The most significant – and common – hazards from Alaska volcanoes are those created by ash clouds and ashfall. Alaska’s volcanoes are distributed under Pacific great circle aircraft routes (traversed by more than 50,000 people per day), and can erupt ash clouds into commercial and recreational airspace. Ash and aircraft do not mix, as volcanic ash is abrasive, melts at jet engine temperatures, and can cause engine failure. Alaska communities downwind of an erupting volcano often encounter ash fallout, which is both a problem for infrastructure (mechanical systems, power generation and transmission, water systems, transportation, communication systems) and a respiratory hazard.
Other hazards from Alaska volcanoes have occurred, but are less likely. Please scroll down this page or use the left-hand navigation bar to learn more details about hazards from Alaska volcanoes.
The principal hazard associated with future explosive eruptions of Alaska volcanoes is the generation of volcanic ash clouds which are explosively blasted high into the atmosphere and then drift away from the volcano with the wind. Ash-rich clouds produced during large eruptions can reach heights of 30,000 to 65,000 ft (10 to 20 km) or more above the volcano, although most Alaska eruptions are smaller (a few thousand ft to 20,000 ft). Prevailing North Pacific winds usually carry ash clouds eastward from the volcano, but dispersal in other directions is possible, depending on wind patterns at the time of the eruption.
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