Eruption Type: Explosive
MaxVEI:2

Start: March 1867    Observed


Description: From Juhle (1955): "According to Dall (1894) the March 1867 eruption [of Iliamna] produced a light pumiceLight-colored, frothy volcanic rock, usually of dacite or rhyolite composition, formed by the expansion of gas in erupting lava. Commonly seen as lumps or fragments of pea-size and larger, but can also occur abundantly as ash-sized particles. and ashFine fragments (less than 2 millimeters across) of lava or rock formed in an explosive volcanic eruption. fall on St. Paul, Kodiak Island 165 miles to the southeast."
This statement is confusing, because Juhle is referencing Dall, 1894, in Science, volume 3. However, volume 3 of Science was published in 1884, and, although there is an article by Dall published in that issue, it does not discuss Iliamna.
Juhle continues with: "I.C. Russell (1897, p. 211 [listed in bibliography as 1910]) writes: 'In the summer of 1895 it was sending out five or six columns of steam and seemed peaceful enough. A few years ago, however, it was in violent eruption and discharged such a profusion of hot dust and lapilliRock fragments between 2 and 64 mm (0.08-2.5 in) in diameter that were ejected from a volcano during an explosive eruption are called lapilli. Lapilli (singular: lapillus) means "little stones" in Italian. Lapilli may consist of many different types of tephra, including scoria, pumice, and reticulite. that the timber over hundreds of square miles of tableland was killed.' Unfortunately the source of this information is not given. Perhaps this refers to the March 1867 eruption. The magnitudeA measure of the size of an earthquake, determined by measuring the highest-amplitude waves and correcting for distance and type of instrument. The scale is logarithmic, so each increase of one unit corresponds to amplitude increase of a factor of 10. of the eruption seems somewhat exaggerated. Today only a few cinder lapilli, which may be remnants of this ash fall, can be found in protected topographic depressions at high altitudes."
Miller and others (1998) doubt the veracity of this eruption: "although Coats (1950) lists several reports of 'smoke', and an eruption in 1867, documentation is poor and validity of the reports is questionable. Except for the summit fumarolic activity, it is uncertain and perhaps unlikely that Iliamna Volcano has been historically active."

Dataset metadata