A combination of pilot report, web cam images and infrasound data suggested that the Aleutian Island Cleveland Volcano erupted in a short but spectacular fashion on Tuesday.
The stratovolcano about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage erupted around 2:05 p.m., and a pilot reported the ash cloud to have reached around 35,000 feet, according to a report issued by the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
Infrasound data, or lower-frequency sound often associated with natural disasters, confirmed that the Cleveland eruption was a short event, but scientists warned that additional eruptions of block and ash are possible.
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.
Email Tim Akimoff
