Massive volcano eruption is imminent amid earthquake surge, leaving major US city on high alert, scientists fear

Is it going to blow — or blow over?Seismic activity levels on Alaska’s Mount Spurr soared to March levels earlier this week, sparking fear that an eruption could be on the horizon.“Earthquake activity beneath Mount Spurr remains elevated,” the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) warned in a May 28 report.“Following a steady decline from late March through April, shallow earthquake activity has increased in the past two weeks to March levels of about 100 events per week.”And while the advisory assured that the “likelihood of an eruption continues to gradually decline,” the 11,000-foot volcano remains at an “elevated state of unrest,” meaning that an “explosive eruption” is still possible.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, by any means,” Matt Haney, a researcher with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, told Alaska Public Media.“There’s still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr.”However, an AVO report on May 29 found that while “low-level unrest continues, no changes have been observed in the monitoring data to indicate that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption.”“If an eruption occurred, it would be preceded by additional signals allowing warning,” they said.If an eruption were to occur, it would likely send a spout of ash shooting as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney previously told the Daily Mail, adding that the resulting cloud could cover the neighboring city of Anchorage.Spurr has been on officials’ radar since April 2024, when they observed a spike in seismic activity.By October, the rate of tremors had soared from 30 per week to 125 per week.

The recent return to those levels has raised alarm bells.Meanwhile, a gas measurement probe from May 23 found that emissions were slightly lower, but within the “uncertainty bounds” of those measured during the last gas analysis on April 24.They wrote that “CO2 values” from the volcano’s vents remain at “above background” levels which could indicate the pr...