A massive volcano in Alaska is now steaming from its summit crater, signaling more signs of unrest.
Scientists have been keeping a close eye on Mount Spurr, a 11,000-foot-tall volcano that sits just 81 miles from the city of Anchorage, over the past few months due to growing signs it is ready to blow.
In the Alaska Volcano Observatory's (AVO) latest update, scientists said webcam images captured over the weekend showed 'continued steaming from the summit crater.'
'This type of steaming is typical for Mount Spurr during this current period of unrest,' their statement reads.
AVO also noted that 'seismicity remains elevated' as earthquake swarms have been detected beneath Mount Spurr over the past day.
The seismic activity is due to magma rising to the surface, causing stress and cracking in the surrounding rock.
If Mount Spurr does blow, the event 'would be explosive,' Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the AVO, previously told DailyMail.com.
He explained that it would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air that may blanket Anchorage — home to nearly 300,000 people — in a layer of dust.
Mount Spurr is now steaming from its summit crater as scientists warn it is 'moving closer to an eruption'
An eruption could result in widespread ashfall across Anchorage, which is home to nearly 300,000 people (pictured)
The AVO's Friday updated noted that the likelihood of an eruption had decreased due to data monitoring changes, but Sunday's announcement did not give context about the threat of an eruption.
Despite the decline in surface activity, AVO emphasized that an eruption remains a possibility due to continued deep magma movement.
Although scientists said that this year-long period of unrest could mean that an eruption is coming, they noted that the steaming detected this week does not mean one is imminent.
The AVO said that while Mount Spurr is still showing signs of unrest, it does not mean the volcano is moving closer to an eruption.
The other signs, such as ground deformation, earthquakes and melting snow at the top, are indicators of an eruption, but are expected during times of unrest and are not indicators that Mount Spurr is set to blow in a matter of days.
The volcano's heightened activity kicked off in April 2024, and in October, the rate of earthquakes near Mount Spurr increased from an average of 30 per week to 125 per week.
Scientists have been monitoring it using local seismic, infrasound, webcam and GNSS stations along with regional infrasound, lightning networks and satellite data, according to the AVO's Sunday statement.
If Mount Spurr's activity continues to ramp up, the next sign of an eruption will be a volcanic tremor, Haney said.
