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In this photo provided by NASA, the eruption of the Cleveland Volcano is seen as photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station May 23, 2009, in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Officials warned on Tuesday that the volcano may erupt in the near future. (NASA via Getty Images)
Officials this week elevated the warning level for a remote Alaska volcano after they noticed that a new lava dome formed, meaning that the mountain could blow its top and send mile-high plumes of ash and smoke into the air.
On Tuesday, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) spotted via satellite “renewed eruptive activity of [the] Cleveland Volcano, which is located on a remote and uninhabited Aleutian Island around 900 miles southwest of Anchorage. The AVO responded by raising the aviation color code to orange.
Even though the volcano’s lava dome is 130 feet in diameter, “there have been no observations of ash emissions or explosive activity during this current lava eruption,” the AVO added. The agency did not give a time when the volcano could explode.
However, it warned there is a possibility for a sudden explosion that would spew ash 20,000 feet into the air, which can go undetected for several hours and pose a potential hazard for aircraft.
The volcano’s most recent significant eruption began in February, 2001, according to the AVO website. Three explosive events produced ash clouds as high as 39,000 feet above sea level.
