ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — On Wednesday, authorities downgraded the alert level for Mount Spurr, Alaska’s nearby volcano, to normal. This decision comes months after increased activity hinted at a potential eruption, signaling the volcano is now “quiet.”
In recent months, indications of disturbance at the 11,070-foot (3,374-meter) volcanic mountain close to Anchorage have diminished. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported that since March, no ground deformation has been observed, assessing the likelihood of an imminent eruption as “extremely low.”
Although small tremors persist at a higher frequency than initially observed at the start of the 2024 unrest period, volcanic gases continue to be released. The observatory noted this is typical for volcanoes with subsurface magma movement that has yet to erupt.
“Minor gas emissions and a slightly higher number of small earthquakes could persist for many months to several years,” the observatory said.
Mount Spurr is one of Alaska’s 53 volcanoes active in the last 250 years. It features two primary vents; the summit vent’s last eruption occurred over 5,000 years ago, whereas the Crater Peak vent erupted in 1953 and 1992, according to the observatory.
Last October, increased seismic activity and satellite-detected ground deformation prompted the observatory to upgrade Mount Spurr’s status from green, or normal, to a yellow advisory level.
In March, significantly heightened volcanic gas emissions were recorded from Mount Spurr, prompting experts to suggest an eruption was potentially forthcoming. This led Anchorage’s mayor to advise city residents to prepare for possible ashfall, given the city’s proximity, approximately 80 miles (129 kilometers), from the volcano.
Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. The powdered rock can cause a jet engine to shut down.
