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Report on Ukinrek Maars (United States) — May 1998


Ukinrek Maars

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 23, no. 5 (May 1998)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Ukinrek Maars (United States) Earthquake swarm decreases in rate and intensity

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1998. Report on Ukinrek Maars (United States) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 23:5. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199805-312131



Ukinrek Maars

United States

57.8344°N, 156.5203°W; summit elev. 91 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During the last week of May, the anomalous seismic activity under SW Lake Becharof (BGVN 23:04) continued but at a decreased rate and intensity; magnitudes of 12 located earthquakes ranged from M 1.7 to 3.3. During 1-5 June, 20 earthquakes were located ranging from M 1.8 to 4.3. Activity decreased significantly during 6-12 June; only four earthquakes were located, all M > 3.0. Several overflights of the location by AVO scientists revealed no signs of volcanic activity or surface breakage. The area of seismicity was not monitored by real-time seismic instrumentation; however, a portable seismic instrument has recently been installed. AVO is in communication with local citizens and land managers who frequently overfly the area. There was no evidence of imminent hazard at the site.

Geological Summary. Ukinrek Maars are two explosion craters that were created in an area without previous volcanic activity during a 10-day phreatomagmatic eruption March-April 1977. The basaltic maars were erupted through glacial deposits in the Bering Sea lowlands 1.5 km S of Becharof Lake and 12 km W of Peulik volcano; their location is related to the regional Bruin Bay fault. The elliptical West Maar, which was the first to form, is 105 x 170 m and 35 m deep. The other maar, 600 m to the east, is 300 m wide and 70 m deep. Both maars are now filled by crater lakes; the eastern lake encircles a 49-m-high lava dome that was emplaced at the end of the eruption. Base surges were directed primarily to the NW. Juvenile material from the Ukinrek eruptions was of mantle-derived olivine basaltic composition. The dacitic Gas Rocks lava domes, of Quaternary age, are located on the shores of Becharof Lake, 3 km N of Ukinrek maars and were the site of a phreatic eruption about 2,300 years ago.

Information Contacts: Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), a cooperative program of a) U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508-4667, USA (URL: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/), b) Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, PO Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320, USA, and c) Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 794 University Ave., Suite 200, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA.