Government plane swoops over fuming volcano, captures vivid footage

Alaska, largely unspoiled wilderness, looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings.

Researchers with the Alaska Volcano Observatory — which monitors the state's dynamic volcanoes — recently flew over Mount Spurr, a steep-sided volcano that has shown signs of unrest as quakes shake the mountain. The agency posted a video of its February swoop above towering Mount Spurr, showing vigorous plumes of vapor coming from the summit's fumaroles, or vents.

"Enjoy this spectacular video of the summit crater of Mt. Spurr, taken by AVO staff during fieldwork Feb 7," AVO posted on X, formerly Twitter. "The lake, which formed [in] summer 2024, is mostly covered in ice w/ some turquoise water visible. The fumaroles (steam/gas vents) are the source of the white vapor plumes."

As the plane approaches Spurr, you can spy the extensive snow-blanketed mountains in this geologically vibrant part of the world, an area on Earth's "Ring of Fire," where some of the colossal tectonic plates of our planet's crust meet and stoke volcanism. Then, you can look down into the cavernous, streaming summit crater.

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An eruption, however, is far from certain. Previous Mount Spurr eruptions have been accompanied by more quaking activity, ground deformation, and beyond as magma (molten rock) oozed up closer to the surface and amassed great pressure beneath the volcano.

Earth's "Ring of Fire," a region home to expansive volcanic arcs and ocean trenches. Credit: USGS

"Therefore, it is very likely that if an eruption were to occur it would be preceded by additional signals that would allow advance warning," the Alaska Volcano Observatory — an association of the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the State of Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys — explained on its website.

Mount Spurr, located about 80 miles from Anchorage, Alaska, is currently labeled at an "Advisory" level, just one notch above "Normal," and below "Watch" and "Warning." A significant eruption could blow a considerable amount of ash into the atmosphere, impacting and altering air travel in transpacific commercial routes; it's dangerous for jet engines to ingest volcanic ash, which is actually comprised of tiny volcanic rock.