The Alaska Volcano Observatory on Tuesday morning dropped the caution level for Mount Redoubt to alert level advisory and aviation color code yellow.

"Seismic, satellite, gas and deformation observations over the past few weeks indicate that growth of the lava dome at Redoubt has significantly slowed, if not stopped, and therefore it is possible that the current eruptive activity has ended," AVO said in a notice June 30.

It's unknown if the eruption has stopped completely or if activity has paused temporarily and could resume, scientists cautioned.

A large lava dome that has been building since the March 15 eruption began could be unstable and fail with little or no warning. Small steam explosions and rock falls at the summit and in the upper Drift River glacier valley also could happen.

Seismicity remains elevated above normal background levels, but has declined to fewer than six earthquakes a day. Normal background level is fewer than four earthquakes a month. Gas emissions remain high, but have fallen to half of those in mid May.

The most likely scenario is for a continued decline in seismicity and gas emissions leading to an end of the eruption, scientists said. Other possible scenarios are that gas would build up in Redoubt, leading to another explosion, or that the dome would continue to build.

AVO scientists continue to monitor Redoubt, but will begin shifting from 24-hour staffing. For updates, visit www.avo.alaska.edu.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michaelarmstrong.@homernews.com.