A small volcanic plume rose above remote Mount Cleveland on June 1, 2010. The snow-covered upper slopes of the Aleutian volcano were also marked by dark debris flow deposits (descending to the east) and ash fall to the south of the summit. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported an ash emission above Mount Cleveland no higher than 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) on May 30th. Mount Cleveland is frequently restless, and the current activity is not unusual.
This false-color image was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite. Snow is white, clouds are pink, vegetation is red, and water is almost black. Ash from Cleveland could threaten flights between Asia and North America. Satellites are the best way to monitor the volcano, which is about 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) from Anchorage, and about 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from Honolulu.
References & Resources
- Alaska Volcano Observatory. (2010, June 2). Cleveland Activity. Accessed June 3, 2010.
- Global Volcanism Program. (2010, June 2). SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 26 May-1 June 2010. Accessed June 3, 2010.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen & Robert Simmon, using data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Robert Simmon.
