The surging seismic/volcanic activity at Mount Redoubt, an active volcano in southern Alaska, on Sunday, compelled the Alaskan seismologists and geologists to raise the alert level, about the eruption of the volcano, to "Orange" colored "WATCH" status.

The "Orange" colored "WATCH" status, according to the U. S. Geological Survey's color-coded alert levels, signifies that the volcano "is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption" or that "eruption is underway with no or minor volcanic-ash emissions." The next level "RED" signifies that the "eruption is imminent or underway".

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) reported that there was sharp, dramatic increase in the seismic/volcanic activity at Mount Redoubt on Sunday, "with tremors and small discrete earthquakes recurring as often as twice a minute".

According to the seismologists/geologists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, they witnessed notable increase in the Mount Redoubt's seismic/volcanic activity over the past two days. They observed steam plume rising about 1,000 feet above the mountain peak on Saturday, and on Sunday, they recorded 40 to 50 seisms (quakes) every hour.

The geophysicists/geologists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said, "Shallow earthquake activity under the volcano has been as high as 26 events per 10-minute period." The AVO geophysicist Rick Wessel said, "The steam plume seems to have a little bit more puffing to it today. It's got some pulses."

According to the scientists, the increasing seismic activity signifies that there is "either the upward movement of magma or pressurization of the system".

"It is possible for unrest at the volcano to change rapidly, and seismic activity or other signs of unrest could escalate culminating in an eruption within days to weeks," said the scientists at the AVO.

The AVO geophysicists warned that the volcano was readying for eruption within days. Rick Wessel said, "It's definitely a different kind of signal that we haven't seen yet, and one that typically precedes an eruption, but it could still be days -- it's hard to put a timeline on it."

Scientists in late January warned that the volcano could erupt at any time, but the eruption hasn't occurred yet. The Mount Redoubt volcano, located in Lake Clark National Park, roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, last erupted in the winter of 1989-1990.