Alaska Volcano Erupts, Ash Cloud Threatens Airplanes

ANCHORAGE, AK — A volcano eruption in Alaska's Aleutians Islands emitted a smoke cloud high enough in the air to affect jet airliners, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported.

Bogoslof Volcano erupted at 10 a.m. Monday. A pilot reported seeing the accompanying ash cloud at 32,000 feet. Ash clouds higher than 20,000 feet can impact planes traveling between Asia and North America.

Pilots warned of ash clouds fly over or around them to avoid engine damage.

Seismic and infrasound data suggested that the ash emission continued after the initial eruption, the observatory said. Winds were pushing the cloud south. No hazards for communities were expected. (For more information on this and other Across Alaska stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Bogoslof has erupted periodically since mid-December. The volcano is 850 miles southwest of Anchorage.

AVO Bogoslof RED/WARNING - Significant explosive eruption and increase to Aviation Color Code and Alert Level. https://t.co/NaarBApIs5
— Alaska AVO (@alaska_avo) August 7, 2017

Alaska’s tiny Bogoslof volcano erupts again, sending an ash cloud miles above the Aleutianshttps://t.co/W5rOJIib1t pic.twitter.com/LNdG5htboE
— Alaska Dispatch News (@adndotcom) August 7, 2017

Photo credit: (from Feb. 19, 2017) Janet Schaefer/Alaska Volcano Observatory, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys via AP; T. Keith/Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey via AP