Alaska Volcano Observatory to upgrade monitoring system

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Volcano Observatory plans to improve its monitoring system this year after the coronavirus pandemic delayed the changes last year. KTUU-TV reported the observatory hopes to finish required work to convert its volcanic monitoring stations from older analog technology to modernized digital sensors and add low-level sound sensors to seismic data. The observatory issues warnings that volcanoes are about to erupt, which are meant to be especially useful to communities, the fishing industry and airlines. The system improvements will cover volcanoes from Mount Spurr in south-central Alaska to Kiska Volcano near the end of the Aleutian Islands.