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An Aleutian volcano that lies on a major international flight path has erupted.  Cleveland volcano sent up a 15,000 foot ash cloud early this morning.  The Alaska Volcano Observatory has been keeping tabs on Cleveland since July, when a lava dome in its crater started to grow. Geophysicist Sheryl Searcy says this is a relatively minor explosion that shouldn’t affect air travel.

“Right now it looks like it was a pretty small, isolated event.”

But the Observatory is continuing to monitor for further eruptions via satellite imagery.  In the past Cleveland has sent up plumes of well over 20,000 feet, which is generally considered the alert threshold for aviation.

UPDATE: The United States Geological Survey has revised down the magnitude from 7.1 to 6.8.

For the second time this summer, residents of the Aleutian Islands evacuated for a tsunami warning. A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit just before 3AM near Amukta Pass, about 200 miles from Unalaska. The wave was supposed to hit the community just after 4.  

Residents were able to return to their beds when an all-clear was given at 4:12. According to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, no destructive wave was recorded and the region is no longer in danger. Five aftershocks have been recorded in the hour following the quake, but none powerful enough to trigger another tsunami warning.