Updated 4-26-2002
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Shishaldin Volcano Eruption in 1988
The picture of Mt. Shishaldin Volcano came from: Alaska Geophysical Institute
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Alaskan Volcano Information
Alaska has 43 of the nation's 53 historically active volcanoes.  Volcanoes on the Aleutian Islands, on the Alaska Peninsula, and in the Wrangell Mountains are part of the "Ring of Fire" that surrounds the Pacific Ocean basin.  There are more than 80 potentially active volcanoes in Alaska, about half of which have had at least one eruption since 1760, the date of the earliest written record of eruptions.  Pavlof Volcano is one of the most active of Alaskan volcanoes, having had more than 40 reported eruptions since 1790.  Alaska has more than 10 percent of the world's identified volcanoes within it's boundaries and the world's largest proportion of stratovolcanoes.

The 2,500-km-long Aleutian arc is a chain of large calc-alkaline, strato-volcanoes with impressive calderas. It is responsible for nearly all the historical volcanism of Alaska. The Wrangell Mountains, to the east, include some of world's largest andesitic shield volcanoes, and basaltic lava fields are scattered throughout the western interior and southeastern panhandle of Alaska.

Western record keeping began in 1741 when Vitus Bering landed in Alaska, but these commonly cloud covered volcanoes were only occasionally documented in the following decades. Eruption reporting began with Kasatochi in 1760, four more had erupted by 1768, and there has been a steady increase since.

The most violent Alaskan eruption recorded occurred on June 1912 from Novarupta/Katmai Volcano.  This was one of the world's largest in this century and brought widespread attention to Alaska's many volcanoes.  The 1912 eruption darkened the sky over much of the Northern Hemisphere for several days, depositing a foot of ash on Kodiak.  Novarupta Volcano is located in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, now contained within the Katmai National Park.

A list of some of the most recent recorded eruptions.
Mt.Spurr erupted in 1953.
Mt. Augustine is located in the lower Cook Inlet on the Alaskan Peninsula with an elevation of 4,025 feet produces ash and erupted in 1963-64.
Mt. Ukinrek Maars's most recent eruption was in 1977.
Mt. Makushin's most recent eruption was in 1980.
Pavlof Volcano is located on the Aleutian Chain and produced 10 mile high ash with lava and mud flows. Last spectacular eruption was from April 1986 through August 1988.
Mt.Shishaldin is located on the Aleutian Chain and last erupted in small phreatic explosions during September 1999-January 2000 .
Mt. Augustine's most recent eruption was from  March through Aug. 1986.
Mt. Redoubt is located on the Alaskan Peninsula and produces ash.  It's most recent eruption was from  Dec. 1989 through April 1990.
Mt. Kiska is located on the Aleutian Chain and had it's most recent eruption in 1990.
Mt. Spurr erupted in June, August, and September of 1992.  Anchorage received the brunt of the ash fallout and it closed the Airport, halting air traffic out of Anchorage for days in August and September.
Here are some very good articles on mud volcanoes from the Geophysical Institute's Science Forum:   Mud Volcanoes      Tolsona Mud Volcanoes
Another Science Forum Article:  Listening to the Heart Beat of Alaska's Volcanoes
* Volcano Glossary
Other interesting links on volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory Anatomy of a Mud Volcano
Akutan Volcano UAF Geophysical Institute
"Ring of Fire" and Plate Tectonics Remote Sensing of Volcanoes at MTU
Smithsonian Institution - Alaska Notice NASA EOS IDS Volcanology
Volcano Jump Station Yahoo - geology and geophysics
Cascades Volcano Observatory Long Valley Observatory
University of Washington Volcano Systems Center
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior   (IAVCEI)
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Map from:  Smithsonian Institution - Alaska Volcanoes - Region 11
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ALASKA VOLCANOES - Listed by Area
South
Eastern Alaska Volcanoes
Eastern Alaska Volcanoes
Western Alaska Volcanoes
South
Western Alaska Volcanoes
Alaska Peninsula Volcanoes
Aleutian Islands Volcanoes
Duncan Canal
Bona-Churchill
Espenberg
Augustine
Aniakchak
Adagdak
Edgecumbe
Buzzard Creek
Imuruk Lake
Hayes
Black Peak
Akutan
Tlevak Strait-Suemez Is.
Gordon
Ingakslugwat Hills
Iliamna
Chiginagak
Amak
Revillagigedo Island
Sanford
Kookooligit Mountains
Redoubt
Dana
Amukta
 
Wrangell
Nunivak Is.
Spurr
Devils Desk
Atka
   
St. Michael
 
Denison
Bogoslof
   
St. Paul Is.
 
Douglas
Bobrof
       
Dutton
Buldir
       
Emmons Lake
Carlisle
       
Fourpeaked
Chagulak
       
Frosty 
Cleveland
       
Griggs
Davidof
       
Kaguyak
Fisher
       
Katmai
Gareloi
       
Kialagvik
Great Sitkin
       
Kukak
Isanotski
       
Kupreanof
Herbert
       
Mageik
Kagamil
       
Martin
Kasatochi
       
Novarupta
Kanaga
       
Pavlof
Kiska
       
Pavlof Sister
Koniuji
       
Steller
Little Sitkin
       
Snowy
Makushin
       
Trident
Moffett
       
Ukinrek Maars
Okmok
       
Ugashik-Peulik
Recheschnoi
       
Veniaminof
Roundtop
       
Yantarni
Seguam
       
Two Unnamed
Segula
         
Semisopochnoi
         
Sergief
         
Shishaldin
         
Table Top-Wide Bay
         
Takawangha
         
Tanaga
         
Uliaga
         
Vsevidof
         
Westdahl
         
Yunaska
Written and Created by Theresa and Jason B.
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