Akutan reported activity

Event Name : Akutan 1948/8

Start:

August 1948

Observed

Tephrafall:

Eruption Type:	Explosive
Eruption Product:	basalt
Chem	Yes
Other	mafic

Description: From Unknown (Earth Science Digest, 1949): "During August 1948 the crater area of Akutan volcano was examined by geologists of the U.S. Geological Survey, who mapped the limits of the 1947 lava flow and of earlier lava flows. During the geologists' visit large boulders and ash were noisily ejected from the cinder cone inside the crater at irregular intervals ranging from a few minutes to several hours. The boulders fell over a limited area around the base of the cone, but some of the lighter ash fell on the geologists' tent pitched 3 miles from the volcano."

From Byers and Barth (1953): "The activity of Akutan volcano in August, 1948, was confined to the cone inside the crater. During successive days from August 4 to August 7, the writers had opportunity to observe the volcano close at hand for several hours. The activity was sufficient to make unsafe any attempt to climb the cone, and indeed, even to approach within 200 yards of its base. During the time the cone was under observation, all the major blasts came from the westernmost part of the three craterlets at the top of the cone. At intervals ranging from one to five hours, one or two, rarely three, blasts spaced a few minutes apart would issue from this craterlet. These major blasts consisted of a loud rush of ash-laden gas, followed by a surprisingly loud clatter of falling rocks, some of which were incandescent. The blocks ranged in maximum dimension from a few inches to a few feet. The average long dimension of blocks embedded in snow near the base of the cone was about six inches." Byers and Barth (1953) analyzed a block ejected during the summer of 1948 and found it was calcic basalt.