Alaska
Mount Spurr Volcano In Alaska Could Erupt Soon | Weather.com
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Mount Spurr, about 75 miles west of Anchorage, has been experiencing hundreds of tiny earthquakes over the last 10 months. Experts say that means the volcano could be getting ready to erupt.
Scientists also say that the ground near the volcano is becoming deformed, which could be because of swelling as magma bubbles up underground, CNN reported. They’ve also observed warm water in a lake that has formed in the crater of the volcano, and gas leaving the area as well.
Experts say there’s no way of telling exactly when this eruption may happen, but there’s about a 50% chance that one is on the way. They expect to see a ramp-up of activity, such as lake water warming further, as well as melting snow and glaciers, prior to an eruption.
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The last time Mount Spurr erupted was in 1992, when it erupted twice. Before that, the volcano erupted in 1953.
“These eruptions were relatively small but explosive, and they dispersed volcanic ash over areas of interior, south-central, and southeastern Alaska,” said a report on Mount Spurr’s seismic activity by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The volcano is far enough away from any population centers that it poses no immediate danger to people. The biggest threats come from ash clouds that could be carried downwind for hundreds of miles, impacting air travel, as well as potential ash fall over Anchorage and other communities.
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Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport closed for 20 hours during one of the 1992 eruptions. Numerous air-quality alerts were issued in the state in the days following the eruption.
Mount Spurr’s volcano alert level is set to advisory (yellow), one step above normal.