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NEWS ITEMS
2023
Trident seismicity information statement July 25, 2023 Notice: Planned Maintenance and Power Downs at Butrovich Data Center - Website Service Outage Alaska Volcano Observatory Sitka visit May 5-9, 2023 Get to know Makushin Volcano AVO Information Statement on Sheveluch Volcano, April 13, 2023

2022
Currently active Mount Cerberus volcano now named Mount Young  33rd anniversary of Redoubt's 1989-1990 eruption Where did the Mystery Ash come from? Maybe YOU have the answer! No volcanic gases detected at Mt. Edgecumbe during recent survey. Mt. Edgecumbe gets a new monitoring station Mount Edgecumbe volcanic field changes from "dormant" to "active" -- what does that mean? Mount Edgecumbe Information Statement, April 22, 2022

2021
Meet the Atka Volcanic Complex Resuspended ash from Aniakchak: August 2, 2021 Information Statement 90th Anniversary of the 1931 eruption of Aniakchak Volcano, Alaska Booming sounds from Veniaminof and their source AVO assists in multi-agency effort to monitor the Barry Arm Landslide in Prince William Sound AVO's 2020 Field Season

2020
Alaska Volcano Observatory Expands Eruption Detection Capability in Cook Inlet The Alaska Volcano Observatory’s summer 2020 field work plans Update on AVO Operations during COVID-19

2019
AVO announces extensive upgrades to volcano monitoring equipment during summer 2019 fieldwork New publication: Alaska Volcano Observatory geochemical database, version 2 New publication: On the eruption age and provenance of the Old Crow tephra New publication: Historically active volcanoes of Alaska v. 3

2018
In the event of a federal government shutdown Tectonic earthquakes and Alaska volcanoes Volcanic Threat Assessment helps prioritize risk reduction efforts at U.S. volcanoes AVO hiring a software engineer at University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute Happy 30th Birthday, AVO! New publication: Postglacial eruptive history and geochemistry of Semisopochnoi volcano, western Aleutian Islands, Alaska New publication: Geochemistry of some Quaternary lavas from the Aleutian Arc and Mt. Wrangell New publication: Geologic map of Chiginagak volcano New publication: Major-element glass compositions of tephra from the circa 3.6 ka eruption of Aniakchak volcano, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska New publication: The 2014 eruptions of Pavlof Volcano, Alaska New publication: Historically active volcanoes of Alaska reference deck, v.2

2017
Bogoslof Volcano, Alaska: ongoing eruption through the Bering Sea Thank you Unalaska! Bogoslof Summary of Current Activity Bogoslof Summary of Current Activity, through 19 January 2017

2016
AVO studies resuspended volcanic ash from the Katmai region to Kodiak Island, Alaska Citizen Science - Volcanic Ash Collection Workshop and Public Talk, Kodiak January 30, 2016 Fieldwork at Iliamna and Spurr New publication highlights the importance of ash scrubbing in the evaluation of hazards from explosive eruptions

2015
Critical Volcano Monitoring Systems Returned to Operation in Alaska Resuspended Volcanic Ash from the Katmai Region to Kodiak Island Remobilized Katmai 1912 ash: community events and health hazard analysis Makushin 2015 Geology Blog Sixth Anniversary of the Redoubt 2009 Eruption Happy Anniversary, Shishaldin 1967 and 2014!

2014
New Publication on Aniakchak Volcano Available Online 25th Anniversary of the 1989-90 Eruption of Redoubt Volcano AVO geochemical database now available AVO Scientists Discuss Cook Inlet Volcanoes on Frontier Scientists TV Series Announcing new monitoring equipment for Cleveland volcano 22nd anniversary of Crater Peak (Mt Spurr) June 27 eruption Revised Alaska Interagency Operating Plan for Volcanic Ash Episodes Anniversary of Aniakchak 1931 eruption! April 19th - anniversary of Shishaldin 1999 and Pavlof 1986! Ground-coupled airwaves and explosion signals at Shishaldin 5th anniversary of the Redoubt 2009 eruption Loss of Critical Volcano Monitoring Information in Alaska NEW VOLCANO NUMBERING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED Loss of Critical Volcano Monitoring Information in Alaska Report released: Geochemical investigations of the hydrothermal system on Akutan Island, July 2012

2013
24th Anniversary of the 1989-90 eruption of Redoubt Volcano Veterans Day slideshow Call for images from active and retired service members! AVO operations during lapse of federal government appropriations New Tool for Reporting Alaska Volcanic Ash Fall Allows Residents to Assist Scientific Monitoring 25 years monitoring Alaska volcanoes - press release

