(ETH) – U.S. officials have reportedly issued a “red alert” status for Alaska as the Shishaldin Volcano is continuing to display “Eruptive activity over the past 24 hours, with lava flows visible on the North East flank of the volcano in web camera imagery and elevated surface temperatures in satellite data.
“A robust steam plume moving to the south-southeast was also visible in webcam imagery yesterday.” Officials are warning that the plume has shifted, becoming ashier, and is now around 20,000 feet in height. “The apparent increase in the vigor of the eruption and the increase ash production prompted the Alaska Volcano Observatory to increase the color code and alert level to RED/WARNING,” the observatory’s statement added.
The Shishaldin volcano is 679 miles southwest of Anchorage, located near the center of Unimak Island, the largest island in the Aleutians. This volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian volcanic arc, with at least 54 episodes of unrest including more than 24 confirmed eruptions since 1775.
