If Kick-’em-Jenny is not currently erupting why is it at alert level YELLOW?
At any given time, the alert level reflects the status of the volcano. Generally, if a volcano is quiet, the alert level for that volcano is GREEN. However, because of a) the ever-present hazard at the Kick-‘em-Jenny in the form of degassing, which could lower the water density above the volcano and cause boats to sink, b) the fact that the volcano erupts so frequently (on average every 5 years) and c) the fact that we cannot physically see the volcano, scientists do not consider the volcano “safe”, which is what would be implied by a GREEN alert level. For this reason, the normal alert level at Kick-’em-Jenny is YELLOW. This alert level requires a 1.5 km radius exclusion zone around the volcano. Should the alert level increase to Orange or Red, as it did during the December 2001 and 2015 eruptions, the radius of the exclusion zone increases to 5 km.