CLEVELAND VOLCANO -- The Alaska Volcano Observatory said a brief eruption at Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands on Thursday sent up an ash cloud that quickly dissipated.

Geophysicist Dave Schneider said the cloud rose as high as 15,000 feet and dissipated in about two minutes. He said the cloud was not a hazard to aviation.

Schneider said the explosion at 4:38 a.m. Thursday was similar to small events at Cleveland Volcano since December. Those explosions created ash clouds that dissipated quickly and did not affect air traffic.

Cleveland Volcano is a 5,675-foot peak on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage.

Scientists detected the explosion based on seismic information recorded at stations at nearby volcanoes.