Kasatochi Island

Kasatochi Island (Aleut: Qanan-tanax̂; Russian: Касаточий остров), also known as Kasatochi volcano, is an active stratovolcano and part of the Andreanof Islands subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska. On 7 August 2008, Kasatochi began erupting explosively with an ash plume reaching 45,000 feet (14,000 m). The eruption lasted for 24 hours and destroyed most life on the island. Since the eruption, it has been the site of research on the primary succession of species back onto the island. It currently does not support any consistent human population. Kasatochi Island is a member of the Aleutian Islands, which lie above a narrow ridge that separates the Bering Sea from the North Pacific. It lies at the Atka Pass northwest of the western tip of Atka Island and east of Great Sitkin Island. It is at 52.177° N latitude and 175.508° W longitude, with a summit elevation of 314 m (1030 ft.) It has a land area of 1.9503 sq mi (5.051 km2).