As of the week of March 19, 2023, this are the top volcano related news stories. On the border region
of Colombia and Ecuador, an energetic earthquake swarm continued at a volcano which has likely
not erupted in at least 10,000 and perhaps as much as 50,000 years. In the United States,
the alert levels of 3 volcanoes were lowered due to a decrease in activity. And, in Alaska,
ground deformation was possibly detected at the Aniakchak volcano.
The Aniakchak volcano is located in a fairly remote section of southwestern Alaska on the
Alaskan Peninsula where it is 20 miles east of the town of Port Heiden. Whereas there used to be a
7,000 foot high glacier covered stratovolcano there is now only a massive 6 mile wide wide
and slightly more than 2,000 foot deep hole in the ground referred to as a caldera.
Ever since its two caldera forming eruptions occurred, eruptions within it have been infrequent
but when they do occur have been for the most part highly explosive. For example, Aniakchak's
last two verified eruptions in 1931 and 1531 were one third and two thirds the size of the
1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens respectively. Aniakchak's alert level had not been raised since
it last erupted in 1931; that was until February 22nd of 2023. The primary reason for this sudden
change in alert level via an increase from green to yellow was numerous earthquakes which were
suspected to be volcanic in origin and have gotten progressively shallower over the last year. It is
now nearly a month later since this change that was presumed to have a magmatic component to it
and we may have finally received proof that it is. Satellite data taken around March 11th seems
to show a possible uplift in the center of its caldera just northeast of Vent Mountain which
has uplifted a patch of ground by about half an inch. However, the number of earthquakes which
have occurred during this period have not been all that substantial and as a result I believe
whatever magmatic intrusion is ongoing is quite insignificant, at least for now, and has not
interacted with Aniakchak's hydrothermal system. On the border of Ecuador and Colombia is a fairly
large volcanic field with two stratovolcanoes known as Chiles-Cerro Negro. It has not produced
a confirmed eruption in historic time, yet has been the site of some of Ecuador's most numerous
earthquakes with tens of thousands of earthquakes occurring in several earthquake swarms. Another
such earthquake swarm began at this complex which is still at an alert level of yellow
on March 9th 2023, and quickly escalated to include more than 200 primarily volcano
tectonic earthquakes an hour. For context, volcano tectonic earthquakes are some of the
most common quakes to occur at volcanoes. Per a direct quote from the U.S. Geological Survey,
"Volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes represent brittle failure of rock, the same process that
occurs along purely "tectonic" faults such as the San Andreas Fault. At volcanoes, VT events can
occur due to "normal" tectonic forces, changing stresses caused by moving magma, and movement
of fluids through pre-existing cracks." In my opinion, these earthquakes are either indirectly
or directly cuased by magma but in my opinion I would not worry about an eruption occurring
anytime soon. This volcano has not erupted in a substantial amount of time, earthquake swarms of
a similar rate and average magnitude which it began on March 9 2023 are surprisingly common,
and this volcano has been undergoing on and off uplift cycle since at least the mid 2000s.
And, within the United States, the alert levels of 3 volcanoes were lowered on the same day,
March 16th 2023. The alert level of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii was finally decreased from
yellow to green after its last eruption ended in December of 2022 and no abnormal levels of
activity are currently detected at the volcano. Meanwhile, the alert levels were lowered at both
the Tanaga & Takawangha volcanoes from orange to yellow in Alaska as their once energetic
earthquake swarm has almost completely halted and an eruption in the next week now seems
incredibly unlikely. Thus only two volcanoes are currently erupting in the United States;
the Ahyi Seamount volcano in the Northern Mariana Islands and Great Sitkin in Alaska.
Here is a quick list of all of the world's volcanoes which are currently erupting.
Additionally, here are some volcanoes showing signs of unrest which are not erupting as of
the recording of this video on March 18th of 2023. Thanks for watching! If you would like to request
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