Volcanic Observatory said it measured “a significant rise in volcanic gas emissions” during recent turbulence on Wednesday, and the signs indicated that it was not certain, but not certain, that an eruption would occur in weeks or months.
“If this occurs, we expect further increases in seismic activity, gas emissions and surface heating will be seen prior to the eruption,” the station said in a statement. “Such strong anxiety can provide additional warnings for days to weeks.”
Wyatt Mayo/AP
However, the station warned that eruptions could occur with little or no warning.
“We expect additional changes to data monitoring prior to the eruption, but there is also the possibility that eruptions will occur with little or no additional warnings,” the observatory writes. “This is extremely dangerous for recreators near Mountspur or its drainage or anyone covering the volcano.”
What is Mount Spur?
Mount Spur is one of Alaska’s 53 volcanoes and has been active within the last 250 years. It has two main vents and is 11,070 feet (3,374 meters) tall. Covered with ice and snow, it is located about 80 miles (129 km) northwest of Anchorage.
When did Mount Spur last erupt?
The last known eruption from the Summit Bent was over 5,000 years ago. Meanwhile, Crater Peak Vent erupted once in 1953 and three times in 1992. Crater Peak Vent is approximately 2 miles (3 km) south of the summit.
Since then, there have been periods of increasing earthquakes and other activities. Between 2004 and 2006but there are no other eruptions. Last October, the observatory raised the green to yellow mount spur alert status when seismic activity increased significantly and ground deformation was discovered in satellite data.
The most likely outcome of current anxiety would be the eruptions or eruptions of 1953 and 1992, the observation deck said.
“It can also be that current activity slowly dies, eruptions may occur, or eruptions may occur,” wrote John Power, a geophysicist at the Observatory’s US Geological Survey, in an email.
What are the effects of the eruption?
According to the observation deck, the eruptions of the last century lasted three to seven hours, rising over 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) above sea level, creating a column of ashes that had fallen into communities in southern Alaska.
In 1992, about a quarter inch of ash from the anchorage began to stay inside or wear masks if they were to go outside to avoid breathing the ashes. The clouds drifted all the way to Greenland.
CBS affiliate WGME-TV reported that ash could drift all the way up to the East Coast, but it depends on the jet stream and probably won’t have a major impact.
Volcanic ash is angular and sharp, and is used as an industrial abrasive. Powdered rocks can shut down the jet engine.
The 1992 eruption prompted temporary closures of airports in Anchorage and other communities.
In states where most communities are not connected to Alaska’s main road system, closing airports is more than inconvenient. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is one of the busiest cargo hubs in the world.
