April 16, 2016 - JAPAN - After a series of deadly earthquakes in Japan, a “small-scale” eruption
of Mount Aso has been recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
However, it decided to keep the alert level at 2, as it was not
immediately clear whether the natural disasters were related.
Plumes of smoke rose some 100 meters into the sky, according to
local media and videos captured by witnesses.
The eruption of Mt. Aso,
located in southern Japan, was recorded at around 11:30pm GMT Friday.Since
small eruptions had been recorded at Mt. Aso even before the series of
deadly quakes hit the area on Thursday and Friday, the Japanese
Meteorological Agency has reportedly decided to keep the alert level at 2
on a scale of 1-5.The volcano eruption follows two deadly earthquakes and dozens of powerful aftershocks that devastated Japan earlier this week.
On Friday (1:25am Saturday local time) a violent 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu. At least 11 people have so been confirmed dead in the disaster so far, while several dozens are feared to still be trapped under the rubble. Some 760 were treated in hospitals while rescue teams continue to search ruined houses.
Just a day beforehand, the same region was rattled by a 6.5 quake, in which at least ine people were killed and more than 850 injured. Authorities went on to evacuate over 40,000 people as scientists began to monitor nearby volcanoes for any signs of activity.
WATCH: Mount Aso volcano erupts.
Japanese authorities were also worried about a potential repeat of the 2011 Fukushima disaster scenario, when a 15-meter post-quake tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown. However, so far the Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities had been recorded at three nuclear plants on the island of Kyushu and nearby Shikoku.
Over a hundred aftershocks have hit the region following the initial Thursday tremor. Officials have warned that the risk of further strong aftershocks will linger for about a week. - RT.
November 29, 2014 - JAPAN
- Dozens of flights were disrupted in Japan on Thursday as Mount Aso,
the largest active volcano in the country, spewed ash and stones. This
comes just two months after more than 60 were killed in the Mount Ontake
eruption.
Japanese airlines were forced to cancel 49 flights as
Mount Aso, which dominates the south-west Japanese island of Kyushu,
spewed stones and ash, the local Jiji news agency reported on Thursday. "Today we canceled eight flights departing from Kumamoto and four flights arriving there," a Japan Airlines spokesman told AFP. "There was also one flight which changed destination to a nearby airport," he added.
The
massive volcano, one of the largest active ones in the world, started
rumbling on Tuesday, while the next day it sent a stream of ash 1,000
meters into the air, local media reported citing Japan’s meteorologists.
Japanese
media also said volcanic ash fell on Bungo-Ono, in Oita Prefecture, and
the town of Gokase, in Miyazaki Prefecture, about 40 km from the
volcano.
Rocks flew 200 meters high from belching Mount
Aso on Thursday, while meteorologists warned that flying rocks and ash
could hit within a 1 km radius from the volcano. Local Asahi Shimbun
reported that it was the first time the volcano had spewed rocks since
1995.
On Wednesday, Japan’s meteorological agency issued a warning
– a level 2 alert out of 5 - to residents around the volcano in
Kumamoto Prefecture. The second alert level restricts approach the
volcano to no nearer than 1 km.
The meteorological agency’s
Fukuoka Regional Headquarters reported slight distortions in the shape
of Mount Aso, which indicate that magma was possibly involved in the
latest eruption, according to Asahi Shimbun. Magmatic eruptions are
characterized by gas release and explosions.
Mount Aso’s activity
comes just weeks after 60 people were killed in Mount Ontake unexpected
eruption in September. This forced a revaluation of volcanic activity
risks and the possibility of its prediction. Questions have also arisen
over whether Mount Fuji - the highest and most famous mountain in Japan,
which was last active in 1707–08 – could erupt.
WATCH: Mount Aso erupts.
The
stratovolcano’s activity would not only threaten those in the adjacent
Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, but also the highly populated
Japanese capital, meteorologists said.
Recent research conducted
by Japanese scientists and released by Kobe University in October said
that about 95 percent of Japan’s population is at risk of being
devastated by a major volcanic eruption, which could happen “at any moment” within the next century. "It is not an overstatement to say that a colossal volcanic eruption would leave Japan extinct as a country," the authors of the study said, according to AFP. - RT.
November 22, 2014 - MEXICO
- Mexican Volcano of Fire has erupted shooting an ash column 5
kilometers into the air and covering towns as far as 25 kilometers from
the peak.
Mexico's federal civil defense office said that no
injuries or evacuations have been reported as Colima volcano spewed hot,
dry rock and gases two kilometers from the crater at about 12:24 local
time.
"We recommend that
people cover their nose and mouth, protect sources of potable water, and
avoid dumping ash in drainage systems because it hardens with
moisture," national civil protection coordinator Luis Felipe Puente told Foro television.
Colima Volcano.(Reuters / Bernardo de Niz)
Colima Volcano.(Reuters / Bernardo de Niz)
Colima Volcano.(Reuters / Bernardo de Niz)
Colima Volcano.(Reuters / Bernardo de Niz)
Colima Volcano.(Reuters / Bernardo de Niz)
For
now, the situation does not present a risk to the population, however,
the Interior Ministry will send a team to conduct an evaluation of the
activity at the crater.
