Emmons Lake Volcanic Center
Caldera · 1,534m · United States
About Emmons Lake Volcanic Center
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is a caldera rising to 1,534 meters (5,033 feet) in United States's North America Volcanic Regions. No historical eruptions have been recorded, though the volcano is classified based on geological evidence of past activity.
Geography & Climate
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is located in United States, within the Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc of the broader North America Volcanic Regions. Situated at 55.35° N, 162.04° W in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a subarctic climate zone. With a summit elevation of 1,534 meters above sea level, Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is a moderately sized peak that remains accessible to hikers and researchers for much of the year. The volcanic landform is characterized as a caldera, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.
Geological Context
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center sits in a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, creating intense heat and pressure that generates magma. Subduction zones are responsible for many of the world's most explosive volcanoes and deadliest eruptions. For communities in United States near Emmons Lake Volcanic Center, this tectonic setting means the volcano is capable of producing powerful explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that can threaten populated areas within tens of kilometers of the summit. The dominant rock type is andesite / basaltic andesite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.
GVP Reference Summary
The Emmons Lake Volcanic Center, located north of Volcano Bay and SW of Pavlof volcano, includes the Emmons and Hague stratovolcanoes within the Emmons Lake caldera. The 9 x 15 km caldera contains a narrow elongated lake at its SW end that drains through a breach in the SE rim to the Pacific Ocean. The compound caldera was formed during six voluminous dacitic-to-rhyolitic eruptions between about 294,000 and 26,000 years ago that produced extensive ashflow tuffs. Mount Emmons, Mount Hague, and Double Crater are post-caldera cones of dominantly basaltic composition that were constructed along the SW-NE trend of the elongated caldera. Some Holocene flows have moved through a gap in the southern caldera rim to within 3 km of the ocean. A large fumarolic area is located on the south side of Mount Hague, and the only reported activity was the emission of steam plumes from Hague in 1990 and 1991.
— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program
0 Recorded Eruptions
No eruption records available for Emmons Lake Volcanic Center.
Real-Time Data
USGS Alert Level
Thermal Anomalies
Frequently Asked Questions About Emmons Lake Volcanic Center
Is Emmons Lake Volcanic Center an active volcano?+
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is classified as active based on credible evidence of past eruptions. Although its last known eruption was in prehistoric times, volcanologists consider it capable of erupting again.
How high is Emmons Lake Volcanic Center?+
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center has a summit elevation of 1,534 meters (5,033 feet) above sea level. At 1,534 meters, it is a moderately sized volcanic peak, roughly comparable to Mount Vesuvius (1,281m).
What type of volcano is Emmons Lake Volcanic Center?+
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is classified as a Caldera. Calderas are large volcanic depressions formed when a volcano erupts so powerfully that its magma chamber collapses, creating a basin that can be kilometers wide. They are often sites of some of Earth's largest eruptions.
Where is Emmons Lake Volcanic Center located?+
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center is located in United States, in the North America Volcanic Regions. More specifically, it lies within the Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc. Its exact coordinates are 55.352° latitude, -162.044° longitude.
Is it safe to visit Emmons Lake Volcanic Center?+
Emmons Lake Volcanic Center can generally be visited, but as with any volcano, visitors should check local conditions and any advisory notices before traveling. United States may have specific regulations for accessing volcanic areas. Guided tours are often the safest and most informative way to experience a volcano.
