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Akutan, Aleutian Islands, Alaska Akutan is stratovolcano on Akutan Island in the eastern Aleutian Islands of Alaska. A noticeable increase in the number and frequency of felt earthquakes was reported on Sunday evening, March 10, 1996. The largest earthquake was about magnitude 5.1. Earthquake activity declined the following evening. Earthquake activity increased
again on March 13. The intense swarm produced felt earthquakes every
minute and lasted 18 hours.
On Wednesday March 20,
the Alaska Volcano Observatory downgraded the Level of Concern Color
Code for Akutan to YELLOW. This decision was based on decreasing earthquake
activity over the past 6 days. The intense periods of earthquake activity
may have been caused by the intrusion of magma beneath the volcano.
The YELLOW Level of Concern Color Code indicates that the threat of
imminent eruption has declined, and the possibility that the volcano
will return to quiet over a period of weeks without eruption has increased.
On Friday, March 22, geologists
of the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported that earthquake activity
remains well above background level. The volcano is still considered
to be in a restless state. No eruption has occurred.
Akutan has a summit crater
that contains a cinder cone and lake. It is one on the most active volcanoes
in Alaska, erupting at least 27 times since 1790. The most recent eruption
was in 1992.
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