Previous Eruption
MaxVEI:1
ColHeight:300 m * Plume possibly from Mt. Cleveland instead of Amukta
Start: September 4, 1987 Observed
*Could have started earlier
Description: From Reeder (1990): "On 4 September 1987, flight engineer George Wooliver observed from his Reeve Aleutian Airways, Inc. Boeing 727 a small eruption plume from the top of Amukta Island. The dark tephraAny type of rock fragment that is forcibly ejected from the volcano during an eruption. plume rose at least 300 m above the volcanoA vent in the surface of the Earth through which magma and associated gases and ash erupt; also, the form or structure (usually conical) that is produced by the ejected material. and then drifted to NW for up to 1 km. George could visually see the NW side of the volcano, while the rest of it was covered by low altitude clouds. George's observations were made from a 9,750 m altitude at a distance of unfortunately nearly 120 km to N. George has fortunately flown the Aleutian Islands since the 1950s, and he is well experienced at observing Aleutian volcanic eruptions.
Normally the only activity of Amukta volcano is the very minor amount of nearly continuous steam emission from several small ventAn opening in the Earth's surface through which magma erupts or volcanic gases are emitted.s that are located just inside of the Amukta summit craterA steep-sided, usually circular depression formed by either explosion or collapse at a volcanic vent. and on the very floor of the Amukta summit crater. This information is based on observations made by Harold Wilson of Peninsula Airways Inc., who has flown in the region regularly between September 1983 and July 1987."
From Smithsonian Institution, 1987: "At about 1000 on 28 August pilots Charles Kozler, Wayne Russell, and George Wooliver (Reeve Aleutian Airways) reported an eruption plume reaching 10.5 km altitude in the vicinity of Amukta, drifting WNW. The FAA issued a NOTAM warning pilots to stay 25 miles [40 km] from Amukta Island. Heavy weather clouds covered Amukta Island so its activity could not be directly observed. Mt. Cleveland, 100 km ENE, was apparently active that same morning and winds were blowing in the direction of Amukta (see Mt. Cleveland 12:08). The origin of the large cloud remains both uncertain and controversial at the time of this report.
"On 4 September Wooliver observed a small dark ashFine fragments (less than 2 millimeters across) of lava or rock formed in an explosive volcanic eruption. plume rising at least 300 m above the summit of Amukta then drifting as much as 1 km NW. Only the NW flank was visible because of cloud cover. His observations were made from 9,750 m altitude from nearly 120 km N. Wooliver has flown in the Aleutian Islands since the 1950's and is experienced at observing eruptions.
" Amukta's last known eruptive activity was on 12 July 1984 (BVE, no. 24). Harold Wilson (Peninsula Airways) notes that normal activity * * * is continuous minor steam emission from several small vents just inside the summit crater rim."Dataset metadata
