Aleutian Islands

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Erupting Alaska Volcano Produces Huge Ash Cloud

Pilots warned about Shishaldin Volcano

(Newser) - An ongoing eruption of a remote volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands produced an ash cloud so large Tuesday warnings were sent to pilots about potentially dangerous conditions. The ash cloud with an initial height of around 5.5 miles was drifting south-southeast from Shishaldin Volcano, the Alaska Volcano Observatory...

One Downed Japanese Zero Saved American Lives in WW2

The captured plane helped American forces dominate the skies over the Pacific

(Newser) - Early in World War II, Japan’s Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters ruled the Pacific skies, outmaneuvering and outfighting their Allied counterparts. The balance gradually shifted, however, and historian David Reamer credits the capture of the “Akutan Zero,” also known as “Koga’s Zero” after the pilot who...

It's Unusual for Three Volcanoes to Erupt At Once

Alaska's Aleutian Islands are part of the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean

(Newser) - Alaska’s Aleutian Islands are part of the Ring of Fire, a seismically active belt around the Pacific Ocean. The subduction zones in that belt are home to most of Earth’s active volcanoes, so it’s not exactly common for three volcanoes to erupt at a time in Alaska,...

They Killed the Rats of 'Rat Island,' With Unexpected Results

Study finds the full ecosystem has fully recovered

(Newser) - The name "Rat Island" has persisted for decades, but it 2012 it was officially done away with , and for good reason. The rats are gone. Popular Science dives into how that came to be and what the longer-term results have been via a March study published in Nature Scientific ...

Alaska Volcano Sparks Red Alert
Alaska Volcano
Sparks Red Alert

Alaska Volcano Sparks Red Alert

Bogoslof volcano erupts in the Aleutians, spewing ash 35K feet in the air

(Newser) - Alaska issued a code red aviation alert on Sunday after a "significant explosive eruption" at its Bogoslof volcano, reports UPI , which sent an ash plume at least 35,000 feet in the air on a key flight path between North America and Asia. "We actually went to color...

8.0 Alaska Quake Triggers Tsunami Advisory

'Modest' tsunami could strike Aleutian Islands

(Newser) - Alaska's Aleutian Islands experienced an 8.0-magnitude earthquake today that has triggered a tsunami advisory for coastal areas on some of the islands, Weather.com reports. The far western part of the island chain felt the first shock at nearly noon local time, followed by four aftershocks ranging from...

Big Aftershocks Still Rattling Alaskan Island

They follow yesterday's 7.0 quake near Adak

(Newser) - Several aftershocks rattled a remote Aleutian Island region off Alaska in the hours after a major 7.0 temblor struck with a jet-like rumble that shook homes and sent residents scrambling for cover. At least three dozen aftershocks, including one reaching magnitude 6.1 in strength, struck after the major...

First Americans Arrived Via Land Bridge in 3 Waves
First Americans Arrived Via Land Bridge in 3 Waves
DNA STUDY

First Americans Arrived Via Land Bridge in 3 Waves

But those waves may have intermingled

(Newser) - The Americas weren't initially populated in one sweeping migration across the land bridge from Siberia, but in three distinct waves, according to a new DNA study. By comparing genetic markers on 52 modern day Native American populations and 17 Siberian ones, they've concluded that while the Americas were...

Alaska Earthquake: 7.1 Quake Hits Off Alaska
 7.1 Quake Strikes Off Alaska 

7.1 Quake Strikes Off Alaska

Tsunami warning issued for parts of Aleutian Islands

(Newser) - A tsunami warning is in effect this morning following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake off Alaska, in a remote part of the Aleutian Islands, NPR reports. The US Geological Survey says the quake's depth was 22.1 miles. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center put a warning into...

7.2 Quake Shakes Aleutians
 7.2 Quake Shakes Aleutians 

7.2 Quake Shakes Aleutians

Tsunami warning issued, canceled after Alaska quake

(Newser) - A massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands late Thursday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. A tsunami warning issued for some coastal areas of Alaska was canceled around an hour later. In the town of Dutch Harbor, hundreds of people climbed a...

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