Alaska braces for possible volcanic eruption: Here’s what could happen

Alaska residents are again being urged to brace themselves for a possible eruption of Mount Spurr.

Following up on last week’s warning, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reiterated in a series of posts on X Wednesday that the volcano, located 75 miles west of Anchorage, the state’s biggest city, could erupt within weeks or months and that residents should “familiarize themselves with any potential hazards.”

Additionally, the U.S. Geological Survey said it expects to see a continued increase in seismic activity, gas emission and surface heating in the coming weeks before a likely eruption. They plan to monitor, properly advise and warn the public well in advance of any eruption.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory says that if the more than 11,000-foot-tall, snowcapped volcano erupts, the impacts could include:

• Damage to aircraft from ash, especially since 60,000 planes fly over Alaska daily.

• A coating of ash on the ground that can hurt people’s eyes and lungs — and damage cars.

• If ash falls, residents are urged to stay inside, wear a mask and follow official guidance on what to do next.

“The location, duration, and timing of the impacts would depend on the size and duration of the eruption as well as weather conditions during and afterwards,” the volcano observatory posted on X Wednesday.

Why do experts think Mount Spurr is on the verge of erupting?

Mount Spurr is one of a string of volcanos in the Aleutian Islands and is part of what’s known as the Ring of Fire, created by the Pacific plate sinking below the North American plate.

Last month, scientists estimated at least a 50% chance of Mount Spurr erupting. Since then, the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the USGS have recently reported “significantly elevated” volcanic activity from Mount Spurr. Experts have recorded increased gas emissions and newly reactive gas fissures (or fumaroles) at Crater Peek and increased earthquake activity and ground deformation.

What is Mount Spurr?: What to know about the massive Alaska volcano that could be on the verge of erupting

“We cannot assign an exact timeframe for when an eruption will occur, if it does, but the increased gas emissions recorded on March 7 suggest that an eruption may occur in the next few weeks to months,” the USGS said in a news release last week.

Mount Spurr has two vents (openings) in the Earth’s crust from which lava, volcanic gas and other byproducts of volcanic activity escape.

The vent at the highest point on Spurr, called the summit vent, hasn’t erupted in more than 5,000 years, according to the USGS.

The Crater Peak vent, located about 3 miles below the summit, has erupted fairly frequently in recent history.

Past eruptions in 1953 and 1992 occurred for several hours. They produced ash clouds that carried downwind, closed airports, affected water supplies and rained up to a quarter-inch of ashfall throughout southcentral Alaska.

Also, from 2004 to 2006, the mountain experienced “ice cauldron hydrothermal events” or rather volcanic eruptions that occurred under a glacier and created a depression or “cauldron” on the ice’s surface.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge and Marc Ramirez

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mount Spurr in Alaska could erupt soon: What could happen next