A brief volcanic explosion 10 miles north of the community of Atka triggered an alert Thursday night that was lowered Friday after scientists determined it was likely a minor steam-driven event.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory detected an explosion at Korovin Volcano at 7:26 p.m. Thursday, and moved the Aviation Color Code and Alert Level to “watch”. Officials later reduced the threat level to advisory status.
The event from Korovin’s summit lake region lasted less than 10 seconds.
Scientists say the explosion was caused by overpressure of the subsurface cap beneath the lake, which is common for the volcano.
Cloud cover between 8,000 and 10,000 feet prevented direct observation of any possible ash emissions, but none were observed above the clouds. Researchers suspect that minor amounts of ash likely erupted near the vent. There have been no additional explosions, and no noticeable change in seismic activity.
While additional explosions are possible, scientists say they are unlikely in the near future. Scientists monitor the volcanic complex through local seismic and infrasound sensors, web cameras, regional infrasound and lightning networks and satellite data.
Korovin Volcano last had an elevated alert level in March 2024 when a small explosion was detected from the volcano’s summit crater.
