Alaska Volcano Observatory

News

AVO operations during lapse of federal government appropriations
Posted: October 01, 2013

ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 11:37 AM AKDT (Tuesday, October 1, 2013 19:37 UTC)

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) will remain operational during the lapse of federal government appropriations. The AVO is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. The staffing levels of the USGS have been greatly reduced, but the functions of the University and State partners are unaffected by the lapse in appropriations. The minimal required level of routine checks of data will be continue, but the additional examination and analysis of data typically performed by the AVO staff will be reduced during the lapse in appropriations. Forecasts and regular updates of volcanic activity will continue to be issued. Instrument network maintenance will cease, meaning that our monitoring capability will degrade over time. The Alaska Volcano Observatory website (www.avo.alaska.edu) is operated by a partner agency and will remain functional.

Last Activity Report

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(1) VOLCANO OBSERVATORY NOTICE FOR AVIATION (VONA)
(2) Issued:	(20131006/1841Z)
(3) Volcano:	Veniaminof (CAVW# 1102-07-)
(4) Current Color Code:	ORANGE
(5) Previous Color Code:	yellow
(6) Source:	Alaska Volcano Observatory
(7) Notice Number:	2013/A19
(8) Volcano Location:	N 56 deg 11 min W 159 deg 23 min
(9) Area:	Alaska Peninsula Alaska
(10) Summit Elevation:	8225 ft (2507 m)
(11) Volcanic Activity Summary:	The eruption of Veniaminof resumed this morning. The Aviation Color Code has been increased to Orange and the Volcano Alert Level to Watch. Seismic tremor increased oner the past several hours, and highly elevated surface temperature were observed in satellite images this morning. Lava effusion has likely resumed, but no ash emissions have been observed in satellite images. Web camera images are obscured by clouds. This is a similar level of eruptive activity that first began in June 2013.
(12) Volcanic cloud height:	No ash emissions observed.
(13) Other volcanic cloud information:	Unknown
(14) Remarks:	Mount Veniaminof volcano is an andesitic stratovolcano with an ice-filled 10-km diameter summit caldera located on the Alaska Peninsula, 775 km (480 mi) southwest of Anchorage and 35 km (22 mi) north of Perryville. Veniaminof is one of the largest (~ 300 km3) and most active volcanic centers in the Aleutian Arc and has erupted at least 13 times in the past 200 years. Recent significant eruptions of the volcano occurred in 1993-95 and 2005. Both were moderate Strombolian eruptions producing intermittent low-level jets of incandescent lava fragments, and low-level emissions of steam and ash from the main intracaldera cone. During the 1993-95 activity, a small lava flow was extruded into the summit caldera ice field producing an ice pit. Minor ash-producing explosions occurred in 2002, 2004, early 2005, November 2006, and February 2008. Previous historical eruptions have produced ash plumes that reached 6,000 m (20,000 ft) above sea level and ash fallout that blanketed areas within about 40 km (25 mi) of the volcano.
(15) Contacts:	John Power, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS jpower@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497 Jeff Freymueller, Coordinating Scientist, UAFGI jeff.freymueller@gi.alaska.edu (907) 378-7556
(16) Next Notice:	A new VONA will be issued if conditions change significantly or alert levels are modified. While a VONA is in effect, regularly scheduled updates are posted at http://www.avo.alaska.edu