Monitoring Budgets Cut for Alaska's Now-Erupting Volcanoes

Recent federal budget cuts in volcanic monitoring programs mean higher risk for airlines, especially now that eruptions from two currently active volcanoes in Alaska could interfere with area flight paths.

The United States government has long funded real-time monitoring of volcanoes in Alaska, Hawaii and the West Coast, which provides critical information about eruptions that could potentially threaten lives or affect airline traffic.

But a recent report published by Mother Nature Network indicates budget restrictions brought on by the so-called federal sequester have forced the Alaska Volcano Observatory to stop seismic monitoring of five out of the state's 52 active volcanoes and reduce the number of helicopter flights to repair existing equipment.

Funding for the monitoring efforts had already shrunk over recent years, a relatively calm period that didn't see any significant volcanic events.

The observatory is now operating on an annual budget of $4 million, about half of its funding a few years ago, says data from the Associated Press.

"I think the public gets kind of complacent when nothing exciting is happening," said Alaska Airlines dispatcher Betty Bollert, who was working in 1989 when the Mount Redoubt volcano erupted and endangered several airplanes, one of which lost its engines after flying through an ash cloud.

Alaska Airlines told the AP that monitoring the state's volcanoes year-round is essential to ensuring human safety on the ground and in the air.

Now, Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands, which is located near several towns, is currently spewing steam, gas and heat  from its peak, evidence of a low-level eruption.

According to the observatory website, Cleveland demonstrated a "thermal anomaly" in the past 24 hours, which means "sudden explosions of blocks and ash are possible with little or no warning."

In that event, ash clouds could exceed 20,000 feet above sea level.

Yet, "because our budget has been declining for so long, we have no hope of actually addressing the Cleveland eruption in the way that it really should be," geophysicist John Power, who is in charge of the observatory, told the AP.

If a large ash-producing event occurs, nearby seismic, infrasound, or volcanic lightning networks should quickly alert AVO staff.

On the other hand, for some events, it could take up to several hours relay pertinent information, since Cleveland Volcano is not currently being followed by a local seismic network, but by seismic, infrasound and satellite systems considerably farther away.

As well, Pavlov, another Alaskan area volcano, is also showing signs of new seismic activity, with a low-level eruption of lava emerging from one of the summit vents," plumes of smoke rising up into the sky.

Again, Pavlov is normally monitored by a nine-station seismic network, but four of the stations are not currently operational and are not expected to be repaired under the current budget.