Earthquakes signal Alaska volcanoes could erupt

The Alaska Volcano Observatory on Thursday said it had recorded several earthquakes that occurred beneath Takawangha Volcano’s summit. The remote volcano is southwest of Anchorage on an island where the Tanaga Volcano is also located. Observatory officials this week raised alert levels for both volcanoes as they continued monitoring the earthquakes that have reached a magnitude of 3.9. The closest community to the volcanoes is Adak, a city of about 170 people, which is about 65 miles away and could receive ashfall if the volcanoes erupt.

When was the last time these volcanoes erupted? Tanaga Volcano last erupted in 1914. No eruptions of Takawangha are recorded in history. Although an eruption at either volcano might pose little threat to nearby communities, volcanic ash could damage aircraft. Airliners regularly fly over the islands where the volcanoes are located on routes between North America and Asia. 

Dig deeper: Read Max Belz’s review of the film Fire of Love about two French volcanologists.