Several thermal anomalies were observed in satellite views of Alaska's Cleveland volcano over the past 24 hours, but the Alaska Volcano Observatory said Sunday it had received no additional information or observations about activity.
Cleveland currently has an Orange Alert Status which means "explosive eruption is possible within a few days and may occur with little or no warning. Ash plume(s) are not expected to reach 25,000 feet above sea level." AVO predicts "increased numbers of local earthquakes" and "extrusion of a lava dome or lava flows (non-explosive eruption)."
Without a real-time seismic network on the volcano, AVO says it cannot track local volcano-related earthquake activity, provide forecasts of eruptive activity, or confirm explosive or ash-producing events. The observatory is monitoring the volcano using satellite data as it becomes available.
Scientists monitoring the volcano are expecting a more explosive event and have predicted a potential threat on the U.S. - Asia flight corridor used by major airlines, according to The Weather Space.
Mount Cleveland is a stratovolcano that comprises the entire western half of Chuginadak Island, 40 km west of Umnak. Although it is the tallest member of the Four Mountains group, Cleveland is reported to lose snow more rapidly than its neighboring peaks presumably from anomalous heat generation. Hot springs were noted at the base of a volcano on Chuginadak in the 1800s.
Like many other Aleutian volcanoes, the lower flanks of Mount Cleveland, up to about 300 meters elevation, are more irregular and dissected than the upper flanks. The cones on the eastern half of Chuginadak Island are dissected by broad valleys presumably eroded in part by glaciers; in contrast, the upper cone of Mount Cleveland is virtually undissected.
Start slideshow to view Mount Cleveland's history of eruptions and volcanic activities starting 1938.
Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite image (Path 79, Row 23) of the Island of Four Mountains in the Central Aleutian Islands of Alaska. This image is a false color composite image produced by setting Landsat 7 bands 4-3-2 equal to the red-green-blue channels respectively. This image displays some of the volcanic deposits on the western and southeastern flanks of Mt. Cleveland from the Feb-Mar 2001 eruptions. The main 2001 lava flow is on the western flank, where a volcaniclastic debris flow was deposited earlier in the February 2001 eruption. Lahar deposits also extended down the south and southeast flanks. Most of the 2001 ashfall was on the eastern half of the edifice.Picture Date: November 22, 2001 22:00:00 UTC
Image Creator: Smith, S. J.AVOAerial photograph of Cleveland's August 2011 lava and summit crater. This lava dome was extruded sometime after July 7 when the last clear view of the summit area did not show this feature. The formation of the lava dome is consistent with thermal anomalies observed in satellite imagery since July 19, 2011. This dome is approximately 60 m in diameter in a 200m-wide crater. Photograph courtesy of Kym Yano, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Picture Date: August 08, 2011
Image Creator: ; Yano, KymAVOAerial photograph of Cleveland's August 2011 lava and summit crater. This lava dome was extruded sometime after July 7 when the last clear view of the summit area did not show this feature. The formation of the lava dome is consistent with thermal anomalies observed in satellite imagery since July 19, 2011. This dome is approximately 60 m in diameter in a 200m-wide crater. Photograph courtesy of Dave Withrow, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Picture Date: August 08, 2011
Image Creator: Withrow, DaveAVOThis GeoEye IKONOS image shows a faint plume issuing from Cleveland Volcano at 2:31 PM on September 14, 2010. Red in this image highlights areas of vegetation detected by the near-infrared channel.Picture Date: September 14, 2010 22:31:00 UTC
Image Creator: Wessels, RickAVOASTER daytime visible and thermal infrared (TIR) data acquired at 22:29 UTC ( 2:29 PM AKDT) on April 24, 2008 showing continuing volcanic activity at Cleveland Volcano. The summit area in the 15m visible image shows a darkened area above the snowline that corresponds to higher temperatures observed in the 90m ASTER TIR image. The TIR data indicate a maximum pixel-integrated brightness temperature of 30.2C in a 0C background at the Cleveland volcano summit.Picture Date: April 24, 2008 UTC
