ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) \u2014 Not one but two volcanoes on the same island in Alaska\u2019s Aleutian chain were rocked by earthquakes on Friday, prompting concerns about a possible eruption.<\/p>\n
Elevated earthquake activity was reported at both Tanaga and Takawangha volcanoes on uninhabited Tanaga Island, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from Anchorage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf an eruption were to occur, it is uncertain at this stage if it would come from Takawangha or Tanaga,\u201d officials at the Alaska Volcano Observatory said in a statement that raised the alert level for the two volcanoes.<\/p>\n
WHAT’S THE LATEST?<\/p>\n
Even though the frequency of tremors slightly diminished Friday, earthquake activity at the volcanoes was still occurring about every minute or two.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still getting earthquakes up above magnitude 3 going on quite regularly,\u201d said John Power, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed at the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage.<\/p>\n
Seismic activity ramped up earlier this week at Tanaga Volcano<\/a>, the middle of three volcanoes on Tanaga Island, located about 1,250 miles (2,012 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage, the state\u2019s major population area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then mid-week, earthquake activity began to intensify at Takawangha,<\/a> a volcano about 5 miles (8 kilometers) to the east of Tanaga.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen actually earthquake activity building beneath both epicenters and in between them, which is causing us quite a bit of concern about what\u2019s going on,\u201d Power said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very energetic sequence.\u201d<\/p>\n A third volcano on the island, Sajaka, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) to the west of Tanaga, is not showing any sign of activity.<\/p>\n WHAT\u2019S THE BIGGEST THREAT?<\/p>\n Since the island is uninhabited, the thick, viscous lava that could flow in an eruption would not cause harm. The nearest community, Adak, is about 65 miles (104 kilometers) to the east, on a separate island.<\/p>\n However, an ash cloud could pose threats to aircraft, potentially disrupting air travel between North America and Asia, and health problems for communities farther away. Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. The powdered rock can cause a jet engine to shut down.<\/p>\n