Scientists discovered that a dormant volcano may be waking up after sleeping near a peaceful town for over 800 years.
An ancient and dormant volcano is waking up after nearly 800 years. The volcano, known as Mt. Edgecumbe, is found just 15 miles west of Sitka, Alaska. Scientists believe that the massive volcano has been dormant for around 800 to 900 years. Now, though, it appears to be waking up, which could spell disaster for nearby towns.
Back in April 2022, Mt. Edgecumbe experienced a small swarm of earthquakes, according to the Alaskan reporting channel. Scientists were attracted to the activity and began to look into it, discovering that deformities at the surface level of the volcano had seen a change of around 10.6 inches. The changes, they say, can be attributed to magma rising, proof that this dormant volcano is waking up.
The data, which they found by using a new analysis system, showed that the magma had been rising since at least 2018, at a constant rate of 3.4 inches per year. It’s very rare for an inactive or extinct volcano like Mt. Edgecumbe to become active again. So, seeing activity return to the dormant volcano is intriguing. The volcano also rests upon a “transform fault,” which adds even more intrigue to the case.
Extinct volcano of Mount Edgecumbe rises above the harbor town of Sitka in Alaska Image source: steheap / Adobe This is particularly intriguing because, normally, volcanos on these kinds of fault lines don’t see eruptions, and they’re unlikely to be active. So, the possibility that this dormant volcano is now waking up is even more of a mystery. Of course, there are currently no signs that the volcano is going to erupt anytime soon.