U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A group of scientists from Colorado is using drone technology to keep an eye on activity in Makushin Volcano.

The Okeanos Explorer docked in Unalaska last month, after finishing its first of six expeditions, mapping out the deep seafloor around the Aleutian Islands and discovering three gas seeps. According to NOAA, the discovery is crucial because these gas seeps can create unique surrounding habitats and provide potential sources of alternative energy and biopharmaceuticals.

Two western Aleutian volcanoes are showing signs of unrest, signaling the potential for an eruption in the coming days or weeks.

People living in Aleutian communities are no strangers to the occasional earthquake. But in recent years, the region has seen some ramped up seismic activity, including a magnitude-6.2 earthquake that hit just about 40 miles south of Unalaska earlier this month. KUCB’s Maggie Nelson sat down with Rob Witter, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, to hear more about the island’s recent earthquake and how that fits into the larger picture of seismic activity in the Aleutians.

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit about 58 miles southeast of Nikolski early Tuesday morning, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.Natalia Ruppert, a seismologist with the AEC in Fairbanks, said the earthquake hit at about 2:30 a.m. and was preceded and followed by more seismic activity.

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake shook Unalaska and Akutan over the weekend.The quake struck Saturday at 5:25 a.m. about 20 miles south of Akutan, according to…