USGS Raises Yellow Warning on 6 Active Volcanoes in US for 'Elevated Unrest'

The USGS has issued a Yellow code and an Advisory notice for six volcanoes all over the country that they are monitoring; the USGS says these volcanoes are "exhibiting indications of increased disturbance beyond known background levels."

Mauna Loa, the world's biggest active volcano, and Kilauea, Great Sitkin, Gareloi, Semisopochnoi, and Cleveland are among the six volcanoes on high alert. While Mauna Loa and Kilauea are on the Big Island of Hawaii, the remainder of the Yellow code volcanoes are all in Alaska.

Monitoring Active Volcanoes

USGS monitors 169 potentially active volcanoes in the United States, the majority of which are in Alaska. However, Alaska has many volcanoes; there are over 130 active volcanoes and volcanic fields in the last 2 million years.

Since the mid-1700s, 50 have been active, and AVO examines them as well. Hawaii is another area known for its volcanoes; Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai are active and possible hazards on the Big Island of Hawaii, but none are erupting.

The Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) monitors Hawaii's volcanoes. There's also the California Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano Observatory, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

None of the other observatories are reporting any unusual activity or evidence of anything other than background noise. Kilauea did start a new eruption in December 2020.

Thousands of Active Volcanoes

According to the USGS, around 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, with approximately 500 of those erupting in historical periods. The majority of the world's volcanoes are found in the Pacific Rim's "Ring of Fire."

The Ring of Fire is an area on the Pacific Ocean's rim that has seen several volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Plate tectonics causes lithospheric plates under and around the Pacific Ocean to move, clash, and/or be destroyed, resulting in the seismic activity known as the Ring of Fire.

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Warning Codes

The USGS and volcanic observatory units are in charge of issuing Aviation Codes and Volcanic Activity Alert Levels in the United States.

Green indicates usual activity associated with a non-eruptive condition, yellow indicates increased unrest above known levels. The color of a volcano changes from red to orange when it experiences increasing or rising instability.

Finally, the code becomes red when an eruption is imminent, with substantial volcanic ash emissions predicted in the atmosphere or when an eruption is underway. Major volcanic ash emissions are expected in the atmosphere.

The activity of Volcanoes Normal, advise, watch, and warning are the four degrees of alert. If data is inadequate, it is simply classified as "unassigned," as with aviation codes. It is deemed normal when the volcano is operating at normal background levels in a non-eruptive condition.

An advisory is issued if the volcano shows symptoms of increased disturbance above the background level. A watch is issued when a volcano shows signs of increased or rising disturbance, whereas a warning is issued when a dangerous eruption is imminent.

Mauna Loa

The next volcano to erupt in the United States might be Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the world's biggest. While an eruption of Mauna Loa is not imminent, now is the time to reassess personal eruption preparations, according to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) experts with the USGS. Having an eruption strategy in place ahead of time is similar to planning for hurricane season."

With a height of 13,681 feet above sea level, Mauna Loa is the world's biggest active volcano. Mauna Loa rises from the Central Pacific's ocean floor at a depth of roughly 3 miles.

However, the ocean bottom just under Mauna Loa is lowered by additional 5 miles due to the volcano's massive bulk. According to the USGS, Mauna Loa's peak is roughly 56,000 feet above its base; the massive volcano occupies half of the island of Hawaii, commonly known as the "Big Island of Hawaii."

Mauna Loa eruptions create large, fast-moving lava flows that affect towns on the Big Island's east and west flanks, from Kona to Hilo. Seven Mauna Loa lava flows have threatened Hilo in eastern Hawaii since the 1850s. In addition, Mauna Loa lava flows have reached the coast on the island's south and west sides eight times: in 1859, 1868, 1887, 1926, 1919, and three times in 1950.

According to the USGS, while Mauna Loa is not now erupting, rates of deformation and seismicity remain high beyond long-term background values.

Slow, long-term summit inflation, compatible with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system, has been seen by GPS data. The modest uptick in the inflation rate that began in January has continued.

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