Vol. XXIV, No. 2 



WASHINGTON 



February, 1913 



fr 



ATHOMAIL 



©(SMAIPIHIII€ 



MBAZE 



THE RECENT ERUPTION OF KATMAI VOLCANO 



IN ALASKA 



An Account of One of the Most Tremendous Volcanic 

 Explosions Known in History 



By George C. Martin 



Air. Martin is the geologist of the U. S. Geological Survey zvho directed the 

 National Geographic Society Alaska volcano researches in igi2 



THE volcanic eruption of Mount 

 Katmai, Alaska, of June, 1912, 

 was undoubtedly one of the most 

 violent eruptions of historic times. 



This volcano was one of the least 

 known of the many Alaskan volcanic 

 peaks, and had been so long dormant 

 that there were apparently not even local 

 legends of its former outbreaks. No 

 observed warnings of its renewed activity 

 were given other than copious steaming 

 and minor earthquakes. These attracted 

 little attention even among the few dwell- 

 ers in that thinly settled land, for dozens 

 of other volcanoes along the Alaskan 

 coast steam freely from time to time. 

 The peak is usually hidden in the clouds, 

 and local earthquakes are so frequent as 

 to cause little comment. 



Among other people than the few local 

 inhabitants and the comparatively few 

 others who have had occasion to sail 

 through Shelikof Strait, the very exist- 

 ence of Katmai Volcano was doubtless 

 unknown. 



Then, without warning, on the 6th of 

 June, 19 1 2, the Katmai Volcano pro- 

 claimed itself by a violent eruption. All 

 southern Alaska knew of the event at 

 once, for the sound of the first mighty 



explosion carried down the coast as far 

 as Juneau, 750 miles away, and was even 

 heard across the Alaska Range at Daw- 

 son and Fairbanks, distant 650 and 500 

 miles respectively. 



THE FIRST ERUPTION 



Those who did not hear the sound of 

 this first blast, or did not feel the accom- 

 panying earthquakes, did not have to wait 

 long for another form of announcement. 

 The column of steam and ash rose sev- 

 eral miles in the air and was immediately 

 seen as far away as Clark Lake and 

 Cook Inlet. This cloud of ash was car- 

 ried eastward by the wind and within a 

 few hours had shed a shower of ashes 

 over all the east end of the Alaska Penin- 

 sula, the east half of Kodiak Island, and 

 all of Afognak Island (see map, page 



132). 



Intense darkness accompanied the fall 

 of ashes. Midnight blackness in the day- 

 time extended as far east as the Kenai 

 Peninsula. Darkness lasted for 60 Imurs 

 at Kodiak, 100 miles from the volcano. 

 Dust fell as far away as Juneau, Ketchi- 

 kan, and the Yukon Valley, distant 750. 

 900. and 600 miles. The fumes were 

 reported from points as remote as \'an- 



