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Buzzard Creek

Tuff ring(s) in United States

Last Eruption: -1050

Key Facts

Elevation

830 m (2,723 ft)

Type

Tuff ring(s)

Location

64.062°, -148.433°

Region

Alaska Peninsula Volcanic Arc

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Two Holocene tuff rings form craters 300 and 66 m wide near the headwaters of Buzzard Creek at the northern foot of the central Alaska Range NE of the town of Healy along the Parks Highway. Both contain small lakes, and the smaller ring is about 200 m SE of the larger one. The total volume of ejecta, most of which is accessory material, probably does not exceed 0.

001 km3. The ejecta overlies young glacial terraces that correlate with a glacial stage that ended about 10,000 years ago, and radiocarbon dates give an age for the eruption that formed the tuff rings of about 3,000 years. This minor volcanic feature lies along trend with the Aleutian arc, but is located 320 km NE of its nearest Holocene neighbor (Hayes volcano), and directly over the northernmost corner of the subducting Pacific Plate.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

    Risk Level

    Population at RiskModerate
    Infrastructure RiskModerate
    Aviation RiskSignificant

    Geological Composition & Structure

    Rock Types

    Primary
    Basalt / Picro-Basalt
    Silica Content
    Low (45-52% SiO₂)

    Tectonic Setting

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

    Age & Formation

    Epoch
    Holocene
    Evidence
    Eruption Dated

    Eruption Statistics & Analysis

    MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
    Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
    Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
    Recent Activity3076 years agoHistoricalHistorically 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: 315001
    • Evidence: Eruption Dated
    • Epoch: Holocene

    About the Photo

    A small lake partially fills a 300-m-wide tuff ring, the larger of two craters of Buzzard Creek. Both craters formed during phreatomagmatic eruptions about 3,000 years ago, and are 320 km NE of their nearest neighbor in the Aleutian arc, Hayes volcano.

    Photo by Chris Nye (Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Alaska Volcano Observatory).

    Basic Information

    This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.