Another small quake occurred under Iliamna at 5:30 this morning, it is only the latest in what has been a flurry of small shakers in the last few days. This quake register as a 3.4 magnitude tremor.

The snow-capped stratovolcano hasn’t had an eruptive episode since 1954, when it was reported from Mrs. William Tauscher of Anchor Point on March 1 of that year that she saw a mushroom shaped billow of inky smoke pour from the summit. Lt. James Ingram of the U.S. Navy confirmed activity as well on a fly-by five days later.

Although there has been activity there on 9 separate occasions since that date, no other eruptive activity has ever been observed and the mountain continued to slumber under the glaciers that adorn its resting spot. Prior to that sighting in 1954, there were several observations of smoke or steam, but the volcano hasn’t had a significant episode since 1867, when it apparently stirred to life. I.C. Russell wrote in 1897, of the 1867 eruption, “It(Iliamna) was in violent eruption and discharged such a profusion of hot dust and lapilli that the timber over hundreds of square miles of tableland was killed.” There were no other known sources to confirm this however.

Although the status of this snow covered giant is still labelled as “Green” the Alaska Volcano Observatory continues to watch closely.