Possible Eruption Started at Alaska's Pavlof

Pavlof (left) and Pavlof Sister (right) in Alaska, seen on October 29, 2010. Image: NOAA. Earlier today, the Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the alert status at Pavlof, a stratovolcano near the western end of the Alaska Peninsula, to Orange/Watch. Increased seismicity combined with a strong thermal anomaly spotted by satellite at the summit of the volcano all point towards new eruptive activity at the remote volcano. AVO's update suggests that lava may already be extruding from the crater at Pavlof, but there has been no visual confirmation -- and no evidence of any ash plume from this activity either. If this eruption is confirmed, it would be the 3rd known eruption at Pavlof since the start of the 21st century, all VEI 2 or less. However, two sets of eruptions in 1983 and 1986-88 were stronger, ranking at VEI 3 with lava flows (1986-88), extensive tephra fall (1983) and pyroclastic flows (both). There are no webcams pointed at Pavlof that I've run across, but you can check out the healthy activity on the Pavlof webicorder. Along with Pavlof, Cleveland, further to the western in the Aleutian Islands, is also under Orange/Watch status.