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The Alaska Volcano Observatory increased the alert level from "normal" to "advisory" after seismologists recorded a swarm of earthquakes beneath the summit of Tanaga Volcano, which has been dormant for over 100 years.
"[T]he activity escalated with earthquakes occurring as often as 2 or 3 each minute. Initial locations of these earthquakes place them at shallow depths beneath the summit of Tanaga Volcano, and the largest of these earthquakes have magnitudes between 2 and 3," the observatory wrote in a Facebook post.
Experts are not sure if an eruption is imminent but are continuing to monitor the volcano.
"Whether or not this will lead to an eruption is something we can't say at this point in time," John Power, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey stationed in Anchorage at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, told The Associated Press. "But we are concerned about it enough that we have gone and elevated the warning level."
If Tanaga Volcano erupts, it could result in ash falling in the city of Adak, which is about 65 miles away. It could also cause issues for air travel as the plume of smoke and ash could force airlines to cancel trips or find alternative routes.