Mount Veniaminof


Mount Veniaminof is an active stratovolcano on the Alaska Peninsula. The Alaska Volcano Observatory currently rates Veniaminof as Aviation Color Code ORANGE and Volcano Alert Level WATCH as of 22 November 2018, at 2005, after it being RED/WARNING since 21 November 2018, at 1915. The mountain was named after Ioann Veniaminov, a Russian Orthodox missionary priest whose writings on the Aleut language and ethnology are still standard references. He is a saint of the Orthodox Church, known as Saint Innocent for the monastic name he used in later life.
The volcano was the site of a colossal eruption around 1750 BCE. This eruption left a large caldera. In modern times the volcano has had numerous small eruptions, all at a cinder cone in the middle of the caldera.
Veniaminof is one of the highest of Alaskan volcanoes. Partly for this reason, it is covered by a glacier that fills most of the caldera. Because of the glacier and the caldera walls, there is the possibility of a major flood from a future glacier run.
The volcano recently began erupting on September 3, 2018 as magma broke through the summit and flowed down its slopes as a lava flow. Despite starting off as an effusive eruption, by November 20, the eruption became more intense and ash was reaching 20,000 feet, prompting the AVO to give a warning for aviation because of the ash posing a threat to aviation. Even an ashfall warning was issued for the nearby town of Perryville.
In 1967, Mount Veniaminof was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.