Explosions of Mt. Pavlof in Alaska Caught on Cam, USGS Raises Alert Level

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) raised volcano alert level to orange after a series of volcanic emissions were observed from a webcam view of Pavlof volcano.

According to AVO, the volcano shows episodic low-level ash emissions Thursday morning, with intermittent bursts from the summit, diffusing "ash clouds that are rising just above the summit and drifting southeast roughly 6 miles before dissipating." Moreover, seismic and infrasound data shows 'occasional small explosions and tremor.'

Monitoring seismic activity of the large stratovolcano

The Pavlof volcano found in the southwestern end of the Alaskan Peninsula, under 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, is among the large stratovolcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region around the rim famous for its seismic activity and occurrence of many volcanic explosions and earthquakes.

Pavlof is one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the Aleutian Arc, with a diameter of about 4.4 miles and has active vents on the north and east sides near the summit, and 40 eruptions so far, United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports.

AVO monitors the seismic activity in the region, among others in the Ring of Fire. The observatory is a joint program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the  State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). They monitor Cleveland, Semisopochnoi, and Veniaminof as well.

As a home to many volcanoes, Alaska has more than 130 active volcanoes and volcanic fields 'within the geologically young' past 2 million years. Since the 1700s, only 50 were marked active, according to AVO.

AVO issues Aviation Codes and Volcanic Activity Alert Levels with codes green, yellow, orange, or red, and "unassigned" for insufficient ground-based instrumentation. At this time, AVO raised alert level to 'ORANGE/WATCH' for Pavlof, which means the volcano exhibits 'heightened or escalating unrest with the increased potential of eruption'.

Also read: USGS Raises Warning Due to Potential Eruptions of Active Volcanoes in the US

Pavlof is the second volcano in Alaska to 'go Orange' this week

Other volcanoes exhibiting on and off seismic activity within the week includes Semisopochnoi

and Great Sitkin volcanoes.

Ash plumes and explosions generated by them warns trans-Pacific Jets that fly through them on their Asia - North America routes, including boats and automobile engines that ingest ash-filled air. Volcanic ash can significantly damage airplane parts such as propellers, turbo-compressor blades, and even cockpit windows. Its low melting point could also melt a jet's combustion chamber. A jet engine that ingests even a small amount of ash could suffer from total engine failure.

Aside from jets, cars and trucks can also suffer from overheating and engine failure since volcanic ash can infiltrate nearly every opening in a vehicle. Ashes are also abrasive, making windshield glasses vulnerable to permanent scratches.

Scientists warn that eruptions from any of the alert level orange volcanoes might trigger a large earthquake and tsunamis on the coast of Alaska.

Alaska issues tsunami warnings and watches after seeing a powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake, July 29,2021.

Also read: Earth is Swallowing up Carbon Into its Interior More than Scientists Thought