Pavlof Sister
Stratovolcano in United States
Key Facts
Elevation
2,142 m (7,028 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
55.457°, -161.854°
Region
Aleutian Ridge Volcanic Arc
Rock Type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
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Overview
Located near the western end of the Alaska Peninsula at the end of a chain of volcanoes trending NE from Emmons Lake caldera, the symmetrical Pavlof Sister stratovolcano is somewhat more eroded than Pavlof volcano to the SW. Pavlof Sister, along with Pavlof and Little Pavlof, formed outside of the Emmons Lake caldera; these and other volcanoes inside Emmons Lake caldera are not glaciated and thus would have formed since the area was last glaciated about 15-20,000 years ago. Pavlof Sister is almost 400 m lower than Pavlof and has a sharper-peaked summit.
Some sources attributed a period of intermittent eruptive activity from 1762 to 1786 CE to Pavlof Sister, but other sources consider this event to have been from Pavlof.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
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: 312040
- •Evidence: Evidence Credible
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The summits of Pavlof Sister (left) and Pavlof (right) rise above a roughly 1,100-m-elevation saddle. They are viewed here in 1975 from lowlands to the NW. Pavlof is darkened by recent ash deposition and has been the source of frequent eruptions in historical time. Little Pavlof, a cone on the right flank of Pavlof, was also constructed along a line of vents trending NE from Emmons Lake caldera.
Photo by Tom Miller, 1975 (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.