Volcano Eruption in Cleveland Alaska sparks Airline Alerts

Scientists raised the alert level for trans-pacific commercial air traffic on Thursday, based on the satellite images of the Cleveland volcanic eruption in Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

Satellite images at 4:02 a.m. (Alaska time) showed Cleveland Volcano had spewed ash 15,000 feet into the air in a cloud that moved east-southeast, the Associated Press reported the Alaska Volcano Observatory as saying.

Though the eruption is small and not expected to pose any threat to the big airlines at this point in time, scientists have increased the alert level from yellow to orange, which represents an increased potential of eruptions with or without ash emissions.

The airline industry had already been on alert as the ash emissions could cause disruptions for the air traffic once it reached the level of 20,000 feet. Earlier in July, satellite images showed lava build up in the crater and accumulation in the form of a dome.

The Cleveland Mountain is situated on an uninhabited Chuginadak Island and is a 5,675-foot peak.