Alaska's Cleveland volcano begins eruption

Mount Cleveland, an active volcano near the middle of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, has erupted, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The eruption is currently limited to a lava dome building on the mountain's summit, and poses no threat to planes or people due to ash rising from the volcano. According to an update from the AVO around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, satellite imagery had revealed that there was a "thermal anomaly" at the volcano's summit that may continue. The AVO does not have any real-time monitoring in place at the volcano's location on the remote and uninhabited Chuginadak Island, and must rely on satellite or remote images to observe the volcano's activity. According to the Associated Press (via the Washington Post), observers at the AVO are optimistic about the ability for satellites to keep delivering information on the volcano's activity, since the weather should cooperate. Check the AVO for updates on the volcano's activity.