pta1912 — Novarupta Erutpion

Before It, Novarupta Was An Unremarkable Volcanic Vent

On June 6, 1912, Novarupta came to life for the first time 🇺🇸

Before it, Novarupta was an unremarkable volcanic vent, overshadowed by the nearby Mount Katmai.

Novarupta is located in Katmai National Park, Alaska, part of the Aleutian volcanic arc, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate.

Before 1912, it was overshadowed by the much larger Mount Katmai, which scientists initially believed was the source of the eruption.

On June 6, 1912, a series of violent eruptions began, with the most powerful lasting 60 hours. The VEI 6 eruption ejected:

• 30 times more material than the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.
• Enough ash to bury the surrounding landscape under 200 meters (650 feet) of deposits.

The sheer volume of magma released drained Mount Katmai’s magma chamber, causing Katmai’s summit to collapse into a massive crater. It wasn’t until later that scientists realized Novarupta — not Katmai — was the true source of the eruption.