Steam and ash plume

A steam cloud emerging from an upper flank vent . . . was seen from neighboring Amchitka Island on 1 June at about 1000. Ash began mixing with the steam after ~30 minutes, and steam and ash emission remained visible until weather conditions obscured the volcano 3 hours later. At about 1500, a Reeve Aleutian Airways pilot reported a steam plume rising to ~3.5 km altitude, associated with a dispersed gray haze at about the same altitude. Authorities issued a NOTAM. When a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) vessel traveled past the N and W sides of Kiska Island on 3 June, no ash was visible on flank snow cover, although some light snow might have fallen since the eruption. Steaming from the W vent appeared typical. A plume from Kiska was clearly evident on radar aboard the Soviet vessel RV Vulkanolog, as it passed ~200 km N of Kiska on 4 June at 0800. However, no ashfall was noted at the ship.

Information Contacts: AVO; Nikolai Seliverstov (chief of expedition, RVVulkanolog), IV; Eugene Yogodzinski (RVVulkanolog), Cornell Univ; Anchorage Times, AK.

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

September 1969 (CSLP 116-69)

Eruption generates ash and steam plumes; small lava flow

Card 0751 (12 September 1969) Ash and steam plumes and lava seen; source uncertain

"Last night the people on Amchitka visually sighted a volcano erupting about 50 miles NW of the island. It was on one of the smaller islands which they could not identify. They observed volcanic ash to approximately 1,200 feet and steam to about 12,000 feet. They visually sighted flames and lava last night at approximately 1000 GMT on 12 September. The eruption was observed at periods of about two minutes during the most active period of the volcanic activity." Positive identification of the erupting volcano has not yet been made.

Card 0752 (17 September 1969) Overflights identify Kiska as source of activity

The following was received via cable from D.B. Stone on 15 September. "Kiska volcano seen to be active. Much steam, strong sulfur smell, air temperature as recorded by aircraft 10°C higher over N tip of island than over adjacent sea. Unable to see other islands due to poor weather. Kiska likely source of events seen from Amchitka."

The following report is from a telephone conversation with L. Kerry on 16 September, 7:00 p.m. EDT. "The first report we had was the 12th of September from the people working on Amchitka Island, who called in and reported that there was steam and that it seemed to be throwing something up into the air. This wasn't happening on the afternoon of the 13th when our military plane flew over. These first reports were just visual reports from Amchitka and because of overcast skies, they could only see it occasionally in snatches. There were no explosions heard, or none were reported to us, and they didn't say if there was any eruption cloud. The plane definitely pinpointed the volcano on 'Little Kiska' island. They measured a definite rise in temperature from as close as they could get in the plane of 15°C; there was steam and there seemed to be evidence of a small lava flow. The latest report we have from witnesses on Amchitka seems to indicate that it is beginning to stop; and a pilot reported the volcano is down to just steam a day ago."

Information Contacts:
Card 0751 (12 September 1969) John B. Townshend, College Observatory, Coast and Geodetic Survey, College AK, USA.
Card 0752 (17 September 1969) D.B. Stone, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, College, AK; Leonard Kerry, Adak Observatory, FPO Seattle, WA.

April 1987 (SEAN 12:04) Cite this Report

Plume on satellite image

From a 15 April NOAA 9 satellite image (at 1704), Steven Shivers (USGS) noted a narrow plume drifting ~60 km E from the volcano. No reports of an eruption have been received from airplane pilots or ground observers.

Information Contacts: J. Reeder, ADGGS; T. Miller, USGS, Anchorage; W. Gould, NOAA/NESDIS.

May 1990 (BGVN 15:05) Cite this Report

Steam and ash plume

A steam cloud emerging from an upper flank vent . . . was seen from neighboring Amchitka Island on 1 June at about 1000. Ash began mixing with the steam after ~30 minutes, and steam and ash emission remained visible until weather conditions obscured the volcano 3 hours later. At about 1500, a Reeve Aleutian Airways pilot reported a steam plume rising to ~3.5 km altitude, associated with a dispersed gray haze at about the same altitude. Authorities issued a NOTAM. When a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) vessel traveled past the N and W sides of Kiska Island on 3 June, no ash was visible on flank snow cover, although some light snow might have fallen since the eruption. Steaming from the W vent appeared typical. A plume from Kiska was clearly evident on radar aboard the Soviet vessel RV Vulkanolog, as it passed ~200 km N of Kiska on 4 June at 0800. However, no ashfall was noted at the ship.

Information Contacts: AVO; Nikolai Seliverstov (chief of expedition, RVVulkanolog), IV; Eugene Yogodzinski (RVVulkanolog), Cornell Univ; Anchorage Times, AK.