Pavlof Volcano eruption escalates, triggers official warning

COLD BAY, Alaska, June 3 (UPI) -- The eruption of Alaska's Pavlof Volcano has slowly intensified since it began over the weekend, leading officials to raise the alert level from "Watch" to "Warning." The color code has been moved to "Red."

What appeared as only a small smolder on Saturday has since escalated, with a smoke plume rising some 22,000 feet in the air and -- as seen with NASA satellite imagery -- drifting some 50 miles to the southeast.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, campers nearby reported seeing lava seeping from the volcano's peak.

At 8,262 feet, Pavlof lies on the Alaska Peninsula, part of the Aleutian Arc, roughly 625 miles southwest of Anchorage, and is one of the state's most active volcanoes.

Last year, a similar eruption prompted flight cancellations, as Pavlof sits just below the flight path preferred by most airlines carrying passengers between North America and Asia.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory continues to provide updated imagery and information on the ongoing eruption.