Denison

Stratovolcano in United States

Key Facts

Elevation

2,287 m (7,503 ft)

Type

Stratovolcano

Location

58.418°, -154.449°

Region

Alaska Peninsula Volcanic Arc

Rock Type

Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Mount Denison lies near the head of the Serpent Tongue, Hook, and Hallo glaciers NE of Snowy volcano. This poorly known section of Katmai National Park contains a line of four closely spaced and mostly ice-covered volcanic peaks. Denison lies at the SW end of this chain, which also includes Steller, Kukak, and Devils Desk volcanoes.

Orientation of lava flows and a thick cross-bedded tephra deposit suggest that a vent is located near Mount Denison (Swanson, in Wood and Kienle 1990). The precise age of the most recent activity at Denison is not known.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Pyroclastic flows
Lava flows
Volcanic bombs and ballistics
Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Silica Content

Intermediate (57-63% SiO₂)

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Formed by oceanic plate subduction, typically producing explosive eruptions due to water-rich magmas.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Evidence Uncertain

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

Metric	Value	Global Ranking	Significance
Total Recorded Eruptions	Unknown	Low	Moderately active volcano
Maximum VEI	VEI Unknown	Minor	Local impact potential
Recent Activity	Unknown	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The North America Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 312210
•Evidence: Evidence Uncertain
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

Mount Denison lies in a poorly known section of Katmai National Park that contains one or more mostly ice-covered vents. The slopes of Mount Denison are seen on the right half of the photo, between the pointed summit in the center and the flatter peak to the far right, between which a glacier descends towards the middle of the image. The rounded peak on the horizon beyond the slopes of Denison is Mount Steller, and the summit ridge of Snowy volcano forms the far-left skyline in this long-distance NE-looking view.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey, 1997.