USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-01-30T02:40:46+00:00

ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
U.S. Geological Survey
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 5:55 PM AKST (Friday, January 30, 2026, 02:55 UTC)

OKMOK (VNUM #311290)
53°23'49" N 168°9'58" W, Summit Elevation 3520 ft (1073 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

Strong northerly winds in the vicinity of Okmok and Vsevidof volcanoes on Umnak Island have picked up loose volcanic ash and dust on the surface and are carrying it to the south. The clouds of resuspended volcanic ash are visible in satellite data. The National Weather Service has issued a SIGMET (https://www.weather.gov/aawu/sigmets) for this low-level event and suggests that the maximum cloud height is 3,000 ft (0.9 km) above sea level.

This phenomenon is not the result of recent volcanic activity and occurs during times of high winds and dry snow-free conditions at Okmok, Vsevidof, and other volcanic areas of Alaska. No eruption is in progress. Okmok Volcano remains at Aviation Color Code GREEN and Alert Level NORMAL. Resuspended volcanic ash should be considered hazardous and could be damaging to aircraft and health.

For more information on volcanic ash and human health, visit the following website: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/

Official warnings about these ash resuspension events are issued by the National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/afc/

Forecasts of airborne ash hazard to aircraft: https://www.weather.gov/aawu/

Volcanic Ash Advisories: https://www.weather.gov/vaac/

Forecasts of ashfall: http://www.weather.gov/afc

Air quality hazards and guidance from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Air Quality: http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/Advisories/Index

Okmok volcano is a 10-kilometer (6-mile) -wide caldera that occupies most of the eastern end of Umnak Island, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor in the eastern Aleutian Islands. Okmok has had several eruptions in historical time typically consisting of lava flows crossing the caldera floor, such as in 1945, 1958, and 1997. However, in 1817, Okmok produced an explosive eruption that resulted in ash fall in the Dutch Harbor area. The volcano last erupted in July–August 2008, producing continuous ash emissions that fluctuated between about 1,500 and 9,000 meters (5,000 and 30,000 feet) above sea level for the 5-week duration of the eruption, with an initial plume height of 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) during the first 12 hours. This eruption resulted in the construction of a new cone (Ahmanilix) within the caldera. 

The nearest settlement is Nikolski, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of the volcano. A ranch caretaker family lives at Fort Glenn on the flank of the volcano about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the caldera rim during the summer months.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Matt Haney, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS mhaney@usgs.gov (907) 786-7497

David Fee, Coordinating Scientist, UAFGI dfee1@alaska.edu (907) 378-5460

Contact AVO: https://avo.alaska.edu/contact

The Alaska Volcano Observatory is a cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.