Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Moffett.

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

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Moffett.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

311111

1600 BCE

1,196 m / 3,924 ft

51.944°N
176.747°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Shield
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Intermediate crust (15-25 km)

Population

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

0
0
0
0

Geological Summary

Rising above Adak, the largest town of the Aleutians, Mount Moffett is a modest-sized, eroded stratovolcano with several flank lava domes. The summit cone has been largely destroyed by glacial erosion, and has been filled by an andesitic plug dome. Five other lava domes are scattered over the flanks of the volcano. The south flank lava dome is one of the youngest features of the northern Adak Island volcanoes. The Heart Lake lava flow west of Sweeper Cove on the SE side of the volcano is another young volcanic feature. Several Holocene ash layers on Adak Island have been attributed to Moffett volcano. Its proximity to Adak Naval Air Station makes this one of the most accessible of the Aleutian volcanoes. Kiguga Warm Springs are located at Cape Kiguga, west of Mount Moffet, and the northern part of Adak Island has been investigated for geothermal power production.

This volcano is located within the Aleutian Islands, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve property.

References

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

Coats R R, 1956. Geology of northern Adak Island, Alaska. U S Geol Surv Bull, 1028-C: 47-66.

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Marsh B D, 1990. (pers. comm.).

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.

Myers J D, 1994. The Geology, Geochemistry and Petrology of the recent Magmatic Phase of the Central and Western Aleutian Arc. Unpublished manuscript, unpaginated.

Myers J D, Frost C D, 1994. A petrologic re-investigation of the Adak volcanic center, central Aleutian arc, Alaska. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 60: 109-146.

Myers J D, March B D, Sinha A K, 1985. Strontium isotopic and selected trace element variations between two Aleutian volcanic centers (Adak and Atka): implications for the development of arc volcanic plumbing systems. Contr Mineral Petr, 91: 221-234.

Nye C J, McGimsey G, Power J, 1998. Volcanoes of Alaska. Alaska Div Geol Geophys Surv, Inf Circ, 38.

Waythomas C F, Miller T P, Nye C J, 2003. Geology and late Quaternary eruptive history of Kanaga volcano, a calc-alkaline stratovolcano in the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 2001 U S Geol Surv Profl Pap, 1678: 181-197.

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

Eruptive History

There is data available for 3 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1600 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Sandwich Ash deposit

1600 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Sandwich Ash deposit

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Ash

3750 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Intermediate Ash deposit

3750 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Intermediate Ash deposit

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Ash

7850 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

Main Ash deposit

7850 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Main Ash deposit

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	- - - -	- - - -	Ash

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Thermal

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Kiguga Warm Springs

Hot Spring

51° 55' 0.00" N

176° 50' 0.00" W

Photo Gallery

Mount Moffett has several flank lava domes and is seen here across Andrew Bay to the SW from Mount Adagdak. Andrew Bay volcano is the oldest of three volcanic centers on northern Adak Island. Mount Moffett rises above Adak (out of view to the left), the largest town of the Aleutians.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

External Sites

Alaska Volcano Observatory (Link to Moffett)

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is a joint program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). AVO was formed in 1988, and uses federal, state, and university resources to monitor and study Alaska's hazardous volcanoes, to predict and record eruptive activity, and to mitigate volcanic hazards to life and property.

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

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.

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.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Moffett. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Moffett. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Moffett

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).

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).