Satellites provided additional plume heights and lengths 24-25 August (table 2). A press report described an ash eruption that began suddenly on 11 October at 0930. The ash cloud was about 3 km high and extended roughly 40 km.

Table 2. Satellite-derived estimates of altitudes, lengths, and azimuths of plumes from Pagan, August 1988. Courtesy of NOAA/NESDIS.

Geological Summary. Pagan Island, the largest and one of the most active of the Mariana Islands volcanoes, consists of two stratovolcanoes connected by a narrow isthmus. Both North and South Pagan stratovolcanoes were constructed within calderas, 7 and 4 km in diameter, respectively. North Pagan at the NE end of the island rises above the flat floor of the northern caldera, which may have formed less than 1,000 years ago. South Pagan is a stratovolcano with an elongated summit containing four distinct craters. Almost all of the recorded eruptions, which date back to the 17th century, have originated from North Pagan. The largest eruption during historical time took place in 1981 and prompted the evacuation of the sparsely populated island.

Information Contacts: M. Matson, NOAA; N. Banks, CVO; Marianas Variety.