An ancient dormant volcano has awakened after nearly 800 years. The volcano, known as Mount Edgecumbe, is found just 15 miles west of Sitka, Alaska. Scientists believe that the supervolcano has been dormant for about 800 to 900 years. Now, though, he appears to be waking up, which could spell disaster for neighboring towns.
In April 2022, Mount Edgecumbe experienced a small swarm of earthquakes, according to the Alaska Reporting Channel. KTVF. Scientists were drawn to the activity and began looking at it, discovering that deformations at the volcano’s surface level shifted by about 10.6 inches. They say the changes can be attributed to rising magma, which is evidence that this dormant volcano is awakening.
The data, which they found using a new analysis system, showed that magma has been rising since at least 2018, at a steady rate of 3.4 inches per year. It is very rare for an inactive or dormant volcano like Mount Edgecumbe to erupt again. So seeing the activity come back to the dormant volcano is interesting. The volcano is also on a “transformation fault,” adding to the issue further.
This is particularly interesting because volcanoes on these types of fault lines do not see eruptions, and are very unlikely to be active. So, the possibility that this now dormant volcano will awaken is more than a mystery. Of course, there are currently no signs that the volcano will erupt anytime soon.
Volcanoes are terrifying spots in nature. They just can’t. Unleash massive earthquakesbut they can also Creation of islands in the Pacific Ocean. When you think about how these natural events have become a driving point for disaster movies as well, it’s interesting to think about how much we can learn from a dormant volcano that may wake up.
Furthermore, researchers such as Dr. Ronnie Grabenthen, associate professor of geodesy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said, KTVF That in the event of any eruption, there will be plenty of signs. As noted above, the last eruption of this dormant volcano appears to have occurred about 800 to 900 years ago, based on the date it was founded by the Alaskan Natives. Perhaps this eruption was very localized.
What is troubling, however, is that Grabenthen thinks this volcano could erupt in different ways. Fortunately, if the dormant volcano continues to wake up, there must be plenty of smoke to let the people of Sitka know what’s going on.
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