蜜桃影像 volcano field school explores 20th century鈥檚 biggest eruption
Rod Boyce
907-474-7185
Aug. 1, 2024
In the southern mountains of Katmai National Park and Preserve sits Novarupta volcano, which in 1912 belched the 20th century鈥檚 largest eruption.
In early July, just over 112 years later, it and its surroundings were a two-week outdoor classroom led by research associate professor Pavel Izbekov of the University of 蜜桃影像 Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
Research associate professor Pavel Izbekov photographs students on the return from a day hike with Novarupta in the background.
Eight students from across the United States were the latest participants in the International Volcanological Field School, which began in the late 1980s and became a for-credit offering in 2004.
Katmai, with Novarupta and the related Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, is a prime place for teaching volcanology.
鈥淭his is a historical eruption that is well documented,鈥 Izbekov said. 鈥淚t had a profound impact on the environment and the local population. This emphasizes the importance of volcano research and monitoring.鈥
Students learn about volcanic processes through examination of the area鈥檚 volcanic products. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is famous for its vast deposits of volcanic ash and pyroclastic flow material, which are the primary volcanic products found there.
Novarupta volcano erupted from June 6 to June 8, 1912.
The eruption is considered the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century in terms of the volume of material ejected. The volcano expelled approximately 3.1 to 3.6 cubic miles of magma, about 30 times the volume ejected during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state.
Students examine cracks formed after lava that flowed over the Mageik Glacier in 蜜桃影像鈥檚 Katmai National Park and Preserve. Lava flowed over the ice, then left a hanging shelf of rock after the glacier melted from under it. The shelf collapsed, leaving cracks where it split from the rest of the flow.
Novarupta鈥檚 eruption produced a pyroclastic flow that covered about 40 square miles with ash and pumice to depths of up to 700 feet, destroying all vegetation and animal life in its path. The flow created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, named for the thousands of fumaroles venting steam and gasses after the eruption.
What does Izbekov, as a volcanologist, find most interesting about the Novarupta eruption and its aftermath?
鈥淭he magma diversity of the eruption is truly fascinating,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ne of the biggest questions is where the magmas came from? Did they occupy the same magma reservoir prior to eruption or arrive from drastically different domains?鈥
Students leave the field school with a profound understanding.
鈥淥ne of the main messages they can take home is that it can take only 60 hours to erupt 13 cubic kilometers of magma and turn a vegetated valley into a Martian desert, which, even after 100 years, will not recover from the devastation,鈥 Izbekov said.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Pavel Izbekov, 907-474-5269, peizbekov@alaska.edu
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