2012
AVO slideshow for Veterans Day Large ash eruptions: when volcanoes reshape valleys -- free public lecture Father Hubbard and the history of exploration in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes - free lecture Remote sensing and volcanoes - free public lecture The Great Eruption of 1912 - free public lecture Infrasound Detection of Volcanic Explosions Archaeology of Katmai area and the impact of past eruptions - free public lecture Historical Photography of the Great 1912 Eruption - free public lecture Catastrophic Eruptions and People -- free public lecture Eruption of an Island Volcano: Kasatochi, 2008 -- free public lecture Exploring the Plumbing System of Katmai Volcanoes Exploration of Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes - free public lecture Commemorative presentation in Kodiak: Be Prepared! Earthquakes Below Alaskan Volcanoes - free public lecture DisaStory - A Day of Oral History 1912 Katmai Eruption Children's Program Monitoring Alaska's Volcanoes - free public lecture Landmark volcano study: Katmai Centennial Perspectives free download Special activities on AVO's website for 1912 centennial Alaska Park Science - Volcanoes of Katmai and the Alaska Peninsula AVO at the Alaska Aviation Trade Show and Conference May 5-6 The Great Katmai Eruption of 1912 - a free lecture in Anchorage: April 24, 2012 The Great Katmai Eruption of 1912: A Century of Research Tracks Progress in Volcano Science April 25 -- The Novarupta - Katmai 1912 eruption: a free lecture in Fairbanks by Judy Fierstein Summer lecture series on Alaskan volcanism Poster contest celebrates anniversary of Katmai eruption! Mark your calendar: April 24 public lecture on the great Novarupta-Katmai eruption of 1912 An important volcanic anniversary in Alaska! PUBLISHED: The 2009 Eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

2011
2011 Alaska Interagency Operating Plan for Volcanic Ash Episodes now available How does Cleveland's lava dome compare to Redoubt's 2009 lava dome? Alaska Volcanoes Guidebook for Teachers

2010
New Fact Sheet on Kasatochi How big is the 2009 Redoubt lava dome?

2009
New map: Historically active volcanoes of Alaska Steaming at Augustine Sarychev Volcano: Active Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands Footage of Alaska's Redoubt Volcano taken on Monday, March 23, 2009. Pre-eruption footage of Redoubt Volcano, Saturday, March 20, 2009 Redoubt Volcano B-Roll Footage

2008
Kasatochi 2008 eruption summary 6th Biennial Workshop on Subduction Processes emphasizing the Kurile-Kamchatka-Aleutian Arcs Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska Chiginagak volcano's acid crater-lake continues to supply acidic, metal-laden water to salmon spawning habitat on the Alaska Peninsula ALASKA VOLCANOES - TEACHER ACTIVITY GUIDEBOOK & KIT 20 years of AVO Viewing earthquake information for Alaska volcanoes

2007
Pavlof webcam added Activity at Pavlof volcano Pavlof thermal anomaly AVO Scientists present at U.S. Department of Education Teacher-to-Teacher Workshop Cleveland webcam available Activity at Cleveland volcano Cleveland satellite images Sheveluch Eruption U.S. Geological Survey's alert notification system for volcanic activity KVERT Volcanic Warnings Ceased

2006
New alert system for volcanic activity Three new webcams added AGU presentations requested New webcam available
AVO ASSISTS IN MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT TO MONITOR THE BARRY ARM LANDSLIDE IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
AVO assists in multi-agency effort to monitor the Barry Arm Landslide in Prince William Sound
Posted: February 22, 2021
On February 9, under gray winter skies, AVO field technicians installed a 6-microphone infrasound array in Whittier, Alaska. While there are no volcanoes in Prince William Sound to worry about, AVO is using its expertise and experience with infrasound science to help with another hazard in Alaska: landslides.
You may be familiar with the large, intermittently-creeping landslide in Barry Arm, 30 miles northeast of Whittier, discovered in late spring 2020. There is concern that should this landslide rapidly fail into open water in front of the rapidly retreating Barry Glacier, a tsunami could threaten western Prince William Sound. A team of scientists and emergency managers from federal, state, and local agencies, in cooperation with academic scientists and community leaders, has been studying the situation and developing a monitoring system to aid in tsunami warning.

Tracking activity at a remote landslide such as this one is very challenging. Last year, the Alaska Earthquake Center installed two seismometers on and near the landslide, as well as a camera to watch for changes. Heavy snowfall has buried one of the stations and camera hampering data collection. This coming spring and summer, when conditions allow, more instrumentation is planned (by the National Tsunami Warning Center) to detect sudden changes in water level that indicates a wave has been generated.

In the meantime, AVO scientists suggested that an infrasound array nearby – on the road system in Whittier – might help detect large rock slides and falls or significant motion of the entire landslide block, activity that might mean the threat of tsunami has increased. Infrasound sensors listen for the low-frequency sounds (below what humans can hear) generated by a variety of processes such as volcanic explosions, avalanches, or rock falls. AVO uses this technique routinely to listen for explosions at Aleutian volcanoes. A signal from Barry Arm can be located using the geometry of the array sensors within minutes.
For more information on how infrasound is used at AVO, see https://avo.alaska.edu/about/infrasound.php
During its first days and weeks of operation, the infrasound array is detecting all sorts of noise in the Whittier area. AVO scientists are examining these data to determine the background ‘noise’ level, and tune the system to listen for potentially concerning sounds from Barry Arm. This technique is just one of several monitoring and detection tools being applied to help warn communities and mariners at risk.

For more information on the Barry Arm landslide, and to see the latest bi-weekly update on its status, see this web site managed by the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys:
https://dggs.alaska.gov/hazards/barry-arm-faq.htm


AVO’s Wyatt Mayo digs through the snowpack to install an infrasound sensor in Whittier. USGS photo by C. Read, February 9, 2021.




Looking down into the snow pit where one of six infrasound sensors was installed at ground level on February 9, 2021. The pyramid shaped shield helps minimize wind noise. The conduit running from the sensor to the main power and data hub is at the top of the photo. Although the sensors can work if buried in snow, the signals will be attenuated as the snowpack consolidates, so periodic shoveling is required.




AVO technician Malcolm Herstand works on the main power and data hub for the infrasound array in Whittier. USGS photo by C. Read, February 9, 2021.

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