Pavlov volcano still erupting lava

September 5, 2007

Anchorage, Alaska - The Pavlof volcano on the Alaska Peninsula northeast of King Cove is entering its third week of eruption.

Lava has been pouring down its side and billowing volcanic ash has risen to over 17,000 feet, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Pavlof's recent eruptions started on August 15th.

Pavlov is one of the most active volcanos in the Aleutian rim of fire.

From a Alaska Volcano Observatory press release 9/04/07:

The eruption of Pavlof continues. Seismic activity continues to fluctuate. Web camera and satellite views were cloudy today. No reports of plumes or plume height have been received.

If activity continues to increase, larger ash clouds that could affect higher-flying aircraft may be produced. The most immediate ground hazard in the vicinity of the volcano includes light ash fall on nearby communities. Previous historical eruptions from Pavlof caused only a few millimeters (about 1/10th of an inch) of ash to fall on King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Cold Bay, and Sand Point. Mudflows in drainages from the flanks of the volcano, and lava flows and avalanching of hot debris on the upper reaches of the volcano are also of concern in the uninhabited areas around the volcano. Satellite and seismic data and eyewitness observations suggest most of the surface lava activity is occurring on the southeast sector of the steep-sided volcano; this suggests that the Pacific Ocean side of the volcano is at most risk from avalanching hot debris.

At this time, we expect this eruption to follow the pattern of previous eruptions. The last eruption of Pavlof began in September 1996 and consisted of a several-month-long series of ash explosions, lava-fountaining, and lava-flow production. Ash clouds reached as high as 30,000 ft asl on one occasion. However, most ash clouds were below 20,000 ft asl. Prior to 1996, Pavlof erupted in 1986 sending ash as high as 49,000 ft asl on at least one occasion. A hazard assessment for Pavlof and the Emmons Lake volcanic center is available on the web at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/pdfs/SIR2006-5248.pdfCLEVELAND VOLCANO (CAVW#1101-24-)

52°49'20" N169°56'42" W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: Watch
Satellite views were mostly cloudy today. Web camera views were cloudy.

AVO continues to monitor the volcano closely with satellite imagery as weather allows. The lack of a real-time seismic network at Cleveland means that AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest. Short-lived explosions of ash that could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level can occur without warning and may go undetected on satellite imagery.KOROVIN VOLCANO (ATKA ISLAND) (CAVW#1101-16)
52°22'48" N174°9'22" W, Summit Elevation 5030 ft (1533 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: Advisory

Intermittent, low-level seismic activity continues at Korovin. Satellite views were cloudy today.

Korovin has erupted several times in the past 200 years, most recently in 1998. Eruptions typically produce minor amounts of ash and occasional, small lava flows. Ash plume heights could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level. Korovin occasionally produces large steam plumes from its summit.