Updated 8/15/23 at 7:00 p.m.
Two ash eruptions at Shishaldin Volcano disrupted air travel to the Aleutians Tuesday. A Dutch Harbor airport representative said a Ravn Alaska afternoon flight was canceled from Anchorage to Unalaska and two Aleutian Airways flights were affected: one morning flight to the island was delayed by 30 minutes and an afternoon flight from Anchorage to King Salmon was rerouted back to Anchorage.
The first eruption around 3:35 a.m. released a 35,000-foot ash cloud that slowly drifted northeast into the Bering Sea toward Western Interior Alaska, according to the National Weather Service. The second eruption released a 16,000-foot plume just after 3 p.m.
Shishaldin — located on Unimak in the Eastern Aleutians — is one of the most active volcanoes in the island chain.
There have been several events at the volcano since this eruption began on July 12.
Chris Waythomas, a geologist for the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said experts don't know how long the eruption will last. Previous eruptions at Shishaldin have gone on for months.
You can report ashfall and stay up to date on volcanic activity on the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s website.
