A volcano in Alaska can blow any time now as residents stock up essentials following warnings that the eruption might hit supply lines. The area near the 11,000-foot-tall Mount Spurr has been hit by dozens of tremors in the past few days. Experts say that it is a sign that magma is rising under the mountain. This has led to cracks in rocks and stress in the region, causing earthquakes.

Advertisment

Authorities have hastily put emergency plans in place. Residents of Anchorage, a town located just 81 miles from the volcano, have been asked to stock up on food and water, and other essentials. Anchorage has nearly 300,000 people who are panic buying baby food, N95 masks, earplugs and goggles. Tape to seal windows are also in demand.

Also Read: Philippines' Kanlaon Volcano: Watch timelapse video of explosive eruption

The volcanic eruption is expected to be massive, and experts say it would spew ash as high as 50,000 feet into the air. Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the AVO, told DailyMail.com that the blow-up would be "explosive."

Advertisment

There would be multiple episodes of eruption, each lasting three to four hours. Anchorage is not at risk of damage caused by magma, but the ash released would engulf the town and other nearby areas.

Warning signs of Alaska volcanic eruption

Experts say that an eruption would not happen without warning as several signs will begin to show when magma starts moving closer to the surface.

Advertisment

The AVO said in a statement on Thursday, "Based on previous eruptions, changes from current activity in the earthquakes, ground deformation, summit lake conditions, and fumarolic activity would be expected if magma began to move closer to the surface."

Also Read: Volcano erupts in Iceland triggering evacuation, WATCH scary visuals here

"Therefore, if an eruption occurred, it would be preceded by additional signals allowing warning."

Mount Spurr has been showing activity for months. Huge plumes of steam have been rising from it, putting scientists on high alert. Mount Spurr is one of Alaska's largest active volcanoes and last erupted in 1992. Seismic activity started in April 2024. By early October, the number of tremors increased from an average of 30 per week to an average of 125 per week. The activity has continued ever since, and the eruption is expected to happen in the next two weeks.

The last time the volcano erupted was in 1992. At that time, Anchorage was covered in an eighth of an inch of ash. The mountain consists of a central summit and a side vent called Crater Peak, which erupted just 30 years ago. However, the summit crater has not erupted in over 5,000 years. 

Observations show that Mount Spurr is producing about 450 tonnes of sulphur dioxide every day, nine times higher than the December 2024 numbers.