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SEISMIC ACTIVITY RECORDED AT A MASSIVE VOLCANO NEAR A MAJOR CITY HAS SPARKED FEARS OF AN ERUPTION – EXPERTS HAVE CAUTIONED THE VOLCANO IS AT AN 'ELEVATED STATE OF UNREST' 12:02, 30

May 2025 Fears of a potential volcanic eruption have been sparked after a surge of earthquakes hit a volcano nearby to a major US city. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has recorded an

increase of seismic activity at Alaska’s Mount Spurr volcano which lies about 78 miles from the US city of Anchorage, Alaska, home to nearly 300,000 people. The 300,000 people living in the

US city have begun stocking up on food and protective gear in case the state is hit by a potential sudden eruption. The AVO has said the volcano’s seismic activity has returned to about 100

events per week at around the same frequency of events in March – at the time, experts warned the volcano could erupt within weeks. The recent quakes shaking the volcano are caused by magma

inside the volcano rising towards the surface. The magma rising inside the volcano causes pressure on the volcano, causing rock in the surrounding area to crack. Excess pressure caused by

this process can lead to a volcanic eruption. The volcano's summit crater has not erupted for 5,000 years, experts estimate. But its side vent, called Crater Peak, last erupted just 30

years ago. If the volcano does blow, experts believe it would be from its side vent not its summit crater. Article continues below Thankfully the agency added most magma intrusions, like

those observed at the volcano in both the 2004 to 2006 unrest, don’t lead to eruptions. “We're not out of the woods yet, by any means,” Matt Haney, a researcher with the AVO, told

Alaska Public Media on Wednesday. He highlighted there was still seismic activity occurring at the volcano and said: “There's still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr. The volcano

remains at an elevated state of unrest. “Earthquake activity beneath Mount Spurr remains elevated. Following a steady decline from late March through April, shallow has increased."

Scientists recently measured gas emissions from Mount Spurr and found that while the levels are a little lower than last month, they are still higher than normal. “The pause in deformation

suggests that the ascent of magma to shallow levels beneath the volcano over the past 17 months has stalled,” the agency shared. Article continues below "This intrusion of magma could

still lead to an eruption, but gas and earthquake activity do not clearly indicate an unstable or pressurizing system." The AVO has said if the volcano was to blow the eruption would be

similar to its previous eruptions in both 1953 and 1992, and that it is still possible despite the AVO adding the likelihood of an eruption is gradually declining.