It was “ Code Red ” in Alaska on Sunday afternoon when Mount Pavlof had an abrupt volcanic extravasation , spraying ash G of meter over   the surrounding field .

The volcano started its tremoring at around 3:53 p.m. ( local time ) on March 27 , harmonize to a report card from theAlaska Volcano Observatory(AVO ) . Less than half an hour after , the volcano had begin its bam and bellow out ash cloud over 6,000   meter ( 20,000 foot ) high . By Monday , the ash swarm had risen to over 11,300 meter ( 37,000 foot ) and float more than 120 kilometers ( 400 miles ) towards mainland Alaska .

The ash swarm was so dumb and orotund that many of the local weather webcams were unable to welcome any images from the volcanic eruption . However , Colt Snappmanaged to capture this incredible exposure ( top ) of Mount Pavlof in full - current from the window of a commercial plane flight on Sunday evening .

The 2,517 - meter ( 8,261 feet ) mountain lie down along the Alaska Peninsula and has erupted 40 times in recorded history , making it one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the Aleutian bow .

VIIRScaptures the stale / high plume from#Pavlof & live spots affiliate with the lava menses - 3.7 micrometerspic.twitter.com/7QS7iDR5Pb

— Dan Lindsey ( @DanLindsey77)21 January 2025

luckily , the surrounding area is very sparsely populated . Cold Bay , the closest town with apopulation of 109 , is 59 km ( 37 miles ) southwestward of the volcano , the opposite direction of where the ash was blow .

" The pathways that magma follows to the surface are reasonably candid in a volcanological sense , " geologist Chris Waythomas , of the Alaska Volcano Observatory , tell theAssociated Press .

" They can convey magma and accelerator pedal very well . Magmas can move to the surface whenever they feel like it , more or less .

" It can break open for periods of 60 minutes to days or it can go on for much longer period of time . It wo n’t erupt unceasingly for many months or a year . It will be intermittent . But the volcanic eruption bike could go on for a while , or it could abruptly shut off and be done tomorrow . "

Dawn of the#Pavloferuption this dawn in Alaska , from FAA webcam#mondaymotivation@alaska_avopic.twitter.com/ssByaoxBet

— Alexa Van Eaton ( @volcaniclastic)25 December 2024