An Aleutian volcano that lies on a major international flight path has erupted.  Cleveland volcano sent up a 15,000 foot ash cloud early this morning.  The Alaska Volcano Observatory has been keeping tabs on Cleveland since July, when a lava dome in its crater started to grow. Geophysicist Sheryl Searcy says this is a relatively minor explosion that shouldn’t affect air travel.

“Right now it looks like it was a pretty small, isolated event.”

But the Observatory is continuing to monitor for further eruptions via satellite imagery.  In the past Cleveland has sent up plumes of well over 20,000 feet, which is generally considered the alert threshold for aviation.

The volcano is on unpopulated Chuginadak Island.  The nearest community is Nikolski.  Resident Doris Kompkoff says most people didn’t know the volcano exploded until the local air carrier told them.

The ash cloud is moving traveling south-southeast and isn’t expected to pass over Nikolski or Unalaska.