A volcano on Atka Island in the Aleutians has been showing increasing signs of unrest over the past two weeks, and scientists say the uptick in activity is significant enough to warrant a closer watch.
The Atka volcano complex, a cluster of volcanoes sitting about 10 miles north of the community of Atka, has seen a rise in small earthquakes and tremors since March 8, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Then, on March 14, things got noticeably more active.
Scientists saw a substantial increase in seismic activity from 4:20 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., enough to prompt the observatory to raise the aviation color code to Yellow and alert level to Advisory.
As of March 16, the shaking hasn’t stopped. Weak to moderate tremor continues, and satellite imagery is picking up elevated levels of sulfur dioxide gas and elevated surface temperatures at the Atka volcano complex.
The volcano most likely to see action is Korovin — the most historically active vent within the complex and home to a small, roiling crater lake. It last erupted on Oct. 29, 2025, when a brief explosion prompted a short-lived advisory before scientists determined things had quieted down and lowered the alert back to normal a week later.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has noted that explosive events at Korovin can occur without significant warning signs and that any resulting ash clouds tend to be small and dissipate quickly. The volcano has erupted multiple times over the past two centuries, and a 1998 eruption sent an ash plume as high as 35,000 feet above sea level.
For now, scientists are watching the Atka volcano complex closely and waiting to see what happens next.
