News & Current Events

Swarm Of Earthquakes Rattles Ground Near Major Volcano As Scientists Fear Imminent Eruption

Published on May 16, 2025

Scientists warn that Mount Spurr in Alaska is preparing for an eruption after several earthquakes have struck the area.

Within 30 miles of the volcano, the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded at least a dozen tremors.

Magma rising towards the surface creates pressure and fissures in the underlying rock, which is what causes the seismic activity.

About 30 miles from Mount Spurr, one of the biggest earthquakes, measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale, was detected on Wednesday night. On Thursday, there were other minor tremors nearer the peak.

In an update on Mount Spurr’s condition, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) stated: “Unrest continues at Mount Spurr volcano.”

“Small volcanic earthquakes were detected beneath the volcano over the past day.”

This month, a new photograph of the 11,000-foot-tall volcano revealed a massive steam plume, most likely the result of magma heating subterranean water.

This volcano may explode in a few weeks or months, according to scientists who have been keeping a careful eye out for any indications of it.

When Mount Spurr erupts, it may produce strong explosions that throw several ash plumes up to 50,000 feet into the atmosphere, the AVO has warned.

The duration of each ash-producing event is predicted to be three to four hours, and the clouds that form might cover Anchorage and the surrounding areas with a heavy layer of volcanic dust.

Destructive mudflows and swift avalanches of volcanic debris hurtling down the slopes at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour might possibly be caused by the eruption.

“Thankfully, no communities are located within that immediate danger zone,” AVO scientist-in-charge Matt Haney told DailyMail.com.

The approximately 300,000-person city of Anchorage, which is roughly 78 miles from Mount Spur, has been storing food, water, and safety equipment in anticipation of an eruption.

The AVO warned in March that Mount Spurr might erupt in a matter of weeks.

But since then, things have slowed down. Although the ice around the crater’s shoreline would normally melt if magma were approaching the surface, ground deformation has diminished and the ice is still intact.

“Although low-level unrest continues, no changes have been observed in the monitoring data to indicate that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption,” the AVO stated on Wednesday.

The Wednesday update pointed out that although the chance of an eruption has declined since March, seismic activity is still high.

When magma pushes upward, the surrounding rock is stressed, which causes it to fracture and causes earthquakes. One important sign of possible volcanic activity is this mobility.

Another indication that magma may still be moving beneath the surface is the dozen shallow earthquakes that have been detected close to Mount Spurr in the last 24 hours alone.

At Mount Spurr, Haney and his AVO colleagues have been monitoring gas and steam emissions, ground deformation, and shallow earthquakes.

A volcanic tremor will be the next indication of an eruption if Mount Spurr’s activity keeps increasing, according to Haney.

The short, shallow earthquakes that have already been occurring on this volcano would not be like this.

A lengthier period of continuous shaking that lasts anywhere from minutes to days is called a volcanic tremor.

According to scientists, the eruption will resemble those that occurred in 1992 and 1953.

These events saw, “one or more explosive events, each lasting as long as a few hours, would produce ash clouds carried downwind for hundreds of miles and minor (up to about ¼ inch) ashfall over southcentral Alaska,” according to the AVO.

The August eruption caused around $2 million in damages, office closures, and cleanup expenses, according to the Municipality of Anchorage.

In addition to covering Anchorage, the ash clouds would cause aircraft chaos.

The closure would affect international hubs like Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and maybe Fairbanks International Airport (FAI).

Stopping all incoming and outgoing aircraft at these airports can cause extensive delays and cancellations, thereby upsetting the international supply chain, and have an impact on the entire nation.

Not just passenger flights would be affected, since hundreds of aircraft travel over Anchorage and Fairbanks every day. With more than 8,000 cargo flights per month, ANC is the fourth-busiest cargo airport globally.

When the ash cloud lingered above Anchorage during the 1992 eruption, ANC was shut down for 20 hours.