An ongoing eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, located in Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands, has subsided after releasing a massive ash cloud on July 17. The eruption prompted warnings to pilots regarding potentially hazardous conditions.
Initially, the ash cloud reached a height of approximately 8.9 kilometers following the morning eruption. However, by early afternoon, ash emissions had decreased to below 3 kilometers, leading to a downgrade in the aviation alert, as per the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
Shishaldin Volcano is situated about 1,127 kilometers southwest of Anchorage, near the center of Unimak Island. The volcano's eruption posed minimal risk to the approximately 65 residents residing about 40 kilometers northeast of the volcano in the community of False Pass.
The eruption of Shishaldin Volcano commenced on July 11, with a U.S. Coast Guard overflight confirming lava within the summit crater on the same day.
A significant explosion occurred early on July 14, generating an ash cloud that reached heights of up to 12 kilometers and drifted south over the Pacific Ocean. A smaller explosion followed later that day.
Shishaldin Volcano, which is one of the most active in the Aleutian arc, experienced increased lava eruptions during the early hours of July 17, without significant ash emissions. However, this changed later in the day when the ash cloud appeared. In response, the National Weather Service issued an advisory due to the drifting ash cloud.
Volcanic ash is characterized by its angular and sharp particles and has been utilized as an industrial abrasive. The fine rock particles can cause aircraft engines to malfunction, leading to engine shutdown.
The observatory described Shishaldin as a symmetrical cone with a base diameter of 16 kilometers. The volcano's funnel-shaped crater, measuring 210 meters in depth, frequently emits steam and occasional amounts of ash.
Since 1824, there have been at least 26 confirmed eruptions at Shishaldin Volcano. While most of these eruptions were small, the observatory noted that a 1999 event produced an ash cloud reaching 14 kilometers in height.
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