Global Volcanism Program | Snowy Mountain

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Snowy Mountain.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Snowy Mountain.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Snowy Mountain.

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.

Synonyms

Princess Peak

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

312200

1710 CE

2,162 m / 7,093 ft

58.336°N
154.682°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano(es)
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
0
0
248

Geological Summary

Snowy Mountain, located 15 km NE of Mount Katmai, is the SW-most of a chain of closely spaced volcanoes extending NE along the crest of the Alaska Range. More than 90% of the volcano is covered by glacial ice, which prompted the naming of the volcano by members of the 1917 Katmai Expedition. Two small andesitic-dacitic stratovolcanoes, SW Snowy and NE Snowy, originated about 200,000 years ago. Collapse of NE Snowy during the Holocene produced a large debris avalanche that traveled to the north and left a large breached crater inside which a blocky lava dome was constructed. Peat beneath an ash layer thought to be associated with the the lava dome was radiocarbon dated at about 250 ± 70 years ago. No eruptive activity has been observed and documented. Wood and Kienle (1990) noted that an active fumarole field at the summit had melted holes through the ice, and there was a zone of shallow seismicity beneath that mountain that is probably due to the hydrothermal system.

References

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

Fierstein J, 2007. Explosive eruptive record in the Katmai region, Alaska Peninsula: an overview. Bull Volcanol, 69: 469-509.

Hildreth W E, Fierstein J, Lanphere M A, Siems D F, 2001. Snowy Mountain: a pair of small andesite-dacite stratovolcanoes in Katmai National Park. In: Gough L P, Wilson F H (eds) Geologic Studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1999, U S Geol Surv Prof Pap, 1633: 13-34.

Hildreth W, Lanphere M A, Fierstein J, 2003. Geochronology and eruptive history of the Katmai volcanic cluster, Alaska Peninsula. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 214: 93-114.

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.

Smith R L, Shaw H R, 1975. Igneous-related geothermal systems. U S Geol Surv Circ, 726: 58-83.

Smith R L, Shaw H R, Luedke R G, Russell S L, 1978. Comprehensive tables giving physical data and thermal energy estimates for young igneous systems of the United States. U S Geol Surv Open-File Rpt, 78-925: 1-25.

Ward P L, Matumoto T, 1967. A summary of volcanic and seismic activity in Katmai National Monument, Alaska. Bull Volcanol, 31: 107-130.

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 1 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1710 ± 200 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

NE Snowy Mountain

1710 ± 200 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at NE Snowy Mountain

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava dome
- - - -	- - - -	Ash

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Snowy Mountain.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Snowy Mountain.

Photo Gallery

Snowy Mountain volcano lies 15 km NE of Mount Katmai. An ice-topped Holocene lava dome on the central skyline partly fills an ice-mantled scar that formed as a result of edifice collapse of the NE flank. The summit (Peak 7090) lies just behind the dome to its right. The Serpent Tongue glacier flows from the amphitheater.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, 1999 (published in Hildreth et al., 2001).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

External Sites

Alaska Volcano Observatory (Link to Snowy Mountain)

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 Snowy Mountain. 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 Snowy Mountain. 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 Snowy Mountain

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).