US Volcano will erupt 'soon' and trigger international travel chaos, experts say

Residents in Anchorage, the state's most densely populated city, are currently bracing for Mount Spurr to blow in a matter of "weeks to months".

The 11,000-foot-tall dome sits about 80 miles outside the city, but experts say those living nearby won't be the only ones impacted by the explosion.

The eruption is also set to cause travel chaos for thousands, with Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) potentially being shut down due to the ash cloud.

Pausing all flights to and from the airports would lead to a ripple effect across the country, causing delays and cancellations on a much wider scale.

As well as impacting the hundreds of passenger flights that fly over Anchorage and Fairbanks each day, international cargo transport will also be thrown into turmoil.

ANC has more 8,000 cargo flights passing through each month, making it the the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world.

Read more: UK launches airstrikes on Yemen - joining US in campaign against Houthi rebels

Read more: Paris cafes caught cheating tourists by pouring cheap wine after customer pay for posh bottles

An update from the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) on Tuesday revealed that unrest continues at Mount Spurr.

There have been "frequent small volcanic earthquakes" detected beneath the volcano in the last day, it said.

"Most of the earthquakes that are occurring under the volcano are too small to be located.

"Nothing unusual was observed in cloudy to partly cloudy webcam and satellite views."

When the volcano erupts, the ash cloud will pose a significant hazard to airplanes.

Flying through it could damage windscreens, fuselage surfaces, compressor fan blades and potentially kill the engine.

Ash particles also pose a risk to critical navigational and operational instruments.

ANC is a major cargo hub because it it perfectly positioned to transit freight between Asia and North America.

Freight shipments, e-commerce and manufacturing deliveries can be delayed by the most minor of disruptions, so a total shutdown would bring the whole network to a halt.

As for passenger flights, both ANC and FAI are also critical for passenger flights for polar and Pacific air routes.

Flights between North America and Asia, or the US and Europe, sometimes rely on these airports for diversion, refuelling or emergency landings.

If they were forced to re-route because of a closure, it would result in longer flight times and congestion at alternate airports.

Departing flights could also be grounded for hours or days until the ash cloud clears, depending on how long the eruption lasts.

Mount Spurr's last eruption came in 1992, when three explosive events took place in July, August and September.

During the August eruption, ANC shut down for about 20 hours, impacting commerce and transportation.