Alaska volcano eruption could go for months, scientists say

An Alaska volcano that has been spewing ash and lava for years began erupting with new intensity this week, pushing a plume of smoke and ash as high as 24,000 feet and prompting scientists to issue their highest volcanic alert in five years. They brought that red-level alert down to orange soon after. 

The Pavlof Volcano lies below a route frequently used by jetliners flying between North America and Asia, but those planes generally fly at elevations of 30,000 feet and likely would be unaffected by ash at lower elevations, observatory scientists have said.

The intense action at Pavlof, located in an uninhabited region nearly 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, has so far not disrupted any regional air traffic, thanks to favorable weather that has made it easier for flights to navigate around the affected area. The volcano lies on the Alaska Peninsula, which extends west in the Pacific Ocean from the mainland. 

It was the first red alert issued by the Alaska Volcano Observatory since 2009, when the state's Mount Redoubt had a series of eruptions that spewed ash 50,000 feet.

"This means it can erupt for weeks or even months," observatory research geologist Michelle Coombs said of the warning. "We are expecting it to go for a while based on its past."

Coombs said affected areas are uninhabited except for some hunting destinations.

Geologists first issued the alert late on Monday. Plumes reached as high as 24,000 feet on Tuesday morning.

Plumes are created when lava bursts from the crater of the 8,261-foot volcano, then falls back on glacier ice, Coombs said.

"Right now, with the weather clear, it's just putting on a good show," she said. "We're getting a lot of pilot reports and a lot of good photos, so we're able to keep a good eye on it."

Wire services