The February 2001 Eruption of Mount Cleveland, Alaska: Case Study of an Aviation Hazard

Mount Cleveland, Alaska (52 '49'N, 169 '57'W), located on Chuginadak Island, erupted on 19 February 2001. The atmosphere-volcanic plume interactions that occurred as part of this event led to several serious encounters of commercial aircraft with the ash. A number of continental and oceanic air traffic control areas were affected. Here, a detailed case study of the eruption, subsequent movement of the airborne plume, and operational response is presented. The likelihood of such encounters in the future may be reduced as a result of lessons learned from this event. Some potential new assets for improving the detection of and response to the airborne volcanic ash hazard to aviation also are discussed.