Mount Spurr, a massive volcano in Alaska, has been emitting higher levels of gas since March 7, and scientists say it could erupt in weeks or months
Scientists are keeping a close eye on a colossal volcano in Alaska that seems to be on the brink of eruption.
Mount Spurr, an 11,000-foot-tall stratovolcano located 81 miles west of Anchorage, began to emit higher levels of gas from its summit and a side vent that last erupted in 1992 on March 7.
These emissions mark a new stage in the volcano’s unrest that started in April 2024, when minor earthquakes suggested that magma was rising towards its vents.
Seismic activity has persisted, and due to the recent surge in volcanic gas emissions, scientists warn that Mount Spurr could erupt in the coming weeks or months.
Matt Haney, the lead scientist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) of the US Geological Survey (USGS), told DailyMail.com that the eruption would likely occur at the Crater Peak side vent and “it would be explosive.”, reports the Mirror US.
“This event would release several plumes of ash soaring up to 50,000 feet into the sky,” Haney stated.
He also mentioned that the eruption would trigger destructive mudslides and avalanches of volcanic debris hurtling down the volcano’s side at over 200 miles per hour, “but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,”.
Each ash-producing explosive event would last for three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and surrounding communities with a thick layer of dust.
The USGS currently has the volcano under “advisory,” indicating it “exhibits signs of elevated unrest.”
‘We have been monitoring this for about a year,” said the team. Mount Spurr’s last eruptions were in 1992 and 1953, both originating from the Crater Peak side vent.
The team, led by Haney, estimates that the volcano’s summit crater hasn’t erupted in the last 5,000 years. Therefore, when Mount Spurr erupts again, it will most likely be from the side vent.
Predicting an eruption is tricky, but the Alaska Volcano Observatory will continue to closely monitor Mount Spurr to better predict when it might erupt next.