Image Creator: Wessels, RickAVOOblique 3-D view of Cleveland volcano using ASTER visible and near-infrared data draped over SRTM topography. This view from the West shows a small steam plume at the summit with darker debris flows that have run down the western flank.Picture Date: July 27, 2007 22:30:00
Image Creator: Wessels, RickAVOCleveland Volcano emitted a plume of volcanic ash at 4:00PM ADT on May 23, 2006 (00:00 UTC, May 24). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard the Terra satellite took this picture a little more than an hour after the eruption began. The image is a false color composite of 250m MODIS data.Picture Date: May 23, 2006 16:00:00
Image Creator: Wessels, RickAVOA zoomed out view from the southeastern flank of Mount Cleveland looking to the northwest at the southeastern flank and summit region of Mount Cleveland. Fumarolic steam is observed from the central main crater, and from a fumarole on the eastern side of the summit (right side of the photo a little downslope from the crater).Picture Date: July 19, 2004 UTC
Image Creator: Smith, S. J.AVOMission: ISS004 Roll: E Frame: 13801 Mission ID on the Film or image: ISS004 Country or Geographic Name: USA-ALASKA Features: MT. CLEVELAND,CHUGINADAK Center Point Latitude: 53.0 Center Point Longitude: -170.0Picture Date: May 08, 2002 19:20:00 GMT
Image Creator: Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space CenterAVOView of Mt. Cleveland steaming, looking west from Applegate cove. Photograph from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce Photo Library, America's Coastlines Collection.Picture Date: 1938
Image Creator: National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationAVOLandsat 7 ETM+ satellite image (Path 79, Row 23) of the March 11, 2001 Eruption of Mt. Cleveland in the Central Aleutian Islands of Alaska. False color composite satellite image of the second eruption of Mount Cleveland volcano in 2001. The volcano is located on the western half of Chuginadak Island in the east-central Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Chuginadak Island is part of the Island of Four Mountains. Mt. Cleveland erupted in 2001 on February 19, March 11, and March 19. The volcano has erupted 16 other times since 1893. Composite produced with a Red-Green-Blue channel combination of Band 7 - Band 5 - Band 4 respectively. This combination produces an image that brings out the hotter regions. The lava flow on the western flank of the volcano is hottest when the color is yellow. The reddish glow is an artifact. The ash plume from this eruption can be seen extending to the northeast and is cooler where the grayish-purple color is. The image was run through a linear 2% enhancement and a 3x3 high pass filter to sharpen it.Picture Date: March 11, 2001 22:00:00 UTC
Image Creator: Smith, S. J.AVOEastern flank of Mount Cleveland visible in left portion of the image, center of image shows Tana. Mission: ISS001 Roll: E Frame: 5957 Mission ID on the Film or image: ISS01 Country or Geographic Name: USA-ALASKA Features: CHUGINADAK ISLAND Center Point Latitude: 53.0 Center Point Longitude: -169.5Picture Date: January 01, 2001 00:10:29 GMT
Image Creator: Image, AnalysisAVOLandsat 7 ETM+ image of, from left to right: Amutka, Chagulak, Yunaska, Herbert, Carlisle, Cleveland, Tana (Chuginadak), Kagamil, and Uliaga.Picture Date: 2001
Image Creator: Landsat 7 ETM+AVOLandsat 7 ETM+ satellite image (Path 79, Row 23) of the Island of Four Mountains in the Central Aleutian Islands of Alaska. This image is a false color composite image produced by setting Landsat 7 bands 7-5-4 equal to the red-green-blue channels respectively. This image displays the volcanic area of Mt. Cleveland about 8 months before the 2001 eruptions.Picture Date: June 28, 2000 22:00:00 UTC
Image Creator: Smith, S. J.AVOPicture Date: March 18, 1994
Image Creator: Meehan, JoeAVOPicture Date: July , 1985
Image Creator: Deines, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
AVOMt. ClevelandPicture Date: 1961
Image Creator: Rogers, DonAVO
