The Makushin Volcano (also known as Mount Makushin) is an ice-covered stratovolcano located on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands of the U.S. state of Alaska. With an elevation of ,
Etymology
thumb|left|NASA satellite view of Unalaska Island. Makushin is the prominent white snowy area to the northwest
In 1792, Sarichev called the volcano "Ognedyshushchaya Gora" meaning "fire-breathing mountain", i.e. volcano in Russian. In 1825, it was known as Makuschkin Volcano, possibly from the Russian word makushka, meaning "the top (of the head)". Its native name was Aigagin, a derivative of the word Aigak in the native tongue of the Aleuts.
Makushin was also the native village here on the northern shore of the Makushin Bay where the foreman or bidarshik of the Russian American Company lived. There were six huts (yourts) where 35 natives lived. In the 1987 eruption, which occurred on March 2, the plume rose to above the volcano. The 1980 eruption was comparatively of smaller magnitude emanating from a vent on the southern side about below the volcanic peak.
Geography
thumb|Makushin Volcano in 1982
Mount Makushin is located on the northern Unalaska Island, which is situated to the west of the town of Dutch Harbor. The Unalaska Bay, which is wide, separates the Dutch Harbor and Unalaska towns. The volcano is truncated, with a width of , forming the triangular northwest extension of the Unalaska Island. Compared with the other Aleutian strato-volcanoes in the region, which have steep profiles, the Makushin volcano is a contrast that exhibits a broad and dome like structure with an ice field coverage of . Fumaroles and hot springs in area form a roughly linear trend.
Research studies
The high-temperature geothermal resources study of volcanoes in Alaska has covered the geothermal areas in the summit caldera peak and also on the southeastern and eastern flanks of the Makushin.