Cleveland Volcano

Updated: Mar 26, 2025 22:13 GMT - refresh

Stratovolcano

Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 52.83°N / -169.94°W

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Summit height: 1730 m (5,676 ft)

Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

Last update: 10 Jul 2024 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)

The beautifully symmetrical Mount Cleveland stratovolcano forms the western half of the uninhabited Chuginadak Island in the central Aleutians, connected to the eastern half of the island by a narrow isthmus. It is one of the regions most active volcanoes, but at present has no seismic network. Monitoring of its activity is largely based on satellite observation.

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Cleveland webcams / live data | News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: Explosive
Cleveland volcano eruptions: 1893, 1897, 1929(?), 1932, 1938, 1944, 1951(?), 1953(?), 1975(?), 1984, 1985(?), 1986, 1987, 1989(?), 1994, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Mar 25, 01:28 am (GMT -9)	0.6 1.7 km	1.6 km (1 mi) to the SE	73 km WSW of Nikolski, Alaska	Info

View recent quakes

Background

The 1730-m-high Mount Cleveland has the native name of Chuginadak, referring to the Aleut goddess of fire, who was thought to reside on the volcano. Numerous large lava flows descend the steep-sided flanks of the volcano.

It is possible that some 18th to 19th century eruptions attributed to Carlisle should be ascribed to Cleveland (Miller et al., 1998). In 1944 Cleveland produced the only known fatality from an Aleutian eruption. Recent eruptions from Mount Cleveland have been characterized by short-lived explosive ash emissions, at times accompanied by lava fountaining and lava flows down the flanks. In February, 2001, Cleveland had 3 explosive events that produced ash clouds as high as 12 km (39,000 ft) above sea level. That eruption also produced a rubbly lava flow and hot avalanche that reached the sea.
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Sources: AVO/USGS, Smithsonian Institution

Significant volcanic eruptions: Cleveland volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Cleveland has had at least 22 confirmed eruptions, all documented by historical records or observations. Additionally, there are 8 uncertain or discredited eruptions from Cleveland volcano.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Cleveland volcano since around 1900. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Cleveland can be found on the news page of Cleveland volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths
2020 Jun 1	Historical obs./docs.	3
?? 2019 Nov 7 - Dec 7 ?	Uncertain Eruption Historical obs./docs.	?
2016 Apr 16 - 2019 Jan 20 ±4 d.	Summit crater Historical obs./docs.	2
2011 Jul 19 ±7 d. - 2015 Aug 18	Summit crater Historical obs./docs.	2
?? 2010 Sep 11 - Sep 12	Uncertain Eruption Historical obs./docs.	2?
2010 May 30 - Jun 2 ?	Summit crater Historical obs./docs.	2
2009 Oct 2 - Dec 12 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2
2009 Jun 25	Historical obs./docs.	2
2009 Jan 2 - Jan 21	Historical obs./docs.	2
2007 Jun 17 ? - 2008 Aug 12 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2?
2006 Feb 6 - Oct 28	Historical obs./docs.	3
2005 Mar 13 ? - Nov 27 ±1 d.	Historical obs./docs.	2
2001 Feb 2 or before - Apr 15 ?	Historical obs./docs.	3?
1997 May 5	Historical obs./docs.	2?
1994 Oct 20	Historical obs./docs.	1?
1994 May 25	Historical obs./docs.	3
?? 1989 Oct 25 ±3 d.	Uncertain Eruption	?
1987 Jun 19 - Aug 28	Historical obs./docs.	3
1986 Apr 28 - May 27 or later	Historical obs./docs.	2
?? 1985 Dec 10	Uncertain Eruption	1
1984 Jul 12	Historical obs./docs.	1
?? 1975 Sep 16 ±15 d.	Uncertain Eruption	?
?? 1953 Jun 25	Uncertain Eruption	?
?? 1951 Nov 1 - Dec 16 ±15 d.	Uncertain Eruption	?
1944 Jun 10 - Jun 12	Historical obs./docs.	3
1944 Jun 10 (eruption 1944 Jun 10 - Jun 12)	Historical obs./docs.	3	1	Info
1944 Jun 10: Large blocks ejected over island; newspaper reported one man crushed by falling rocks and later covered by lava. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1938	Historical obs./docs.	?
1932 Jan 1	Historical obs./docs.	?
?? 1929 Mar	Uncertain Eruption	?

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Cleveland Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Cleveland volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Cleveland occurred in 2020.

+How often does Cleveland volcano erupt?

Since 1893, Cleveland volcano has had at least 22 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 6 years.
Many eruptions of Cleveland have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 27 out of 132 years until now. In other words, Cleveland has been active at least one in 4.9 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Cleveland is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.

+How active is Cleveland volcano at present?

Cleveland volcano is relatively active: Since 1900, it has had 25 eruptions, and been active during 25 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Cleveland has been in eruption one in 5 years on average. The last eruption was in 2020 and ended 5 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Cleveland volcano?

The largest eruption of Cleveland volcano in historic times occurred in 2020. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Cleveland Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).