Scientists of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) are in the middle of an intense field campaign to improve its volcano monitoring capabilities for several high-risk volcanoes located on the Alaska Peninsula and on several central Aleutian Islands. With funding secured through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), AVO scientists are both servicing and installing seismic instruments on several volcanoes in an effort to help prevent aircraft from encountering volcanic ash carried in eruption clouds hundreds to thousands of kilometers across the busy North Pacific air routes. Encounters between jet aircraft and volcanic ash erupted high into the atmosphere pose a serious hazard: lives and cargo are endangered if jet engines cut out during flight, and the aircraft, both military and commercial, can be extensively damaged. Increasing the number of monitoring instruments will enable AVO scientists to provide warning to the airline industry of potential eruptive activity and eruption clouds from more volcanoes.

Why are the North Pacific air routes potentially dangerous to aircraft? For the answer see the on-line fact sheet: Volcanic Ash--Danger to Aircraft in the North Pacific (195 Kb, PDF only)

This summer's fieldwork to expand AVO's monitoring activities will include (1) maintenance of seismic stations installed last year on Akutan, Makushin, Pavlof, Dutton, and Katmai volcanoes; (2) installation of seismic instruments and real-time data transmission capabilities at Shishaldin and Aniakchak volcanoes, and replace the antiquated instruments of the central Katmai network, which will enable AVO to continue monitoring several volcanoes, including Novarupta, Trident, Katmai, and Griggs; and (3) installation of computer components and new support for improved capability to receive, process, and interpret seismic data from central Aleutian volcanoes.

Since this work initiative began last year, two of the targeted volcanoes have become active, Akutan and Pavlof Volcano. Akutan volcano experienced an intense swarm of earthquakes in early March 1996. Within five days of the first reports of unrest, AVO scientists deployed a seismic network, and made it possible to reassure the 1,000 people of Akutan Island that an eruption was unlikely and an evacuation would not be necessary. Thus, local fishing activity (valued at $10 million per month) was able to continue. Subsequent fieldwork showed that a 20-kilometer long system of ground cracks opened along the summit and flank of the volcano. A summary of the Akutan response can be found on AVO's website.

Pavlof Volcano began erupting in mid-September 1996. The new seismic instruments installed only a few weeks earlier enabled AVO scientists to track the volcano's changing seismic and volcanic activity, and they still provide key information needed by AVO scientists to determine the volcano's status. Information about the volcano is provided to the National Weather Service (NWS) and the FAA; the NWS tracks the eruption clouds from Pavlof using satellite images. The FAA in turn uses both sets of information to keep pilots and air traffic controllers informed of the level of volcanic activity. So far, the activity at Pavlof has required only minor rerouting of air traffic. The new equipment, by giving positive assurance that this response is adequate, has saved the airlines and their customers time, money, and worry.

Scientists report from the field during 1996

URL of this page: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/Highlights/AleutianNetwork/Aleutianhighlight.html