Geology News
Alaska Current Events

2007 Eruption

“Seismic activity at Pavlof Volcano increased this morning commensurate with the presence of an intense thermal anomaly at the summit observed in latest satellite imagery. Similar patterns of seismicity and elevated surface temperatures have previously signaled the onset of eruptive activity at Pavlof. Although not yet visually confirmed, a low-level eruption of lava has likely begun from a summit vent.” Quoted from the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Thousands of octopus eggs are hatching at the Alaska SeaLife Center. The staff hopes that at least one of them will produce an adult octopus.

“Forecasting volcanic eruptions with success is heavily dependent on recognizing well-established patterns of pre-eruption unrest in the monitoring data. But in order to develop better monitoring procedures, it is also crucial to understand volcanic eruptions that deviate from these patterns.” Quoted from the Carnegie Institution for Science press release.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory does not have seismic monitoring on Chuginadak Island where Mount Cleveland Volcano is located; however, they “heard” small eruptions this weekend using infrasound.

The government of Alberta is looking into the possibility of shipping tar sand crude to foreign markets on tankers through the increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean.

The Alaska Dispatch has an article with photos that tell the story of a landslide covering the Black Rapids Glacier during the 2002 Denali Fault Earthquake.

Maars are the second most common volcanic feature on Earth.

The largest maars are found on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Do you know what they are and how they form?

You have probably heard of the Richter Scale for measuring earthquakes, the Saffir-Simpson Scale for hurricanes and the Fujita Scale for tornadoes. The Volcanic Explosivity Index is used to compare the size of explosive volcanic eruptions.

The Erosion and Tectonics Project team is working to document “one paradox of geology – that weathering a mountain down can actually make it rise higher.”

Some oil industry experts believe that the potential exists for an enormous unconventional oil and natural gas field beneath parts of Alaska’s North Slope.

A collection of some of the most interesting photos of volcanic eruptions that we have seen from USGS, NASA and NOAA.

Mount Cleveland is an active stratovolcano in a remote part of the Aleutian Islands. Eruptions there can produce ash plumes that are a threat to air traffic.

“A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder indicates emissions from moderate volcanoes around the world like the Augustine Volcano in Alaska, shown here, can mask some of the effects of global warming.” Quoted from the University of Colorado at Boulder press release.

The United States Geological Survey has published: Geology of the Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula region, Alaska as a geologic map and 38 page report.

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas plans to lease the geothermal rights to Augustine Volcano and 66,000 acres of surrounding land and seafloor. It should be pretty hot since it last erupted in 2006. Results from the lease at Spurr have not been exciting so far.

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

“The development of a lava dome in the summit crater indicates that sudden explosions of blocks and ash are possible with little or no warning. Ash clouds, if produced, could exceed 20,000 feet above sea level.

There is no real-time seismic monitoring network on Mount Cleveland and AVO is unable to track activity in real time.” Quoted from the Alaska Volcano Observatory Alert.

Articles in the news about a proposal to construct a rare earth elements mine at Bokan Mountain has generated a lot of interest in the rare earth element resources of Alaska. This publication by the Alaska Geological Survey provides an overview of resources and occurrences in Alaska.

An interesting article that explores the different tax rates paid by companies who produce coal, minerals, oil and fish in Alaska.

Alaska’s North Slope has an enormous natural gas resource that lacks a method of transport to market. The only practical ways to get it out are to build an LNG plant on the Arctic coast or build a pipeline south to the Pacific coast. The pipeline to the Pacific will cost an estimated $45 billion.

The Energy Information Administration has published a projection of future sources of natural gas. They expect shale gas to account for about 50% of the total US production by 2040.

Projections in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013 show an explosion of tight oil production in the United States over the next few years and a continued decline in Alaska production.

“New geochronologic and thermochronologic data from rocks near Hatcher Pass, southwest Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska, record earliest Paleocene erosional and structural exhumation on the flank of the active Cook Inlet forearc basin.” Quoted from the USGS publication announcement.

An enormous gold and copper deposit in the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed has miners, environmentalists and government agencies at odds over how natural resources should be developed.

As Shell begins to explore for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas a challenge bigger than finding oil might be getting the crude to a refinery.

Related: Arctic Ocean Seafloor Features Map

An article in the Alaska Dispatch reports on the first crew to sail from Greenland to Alaska through the Northwest Passage in a 31-foot sailboat with an unreinforced fiberglass hull.

The Fairbanks News Miner has an interesting article that looks back at the Denali Fault Earthquake of 2002 that occurred about 90 miles south of Fairbanks. Above the fault, the trans-Alaska pipeline moved 18 feet horizontally and 5 feet vertically without rupturing.

Although three major oil companies have partnered to export North Slope LNG to Asia and a Qatari-Exxon partnership plans to export LNG from a terminal in Texas, some experts believe they are attacking a market that will be saturated by the time their gas is ready to ship.

Lots of natural gas on Alaska’s North Slope does not have a route to market. Three major oil companies are planning to build a pipeline south to the Gulf of Alaska where an LNG plant will prepare it for export to Asia.