Alaska volcano sends ash cloud to 35000 feet

The Aleutian Island Cleveland Volcano in the US State of Alaska erupted on Wednesday, shooting a thin cloud of ash several miles into the sky, which could pose a slight hazard to aircraft. Cleveland Volcano, a 5,676-foot (1,730 meter) peak on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, had an explosive eruption, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported. A pilot flying in the area estimated that the ash cloud rose to 35,000 feet above sea level, reported the observatory, which is a joint federal-state organization that monitors Alaska's numerous active volcanoes. However, satellite imagery shows only a weak ash signal, suggesting a thin cloud that dissipated quickly, said Stephanie Prejean, a US Geological Survey seismologist at the observatory in Anchorage "It was just one explosion, which was very typical of the thing Cleveland has been doing in the last year," Prejean said. It is possible that the cloud rose to less than 35,000 feet, as the height was just one pilot's estimate, she said. Pilots have been advised of potential risks from Cleveland, which might explode again, Prejean said. "It could do that any time," she said. Cleveland Volcano last erupted in December 2011 and has been simmering steadily since a February 2001 eruption reportedly sent an ash cloud to 39,000 feet. Cleveland Volcano lacks any seismic reporting equipment, so scientists often rely on ship captains or airplane pilots for reports of eruptions. A webcam, infrasound recorders and volcano lightning networks are also used to detect an event. The nearest community is Nikolski, about 45 miles east of the volcano. Meanwhile, two moderate earthquakes rattled the western Aleutians on Tuesday. The first, registered at magnitude 6.0, hit Tuesday morning about 90 miles northwest of Attu, the westernmost island in Alaska's Aleutian chain, according to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. The second, at about noon, measured at magnitude 5.7 and was centered about 65 miles northwest of Attu, the center said. There were no reports of damage in the largely uninhabited region, and no tsunami warning was issued, said David Hale, a senior watch stander at the center.