Kasatochi Island

Infobox Mountain
Name = Kasatochi Island
Photo = Kasatochi Island crater lake, August 14, 2004.jpg
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =none
pushpin_map_caption =Location in Alaska
pushpin_mapsize =300
latd=52 |latm=10 |lats=39 |latNS=N
longd=175 |longm=30 |longs=30 |longEW=W
Caption = Kasatochi volcano with crater lake prior to the eruption of August 7, 2008
Elevation = Convert|1030|ft|m|0|abbr=on
location=Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Range =
Prominence = Convert|1030|ft|m|0|abbr=on
Coordinates = coor dms|52|10|39|N|175|30|30|W|type:mountain_region:US
Topographic
USGS Atka C-5
Age =
Last eruption= 2008
First ascent =
Easiest route=

Kasatochi Island (Qanan-tanax̂ [Bergsland, K "Aleut Dictionary" Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center, 1994] in Aleut) also known as Kasatochi volcano is an active stratovolcano and one of the Andreanof Islands subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska, USA. It lies at the Atka Pass northwest of the western tip of Atka Island and east of Great Sitkin Island. Kasatochi Island has a land area of 5.051 km² (1.9503 sq mi, or 1,248.2 acres) and is unpopulated. The volcano is currently rated by the Alaska Volcano Observatory as Aviation Alert Level ORANGE and Volcanic-alert Level WATCH.

The summit was truncated by a large volcanic crater containing a Convert|0.5|mi|km|1 wide crater lake. The surface of the saltwater lake was less than Convert|200|ft|m|-1|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on above sea level. However, when the current eruption subsides, it is not known what will remain of the lake or to the height or other parameters of the island.

August 2008 eruption

On August 7, 2008, Kasatochi began erupting explosively with an ash plume maintaining an altitude of 35,000 feet and reaching 45,000 feet. As the eruption became imminent, it forced two biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evacuate the island. [Alaska Volcano Observatory website, [http://www.avo.alaska.edu] ] An ashfall advisory was issued at the time for Adak Island. Prior to 2008, the last confirmed activity at Kasatochi was in 1899, but that was not believed to be an eruption. Mild degassing was reported to the AVO in 2005, but that could not be confirmed. [http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/volcact.php?volcname=Kasatochi]

Currently, there are no seismographs or web cameras on the island of Kasatochi, so scientists must rely on data from nearby Great Sitkin volcano and Adak Island (near Mount Adagdak) to obtain ongoing information on Kasatochi.

"Fortunately, the existing seismic networks on nearby volcanoes picked up the activity at Kasatochi volcano," said Tom Murray, scientist-in-charge of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO). "They were installed with funding from the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce the hazard to aviation from volcanic ash. These networks were crucial in recognizing that this volcano had entered the first stage of a major eruption."

"Our hope is to have monitoring equipment on all volcanoes that pose the greatest threats to public safety," said USGS volcano scientist Marianne Guffanti. "Satellite imagery is useful to see the big picture of what is happening and what is going into the atmosphere. But direct instrumentation, such as placing seismic monitors around a volcano, will help give an early warning and give people more time to plan for hazardous events." [USGS Website, [http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1987&from=rss_home] ]

References

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* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-show_geoid=Y&-tree_id=4001&-_caller=geoselect&-context=dt&-errMsg=&-all_geo_types=N&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-redoLog=true&-transpose=N&-search_map_config=|b=50|l=en|t=4001|zf=0.0|ms=sel_00dec|dw=17.701027675209602|dh=6.035539041852557|dt=gov.census.aff.domain.map.EnglishMapExtent|if=gif|cx=-170.20089635341083|cy=63.430295928031335|zl=8|pz=8|bo=318:317:316:314:313:323:319|bl=362:393:358:357:356:355:354|ft=350:349:335:389:388:332:331|fl=381:403:204:380:369:379:368|g=04000US02&-PANEL_ID=p_dt_geo_map&-_lang=en&-geo_id=100$10000US020160001001107&-CONTEXT=dt&-format=&-search_results=100$10000US020500001001047&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U Kasatochi Island: Block 1107, Census Tract 1, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska] United States Census Bureau