Frosty
Stratovolcano(es) in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
1,728 m (5,669 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano(es)
Location
55.067°, -162.835°
Region
Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Frosty Peak, the youngest of two large volcanic structures of the Cold Bay Volcanic Center, is the westernmost Holocene volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, SW of the village of Cold Bay. This symmetrical late-Pleistocene to Recent stratovolcano is constructed within one of two coalescing craters. The western wall of the ice-filled northern crater is breached by a large valley glacier.
The symmetrical summit cone rises about 600 m above the floor of the southern crater. The oldest products of the roughly 100 km3 Cold Bay complex form the late-Pliocene to early Pleistocene Morzhovoi Volcanics at the southern end. Morzhovoi is an extensively eroded basaltic-to-andesitic stratovolcano with long U-shaped valleys extending from a central caldera.
Only remnants of the volcano remain, with isolated peaks, such as North and South Walrus Peaks, that are fragments of the original caldera rim.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
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
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 312010
- •Evidence: Evidence Credible
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
Frosty is the youngest of two large volcanic structures of the Cold Bay volcanic complex, about 15 km SW of Cold Bay at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Frosty Peak was constructed within the southernmost of two coalescing craters during the late-Pleistocene to Holocene, and forms the high point of the complex.
Photo by Christina Neal, 1997 (Alaska Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.