Final answer:
The 2018 volcanic activity of Mt. Cleveland, a stratovolcano in the Aleutian Islands, featured explosive activity and ash plumes due to subduction zone dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 2018, Mt. Cleveland, an active stratovolcano located in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, exhibited volcanic activity. The Aleutian Islands are positioned along a subduction zone at the boundary of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate, leading to the formation of volcanic features. The eruptions from Mt. Cleveland are typical of stratovolcanoes, marked by explosive activity and often releasing ash plumes into the atmosphere.
The melting process at this location is primarily flux melting, where water released from the subducting plate lowers the melting point of the overlying mantle, leading to the generation of magma. The 2018 eruption of Mt. Cleveland involved the extrusion of lava forming a new lava dome and the emission of ash. This type of volcanic activity is a testament to the dynamic nature of Earth's crust, especially in regions where tectonic plates interact. Mt. Cleveland's activity was monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), providing images and data that helped to understand the ongoing geological processes.
Visually, you could recognize the manifestation of the volcano's activity by a plume of ash seen in satellite imagery similar to an image captured in 2006 from the International Space Station. The remote location of the Aleutian Islands and the frequent cloud cover make direct observations challenging, but satellite technology allows scientists to monitor volcanic activity from space. Interesting to note, the ash plume from such volcanoes can pose a significant threat to aviation in the busy air routes over the North Pacific.