Before and after photos of Bogoslof Island show big changes after recent eruption

(Photo by Chris Waythomas, AVO-USGS)

New photos show the dramatic effect of volcanic explosions on Bogoslof Island. The Eastern Aleutian island is home to a volcano that has been erupting since mid-December. Now, the tiny island is even smaller and it’s shaped like a hook.

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Chris Waythomas, of the U.S. Geological Survey, said the photos also show ash on the island.

“There’s ash draping over everything,” Waythomas said. “There’s a layer of fine muddy-looking ash covering what was a partially vegetated island.”

When all is said and done, Waythomas said it’s possible Bogoslof Island could be a lot smaller. He estimated that, so far, about a third of the island has been destroyed from this eruption.

Zoe Sobel is a reporter with Alaska's Energy Desk based in Unalaska. As a high schooler in Portland, Maine, Zoë Sobel got her first taste of public radio at NPR’s easternmost station. From there, she moved to Boston where she studied at Wellesley College and worked at WBUR, covering sports for Only A Game and the trial of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

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