Mount Redoubt

Mount Redoubt, officially Redoubt Volcano, is an active stratovolcano in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, about 110 miles southwest of Anchorage. At 10,197 feet it is the highest summit in the Aleutian Range, and its eruptions in 1989 to 1990 and 2009 affected air travel and communities across Southcentral Alaska.[1]

Location and name

The volcano sits just west of Cook Inlet and rises about 9,150 feet above its surroundings. Its official name translates the Russian Sopka Redutskaya, meaning fortified place, and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names adopted it in 1891. The Dena’ina name is Bentuggezh K’enulgheli.[1]

1989–1990 eruption

The eruption began on 14 December 1989 and continued for more than six months, with an ash plume reaching 45,000 feet. Ash covered about 7,700 square miles, and damage was estimated at $160 million. A KLM Boeing 747 lost all four engines after flying into the ash cloud, then restarted them and landed safely in Anchorage.[1]

2009 eruption

Explosive activity ran from 22 March to 4 April 2009, with ash clouds reaching 65,000 feet, and activity continued into July. A lava dome grew after an explosion on 4 April and had stopped growing by July. Ash coated Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Valdez and much of the Kenai Peninsula, and closed Anchorage’s airport for 20 hours on 28 March. Lahars reached the Drift River Oil Terminal twice, requiring the removal of 140,000 barrels of crude oil.[1]

FAQs

How tall is Mount Redoubt? 10,197 feet.

When did it last erupt? In 2009, with activity into July.

What happened to the KLM plane? It lost power in ash in 1989, restarted its engines and landed safely.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Mount Redoubt

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 13, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue