Russia volcano ash drifts over northern Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An ash plume drifting from a Russia volcano has prompted flight cancellations in northern Alaska.

William Walsh, a spokesman for Ravn Alaska, says the airline cancelled flights Wednesday to and from Kotzebue and Deadhorse, the supply hub for the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.

Alaska Airlines officials say no flights were immediately affected.

Dave Schneider with the Alaska Volcano Observatory says the cloud originated from the Sheveluch Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, which erupted Tuesday, sending an ash cloud about 26,000 feet into the atmosphere. The plume drifted over parts of northern Alaska on Wednesday.

The volcano is about 1,350 miles (2,172 kilometres) southwest of Kotzebue.

The ash plume prompted the National Weather Service to issue volcanic ash advisories in Alaska.

Ash clouds above 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) can harm aircraft.