Mount Veniaminof (Russian: Вулкан Вениаминова) is an active stratovolcano on the Alaska Peninsula. The mountain was named after Ioann (Ivan Popov) Veniaminov (1797–1879), a Russian Orthodox missionary priest (and later a prominent bishop in Russia) 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.
Mount Veniaminof | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 8,225 ft (2,507 m)[1] |
Prominence | 8,199 ft (2,499 m)[2] |
Listing |
|
Coordinates | 56°11′53″N 159°23′27″W |
Geography | |
Mount Veniaminof Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, U.S. | |
Parent range | Aleutian Range |
Topo map | USGS Chignik A-5 |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano with a summit caldera |
Volcanic arc/belt | Aleutian Arc |
Last eruption | 2021 |
U.S. National Natural Landmark | |
Designated | 1967 |
The volcano was the site of a colossal (VEI 6) eruption around 1750 BCE.[1] This eruption left a large caldera. In modern times the volcano has had numerous small eruptions (over ten of them since 1930), 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.[3]
State of Alaska | ||
---|---|---|
Juneau (capital) | ||
Topics |
| |
Society |
| |
Regions |
| |
Largest cities pop. over 25,000 | ||
Smaller cities pop. over 2,000 | ||
Boroughs |
| |
Native Corporations |
| |
Census Areas |
| |
Alaska portal |