Volcanic Explosions Rock an Alaskan Island as Etna Rumbles

An aerial photograph of Bogoslof and Fire Island taken on May 8, 2017.Max Kaufman/Alaska Volcano Observatory/University of Alaska Fairbanks Let's take a look at some volcanic eruptions going on around the globe this week! In Alaska, after weeks of relative quiet, Bogoslof had another big explosive eruption. This time, the plume reached 11 kilometers (~36,000 feet) after the Alaska Volcano Observatory noticed an increase in earthquakes at the volcano. Ash from this eruption fell on Umnak Island (almost 100 kilometers away) as it drifted to the southwest. The eruption seems to have been brief, with seismicity dropping quickly after the blast, and Bogoslof now sits on the Orange/Watch volcanic alert. Be sure to check out some crazy pictures of Bogoslof Island, with the multiple craters created by the last six months of eruptions. The spire in the images are the remains of older lava on the island. At the same ...