MOUNT VENIAMINOF SITE 4


Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano with summit caldera

Location: 784km southwest of Anchorage

Magma Composition: Andesitic to basaltic with minor quantities of dacite

Volcano Structure: The volcano is approximately 35km wide at its base and appears conical in shape (Miller et al, 1998) making it one of the largest volcanoes of the Alaskan peninsula (author unknown, 2003). Its caldera is filled by an ice field and where this reaches over the caldera rim glaciers are found on the volcano's sides (Miller et al, 1998).

Historic Activity: Through its history Veniaminof has been relatively active with eruptions occurring in 1838, 1852, 1874, 1892, 1930, 1939, 1944, 1956, 1983, 1984 and 1993 to 1995 (Wallace et al, 2000). The eruption of 1993-1995 consisted of a low level strombolian type that consisted of ash and steam (seen in picture 1), also during this eruption a small lava flow melted part of the ice field to form an oval shaped hole which can be seen in picture 2.

Veniaminof's caldera with  ice field

Picture 1 (U.S. Geological Survey AVO) showing oval pit created when lava melted a portion of the ice field within Veniaminof's caldera

 

Picture showing strombolian eruption of Veniaminof

Picture 2 (U.S. Geological Survey AVO) showing the Strombolian eruption of 1983.

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