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United States · Stratovolcano

Mount Akutan

Akutan

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1303m
Last eruption
1992
Mount Akutan
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
United States
Region
North America / 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

47 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
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 – end unknown
    West flank ?
  15. 1973VEI 2Observed
    1973-03-16 – 1973-05-16
  16. 1972VEI 2Method not stated
    1972-09-16 – end unknown
  17. 1962VEI 2Observed
    1962-11-05 – end unknown
  18. 1953VEI 2Observed
    1953-07-02 – end unknown
  19. 1951VEI 2Observed
    1951-10-16 – end unknown
  20. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-04-29 – 1948-08-07
  21. 1946VEI 2Observed
    1946-12-16 – 1947-01-16
  22. 1931VEI 2Observed
    1931-05-16 – 1931-08-16
  23. 1929VEI 2Observed
    1929-05-16 – end unknown
  24. 1927VEI 2Observed
    1927-07-02 – 1928-07-02
  25. 1912VEI ?Method not stated
    1912-07-02 – end unknown
  26. 1911VEI 2Observed
    1911-07-02 – end unknown
  27. 1908VEI 0Observed
    1908-02-22 – end unknown
  28. 1907VEI ?Observed
    1907-07-02 – end unknown
  29. 1896VEI ?Observed
    1896-07-02 – end unknown
  30. 1895VEI 2Observed
    1895-08-01 – 1895-08-14
  31. 1892VEI 1Observed
    1892-09-23 – end unknown
  32. 1887VEI 0Observed
    1887-07-02 – end unknown
  33. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-07-02 – end unknown
  34. 1867VEI ?Observed
    1867-07-02 – end unknown
  35. 1865VEI ?Observed
    1865-07-02 – end unknown
  36. 1862VEI ?Method not stated
    1862-07-02 – end unknown
  37. 1852VEI ?Observed
    1852-07-02 – end unknown
    NW flank (Lava Point)
  38. 1848VEI 2Observed
    1848-03-05 – end unknown
  39. 1845VEI ?Method not stated
    1845-07-02 – end unknown
  40. 1838VEI ?Method not stated
    1838-07-02 – end unknown
  41. 1828VEI ?Method not stated
    1828-07-02 – end unknown
  42. 1790VEI ?Method not stated
    1790 – end unknown
  43. 1420 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1420 – end unknown
  44. 550VEI ?Geological estimate
    550 – end unknown
  45. 340VEI 5Geological estimate
    340 – end unknown
  46. 4150 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    4150 BCE – end unknown
  47. 7620 BCE (±300 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    7620 BCE – end unknown

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External links

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