Global Volcanism Program

Most Recent Bulletin Report: August 1988 (SEAN 13:08) Cite this Report

Seismicity drops but remains in background

"Seismicity near Mt. Dutton has continued at a low level since the last day of high activity on 8 August. Earthquakes have been high-frequency in character (i.e. not low-frequency volcanic events) and the best-located hypocenters lay at shallow depths (1-10 km) beneath the volcano's SE flank. Figure 1 shows three pulses of high activity followed by a few events/day through 4 September. This level of activity is still much higher than the background rate of a few events/year that existed before the swarm started in July."

Figure 1. Number of events/day recorded at station DRRZ (28 km from the summit of Mt. Dutton). The data are not corrected for a reduction in gain on the helicorder on 1 August.

Information Contacts: John Taber, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, NY.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Dutton.

Bulletin Reports - Index

Reports are organized chronologically and indexed below by Month/Year (Publication Volume:Number), and include a one-line summary. Click on the index link or scroll down to read the reports.

07/1988 (SEAN 13:07) Earthquake swarm

08/1988 (SEAN 13:08) Seismicity drops but remains in background

Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)

July 1988 (SEAN 13:07) Cite this Report

Earthquake swarm

On 10 July, a swarm of small shallow earthquakes began SW of Mt. Dutton. Epicenters gradually migrated NW underneath the mountain's SW flank. The events were similar to a smaller swarm that occurred in 1984. On 15 July and 8 August, days of peak activity, earthquakes (M<=3.8) were felt in the King Cove and Cold Bay areas, ~13 km S and 28 km W of Mt. Dutton, respectively. No harmonic tremor or B-type events have been recorded, and geologists have been unable to determine whether the seismicity is related to magma migration or tectonic movement. During reconnaissance field investigations on 25 and 26 July, T. Miller observed no evidence of gas emission, melting snow, or other changes to the edifice, and no historical volcanic activity has been documented. Holocene activity is indicated by unglaciated pyroclastic deposits on the E flank, debris avalanches on the S flank, and a dome on the NE flank. No surface faults have been mapped with trends similar to current seismicity. Lamont-Doherty's pre-existing regional seismic network and two supplemental seismic stations recently installed on the volcano's slopes by the AVO were recording daily earthquake activity as of mid-August.

Information Contacts: M.E. Yount and T. Miller, Branch of Alaskan Geology, USGS Anchorage; Klaus H. Jacob, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, NY; J. Reeder, ADGGS; John Power, Univ of Alaska Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks.

August 1988 (SEAN 13:08) Cite this Report

Seismicity drops but remains in background

"Seismicity near Mt. Dutton has continued at a low level since the last day of high activity on 8 August. Earthquakes have been high-frequency in character (i.e. not low-frequency volcanic events) and the best-located hypocenters lay at shallow depths (1-10 km) beneath the volcano's SE flank. Figure 1 shows three pulses of high activity followed by a few events/day through 4 September. This level of activity is still much higher than the background rate of a few events/year that existed before the swarm started in July."

Figure 1. Number of events/day recorded at station DRRZ (28 km from the summit of Mt. Dutton). The data are not corrected for a reduction in gain on the helicorder on 1 August.

Information Contacts: John Taber, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, NY.

The Global Volcanism Program has no synonyms or subfeatures listed for Dutton.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

312011

Unknown - Evidence Credible

1465 m / 4805 ft

55.183°N
162.276°W

Volcano Types

Stratovolcano
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Dacite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

0
445
859
1,090

Geological Summary

The Mount Dutton volcanic center east of Cold Bay near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula consists of a glacier-covered central lava dome complex. Early andesitic lava flows and late-stage dacitic domes have been partially removed by one or more edifice collapses about 5100-6800 years ago. Debris avalanches traveled west and south, reaching Belkofski Bay. The important regional fishing center of King Cove lies less than 15 km from the volcano, and the village's airstrip is built on top of the southern avalanche deposit. A steep-sided complex of lava domes forms the summit, and young block-and-ash flow deposits extend to the east. Two small unglaciated lava domes on the NE flank 3.5 km from the summit are also of Holocene age. Major earthquake swarms near the volcano were recorded in 1984-85 and 1988.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Miller T P, Chertkoff D G, Eichelberger J C, Coombs M L, 1999. Mount Dutton volcano, Alaska: Aleutian arc analog to Unzen volcano, Japan. J Volc Geotherm Res, 89: 275-301.

Miller T P, McGimsey R G, Richter D H, Riehle J R, Nye C J, Yount M E, Dumoulin J A, 1998. Catalogue of the historically active volcanoes of Alaska. U S Geol Surv Open-File Rpt, 98-582: 1-104.

Motyka R J, Liss S A, Nye C J, Moorman M A, 1993. Geothermal resources of the Aleutian arc. Alaska Div Geol Geophys Surv, Prof Rpt, no 114, 17 p and 4 map sheets.

Smithsonian Institution-SEAN, 1975-89. [Monthly event reports]. Bull Scientific Event Alert Network (SEAN), v 1-14.

Wood C A, Kienle J (eds), 1990. Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ Press, 354 p.

Eruptive History

The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Dutton. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 10,000 years ago, information might be found on the Dutton page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Dutton.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Dutton.

Photo Gallery

Snow-capped Mount Dutton volcano, seen here from the NE with the wall of Emmons Lake caldera in the foreground, is a small stratovolcano near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Successive dacitic lava domes overlying andesitic lava flows form the summit. Collapse of the summit during the Holocene produced debris avalanches that traveled to the west and also reached Belkofski Bay to the south. No historical eruptions are known, although earthquake swarms were recorded in 1984-85 and 1988.

Photo by Betsy Yount, 1986 (Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey).

Mt. Dutton viewed from the airport runway at Cold Bay at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula.

Photo by Christina Neal, 1997 (Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey).

Clouds flank Mount Dutton volcano, seen here from the NE. Dutton is a small 1506-m-high stratovolcano located near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Successive dacitic lava domes overlying andesitic lava flows form the summit. Collapse of the summit during the Holocene produced debris avalanches that traveled to the west and also reached Belkofski Bay to the south. No historical eruptions are known, although earthquake swarms were recorded in 1984-85 and 1988.

Photo by Betsy Yount (Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey).

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Dutton in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

Affiliated Sites

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

Large Eruptions of Dutton

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).