Amak Volcano
Amak Volcano | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,601 ft (488 m) |
Prominence | 488 m (1,601 ft) |
Coordinates | 55°25′02″N 163°08′49″W / 55.41728°N 163.14687°W |
Geography | |
North Pacific, part of Alaska | |
Parent range | Aleutian Islands |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Volcanic arc | Aleutian Arc |
Last eruption | 1796 |
Amak Volcano is a
Blocky (dotted with flat blocks of minerals and crystals) lava flows[2] stream from its summit to its flanks. Three historical eruptions have taken place – two within the 18th century, the first from 1700 to 1710, and the latter in 1796. The earliest prehistoric eruption was believed to have taken place between 3050 and 2050 BCE.
Accessibility
Cold Bay, the city nearest Amak, is easily accessible by plane. Amak is accessible only by boat; airplanes are not permitted to land on the island. Private boat rides to Amak are available in Cold Bay, but for access to the Aleutian Islands, a permit is required from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.[3]
Geography and geology
Amak Island lies in the Bering Sea, north of the main archipelago of the Aleutians. It is one of two islands (along with Bogoslof Island) that are 31 miles (50 km) north[4] of the main range.[3]
The United States has the most active volcanoes in the world, many of them geologically young.[5] In Alaska, at least 50 volcanoes, including those in the Aleutian archipelago, have erupted in historical time.[6] The state accounts for ~80% of the United States' volcanoes, excluding the
The volcano is
Glaciation took place around the volcano roughly 6700 years BP, carving out U-shaped valleys. At the southwest flank of the island, a crater, likely a maar, can be found amid an alluvial plain.[3]
Eruptive history
The Amak Volcano has erupted three times in historical times: circa 2550 B.C., from 1700 to 1710, and in 1796; the first of these events was identified with
See also
References
- ^ a b "Amak description and statistics". Alaska Volcano Observatory. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Amak". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Wood and Kienle, p. 51.
- ^ S2CID 129300866.
- ^ Ewert, John; Guffanti, Marianne; Cervelli, Peter; Quick, James (2006). "The National Volcano Early Warning System (NVEWS): U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS 2006-3142". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
- ^ doi:10.14509/16061. Archivedfrom the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
Bibliography
- Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jürgen, eds. (1990). Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada. New York: ISBN 0-521-43811-X.
External links
- Media related to Amak Volcano at Wikimedia Commons