SCI/TECH: Scientists Say Alaska's Augustine Volcano Showing Signs Of Erupting

Hundreds of miniature earthquakes along with a sulfurous steam plume and a new swath of ash on Alaska's Augustine Volcano have scientists looking for a possible eruption of the volcano within the next few months. Alaska's Volcano Observatory has been monitoring the uninhabited volcanic island more closely since bumping its status up to code yellow from green on Nov. 29. The volcano last erupted in 1986, when ash from a 7-mile-high column drifted over Anchorage and kept flights out of the skies over Cook Inlet.

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Shown above the Augustine volcano is steaming from the summit and exhibiting other behaviors consistent with previous pre-eruption activities, including increased earthquakes, swelling, steaming and reports of strong sulfur smells were reported in Homer, Nanwalek and Port Graham Alaska.

The Augustine Volcano was mentioned briefly on the Discovery Channel when it aired the documentary on the Yellowstone Super Volcano, however I am not sure if it is in fact a super volcano, yet it was mentioned so I assume there may be a possibility is might be a super volcano.


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What's a super volcano?

Super volcanos are believed to be the most destructive force on this planet. Few exist in the world so when they erupt they do so with a force tens of thousands of times greater than other eruptions.

In other words you do not want to be around one when they blow their top.

I wouldn't be all the surprised if it did erupt. I mean we have had a real active season all the way around the world. We've had earthquakes, destructive hurricanes, snow storms, and now we have a possible volcano eruption. Hopefully, that part of Alaksa is not inhabited by people.

If this is anything like the Toba event, which covered the whole of the India subcontinent in a layer of ash 15cms thick...

It is not something you want to be around when it goes off and that was the largest we have on record and was 75,000 years ago. [Roughly]

not a supervolcano, doesn't have the magma chamber, supervolcanos generally are caldera's not don't have the distinctive mountain volcano look. I wouldn't expect anything over VEI 5 or 6 on this max. and thats on the high side. Expect a gray mostly gas and ash eruption, pyroclastic flows and Lahars but its unpopulated so the biggest risk will be to planes.

As predicted last month, St Augustine has erupted in fact it erupted 6 times in Just one Day. Fortunately all eruptions have been small and caused little if any damage at all.





For those intersted you can find a variety of very high quality images along with data on the recent activity Here


[edit on 1/15/2006 by shots]

Thanks for the link, Shots!

Excellent photos and overall details regarding this.

[edit username spelling]

[edit on 1/15/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

Well I guess this Classifies as a BIG Erruption, for the Cloud of ash has risen up to 40.000 up to the sky, which is Ten Times more then the Previous erruptions.

This is not the largest there was a report by a pilot that stated he saw ash as high as 10 miles which is 52,800 feet. The link is above in my last update.