An earthquake has been detected a few miles north of a volcano in the US, sparking fears of a potential eruption.
A 4.6 magnitude quake was recorded by the US Geological Survey near Petersville, Alaska, some 86 miles from Mount Spurr.
ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
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An earthquake has been detected just miles north of an Alaskan volcano, showing signs of potential eruption due to unrest
Mount Spurr is currently under an “advisory” due to “low-level unrest”.
There have been occasional small earthquakes detected beneath the volcano.
A study from 2021, published in the journal Nature, found that most nearby earthquakes can trigger volcanoes – especially those like Mount Spurr which are already showing signs of unrest – to erupt.
The report adds that this is even more likely when factors like magma pressure and underground gas buildup are already present.
ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
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Mount Spurr is currently under an ‘advisory’ due to low-level unrest
The area around Petersville in Alaska is influenced by the Broad Pass thrust fault, which is considered active and has the potential to generate earthquakes as strong as 7.8 on the Richter scale.
Multiple reports showed that the tremors from the most recent quake were felt in Anchorage, some 100 miles from the epicentre.
The city is home to nearly 300,000 people who have been keeping a close eye on the volcano since March after scientists warned an eruption was imminent.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) gave a fresh update on Wednesday, saying: “Low-level unrest continues at Mount Spurr with occasional, small earthquakes occurring beneath the volcano.
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“Clear webcam views of Mount Spurr’s summit crater showed minor vapour emissions.”
It comes just over a week after a major earthquake off the coast of Russia sparked tsunami concerns for the US.
Several tsunami waves hit the American west coast after the 8.8 magnitude quake – the sixth-largest of all time on record.
