Winds whip up ash from 1912 Alaska volcanic eruption

Strong winds are whipping up loose volcanic ash from the eruption of an Alaska volcano more than a century ago.

The fine ash mixed with snow and sleet to dust the city of Kodiak overnight.

Officials Wednesday said there have been no reports that the ash has reached a level where it would affect aviation.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory says this happens seasonally in the spring and fall during windy and usually drier conditions.

The ash is from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula. It was the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

Ash is still visible in Alaska's Katmai National Park, famous for its brown bear population, and the nearby Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

The Katmai region is about 275 miles southwest of Anchorage.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Citation: Winds whip up ash from 1912 Alaska volcanic eruption (2015, October 1) retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2015-10-ash-alaska-volcanic-eruption.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Wind kicks up 100-year-old volcano ash in Alaska

22 shares

Feedback to editors