Cloud of ash from 1912 volcanic eruption threatens Alaska island

High-speed winds whipped up dormant volcanic ash and swept it toward Kodiak Island on Wednesday, leading to obscured visibility and reduced air quality in the southern Alaskan region.

The ash is from the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta, a volcano formed that year near Katmai National Park in southern Alaska. The volcano erupted on June 6 and continued to do so for three days, spewing ash as far as Kodiak Island, 100 miles away, and creating the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, where most of the ash sits.

The eruption was one of the most powerful in the 20th century and in recorded history. But the volcano is not at risk of exploding again, a researcher at the Alaska Observatory told The Associated Press.

Around this time of year, high winds sometimes whip up the ash and blow it across southern Alaska. The National Weather Service out of Anchorage tweeted that locals should “take appropriate precautions.”

Strong winds are resuspending ash from Katmai-Novarupta over parts of Kodiak Island and Shelikof Strait. Please take appropriate precautions if you have respiratory aliments or are sensitive to this. #akwx #volcanicash pic.twitter.com/erSRMCsv4k

— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) November 17, 2021