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Fourpeaked Mountain, a volcano across Cook Inlet that has been quiet for thousands of years, appears to be coming back to life.
Vents are vigorously spewing smelly volcanic gases from the 6,903-foot mountain, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. So is an eruption possible? “Yes,” said Peter Cervelli, a geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey/Alaska Volcano Observatory. “An eruption is possible.”However, he said, it’s really hard to predict if and when one will happen: “Nothing is imminent.” The Observatory is working to install seismometers around the mountain, a webcam and instruments that measure how the ground is moving, he said. The mountain has gone unmonitored until now. Observatory staff flew over Fourpeaked volcano this weekend and had their first good looks at it since it started steaming plumes on Sept. 17, an event witnessed by many Homer residents.Observers last weekend saw a series of linear vents running north from the summit, many of which were emitting steam and vapors, according to an update from the observatory. Near the vents, the glacier is slumping, and pieces of it have moved into the vents, Cervelli said. Staff found abundant sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide coming from the vents, and the volcanic gases could be smelled far away from the summit.Alaska Volcano Observatory is a consortium between USGS, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and state’s Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.