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Mount Akutan

Akutan

Stratovolcano · United States · 1303m

Akutan has a 2-km-wide summit caldera with a large scoria cone that rises above the caldera rim. It is seen here from the south in eruption on 11 February 1987. A small lake occupies part of the caldera floor. The caldera rim is breached narrowly on the north side through which a 1978 lava flow traveled to within 2 km of the sea.
Akutan has a 2-km-wide summit caldera with a large scoria cone that rises above the caldera rim. It is seen here from the south in eruption on 11 February 1987. A small lake occupies part of the caldera floor. The caldera rim is breached narrowly on the north side through which a 1978 lava flow traveled to within 2 km of the sea. · Photo: Photo by Jerry Chisum (Mark Airways), 1987 (courtesy of John Reeder, Alaska Div. Geology & Geophysical Surveys). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
United States
Region
North America Volcanic Regions / Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1303m
Coordinates
54.134, -165.986
Last eruption
1992
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Intermediate crust (15-25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

Akutan contains a 2-km-wide caldera with a large cinder cone in the NE part of the caldera that has been the source of frequent explosive eruptions and occasional lava effusion that covers the caldera floor. An older, largely buried caldera was formed during the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Two volcanic centers are located on the NW flank. Lava Peak is of Pleistocene age, and a cinder cone lower on the flank produced a lava flow in 1852 that extended the shoreline of the island and forms Lava Point. The 60-365 m deep younger caldera was formed during a major explosive eruption about 1,600 years ago and contains at least three lakes. A lava flow in 1978 traveled through a narrow breach in the north caldera rim almost to the coast. Fumaroles occur at the base of the caldera cinder cone, and hot springs are located NE of the caldera at the head of Hot Springs Bay valley and along the shores of Hot Springs Bay.

From Wikipedia

Mount Akutan, officially Akutan Peak, is a stratovolcano in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Akutan Peak, at 4,275 feet (1,303 m), is the highest point on the caldera of the Akutan stratovolcano. Akutan contains a 2 km-wide caldera formed during a major explosive eruption about 1600 years ago. Recent eruptive activity has originated from a large cinder cone on the NE part of the caldera. It has been the source of frequent explosive eruptions with occasional lava effusion that blankets the caldera floor. A lava flow in 1978 traveled through a narrow breach in the north caldera rim to within 2 km of the coast. A small lake occupies part of the caldera floor. Two volcanic centers are located on the NW flank: Lava Peak is of Pleistocene age; and, a cinder cone lower on the flank which produced a lava flow in 1852 that extended the shoreline of the island and forms Lava Point. An older, mostly buried caldera seems to have formed in Pleistocene or Holocene time, while the current caldera formed in a VEI-5 eruption c. 340 AD. AVO has recorded 33 confirmed eruptions at Akutan, making it the volcano with the most eruptions in Alaska.

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Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
7620 BCE~7300 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?4416 BCE~4096 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?70~390 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 5390~710 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1351~1672 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1672~1992 · 42 eruptions · max VEI 27620 BCE5377 BCE2814 BCE571 BCE1672

Detailed timeline

  1. 1992VEI 2Observed
    1992-03-08 – 1992-05-21
  2. 1992VEI 1Observed
    1992-12-18 – 1992-12-18
  3. 1991VEI 2Observed
    1991-09-15 – 1991-10-29
  4. 1990VEI 2Observed
    1990-01-26 – 1990-01-26
  5. 1990VEI 2Observed
    1990-09-06 – 1990-10-01
  6. 1989VEI 2Observed
    1989-02-27 – 1989-03-28
  7. 1988VEI 2Observed
    1988-03-26 – 1988-07-20
  8. 1987VEI 2Observed
    1987-01-31 – 1987-06-24
  9. 1986VEI 2Observed
    1986-03-18 – 1986-06-30
  10. 1982VEI 2Observed
    1982-10-05 – 1983-05-16
  11. 1980VEI 2Observed
    1980-07-03 – 1980-07-08
  12. 1978VEI 2Observed
    1978-09-25 – 1978-10-16
  13. 1976VEI 2Observed
    1976-10-15 – 1977-05-09
  14. 1974VEI 2Observed
    1974-02-11 – Ongoing
    West flank ?
  15. 1973VEI 2Observed
    1973-03-16 – 1973-05-16
  16. 1972VEI 2Geological estimate
    1972-09-16 – Ongoing
  17. 1962VEI 2Observed
    1962-11-05 – Ongoing
  18. 1953VEI 2Observed
    1953-07-02 – Ongoing
  19. 1951VEI 2Observed
    1951-10-16 – Ongoing
  20. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-04-29 – 1948-08-07
  21. 1946VEI 2Observed
    1946-12 – 1947-01
  22. 1931VEI 2Observed
    1931-05 – 1931-08
  23. 1929VEI 2Observed
    1929-05 – Ongoing
  24. 1927VEI 2Observed
    1927 – 1928
  25. 1912VEI ?Geological estimate
    1912 – Ongoing
  26. 1911VEI 2Observed
    1911 – Ongoing
  27. 1908VEI 0Observed
    1908-02-22 – Ongoing
  28. 1907VEI ?Observed
    1907 – Ongoing
  29. 1896VEI ?Observed
    1896 – Ongoing
  30. 1895VEI 2Observed
    1895-08-01 – 1895-08-14
  31. 1892VEI 1Observed
    1892-09-23 – Ongoing
  32. 1887VEI 0Observed
    1887 – Ongoing
  33. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883 – Ongoing
  34. 1867VEI ?Observed
    1867 – Ongoing
  35. 1865VEI ?Observed
    1865 – Ongoing
  36. 1862VEI ?Geological estimate
    1862 – Ongoing
  37. 1852VEI ?Observed
    1852 – Ongoing
    NW flank (Lava Point)
  38. 1848VEI 2Observed
    1848-03-05 – Ongoing
  39. 1845VEI ?Geological estimate
    1845 – Ongoing
  40. 1838VEI ?Geological estimate
    1838 – Ongoing
  41. 1828VEI ?Geological estimate
    1828 – Ongoing
  42. 1790VEI ?Geological estimate
    1790 – Ongoing
  43. 1420 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1420 – Ongoing
  44. 550VEI ?Geological estimate
    550 – Ongoing
  45. 340VEI 5Geological estimate
    340 – Ongoing
  46. 4150 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 4150 – Ongoing
  47. 7620 BCE (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 7620 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.