The team will be headed by the Director General
of Civil Protection, Ricardo de la Cruz Musalem, and staff from the
National Center for Disaster Prevention.
WATCH: Mexican Volcano of Fire spews 5km-high pillar of ash.
Ash fall is reported in
the municipalities of Tonila, Zapotiltic, Jalisco, QueserÃa, and Colima,
at distances of up to 25 kilometers from the volcano.
The
3,820-meter volcano lies 690 kilometers northwest of Mexico City, on the
border of Colima and Jalisco states and is considered to be one of the
most dangerous in North America. - RT.
November 5, 2014 - TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES - October 20 inspection of [Tennessee's Boone] dam revealed a sink hole… Six days later, an uncommon occurrencehappened when seepage was found near the location of the sink hole at the base of the dam… - Oct. 30, 2014 (emphasis added) - Johnson City Press.
BOONE
DAM STABILITY ISSUES… “TVA conducted a briefing for government
officials… after discovery of a sink hole near the base… water and
sediment [has been] found seeping from the river below the dam. TVA is
continuously monitoring the dam… The dam is located upstream of all three TVA nuclear sites… The NRC Senior Resident Inspector was notified. The licensee is evaluating this event for potential impact on the design basis flooding level.” - Oct. 30, 2014 - NRC.
Tennessee
Valley Authority engineers [will] search for the source of water
seepage… Water and sediment were found Sunday seeping from the river
bank below the dam. - Oct. 30, 2014 - Times Free Press.
A sink hole was discovered near the base… water and sediment was found seeping from the river bank below the dam…. - Oct. 30, 2014 - TVA.
[We're]
exercising an abundance of caution… Unless it’s a huge storm, we can do
what we need… we are continuously monitoring the dam… engineers want to
be sure we understand what caused the sink hole and where the water and
sediment is coming from. - John McCormick, VP at TVA.
[A]
sinkhole and seepage of clay particulates into the water at Boone dam…
[is near] the bottom of structure on the river side of the dam… TVA employees are working around the clock to find the cause of the sinkhole and the source of the seepage. “Theseepage into the waterwayis not a common occurrence,” said McCormick… they do not have a definite timetable for finding the source of the seepage…. - Oct. 30, 2014 - WCYB.
Boone Dam is just over the border from Virginia, where a powerful M5.9 quake struck in 2011 ... TVA inspects dams, nuclear plants after earthquake [and] is in the process of performing visual walk downs and inspections at… Boone. - Times Free Press.
[Quakes]
in the eastern U.S. can travel much farther and cause damage over
larger areas than previously thought [and] damaging effects can extend
over a much larger area… the farthest landslide from the 2011 Virginia
earthquake was 245 km from the epicenter. This is by far the greatest
landslide distance recorded from any other earthquake of similar
magnitude… [This quake] occurred in an area 20 times larger than
expected [and] landslide distances… are remarkable… [it's] the largest
distance limit ever recorded…. - USGS.
March 23, 2014 - TEXAS, UNITED STATES - The cause of the radiation leaks at the United States’ first nuclear
waste repository are still under investigation, but in the meantime
government officials have decided to move a stalled shipment of waste to
a private dump in Texas.
AFP Photo / Barbara Sax
According to Reuters, the shipment of approximately 1,000 barrels of radioactive leftovers to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, was put on hold when the facility began leaking radioactive material in February. On Thursday, the Department of Energy announced it would temporarily relocate those barrels to a rural site in western Texas.
Beginning in April, shipments from Los Alamos National Laboratory will commence as officials hope to remove the barrels – currently stored outside and potentially at risk of a wildfire – by the original June deadline. The waste includes items contaminated with low level radiation such as clothing, tools, soil, rags, and other items. These barrels will be held in Andrews County until the WIPP reopens.
"Removing waste from the mesa in Los Alamos before fire season is critical to ensure safety in the greater Los Alamos community," Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "I'm pleased we have a temporary solution that will ensure there will not be any significant disruption in cleanup efforts."
However, the move has not been greeted positively by Greg Mello of the watchdog Los Alamos Study Group, who dismissed the risk of wildfire to the AP and said shipping the barrels twice poses more of a danger.
Although this is the first time the WIPP has reported a leak since it was established in 1999, a series of incidents beginning in February have raised concerns regarding the plant’s safety. Before radiation levels rose at all, a salt truck caught fire at the facility, though it’s not believed to be related to the current predicament.
Still, when the WIPP may actually reopen remains unclear. Federal officials are still trying to determine exactly what caused the spike in radiation levels on February 14, but have pinpointed the location of the leak to one of the underground storage tunnels sitting about 600 meters underground. As reported by Reuters, at least 17 workers have been exposed to radiation.
Meanwhile, a second release of radiation was detected by air monitoring stations in the surrounding area, but officials have cautioned throughout this episode that the radiation does not pose a threat to public health.
"We are doing ongoing monitoring of air, soil, water and vegetation, and we are seeing nothing that indicates any health impacts to workers, the public, or the environment," said Energy Department spokesman Brad Bugger said to the Wall Street Journal.
A report on the leak is expected sometime in April, but in the meantime energy officials have been pushed to seek out alternative storage options in states like Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, all of which ship waste to the WIPP. - RT.
February 14, 2014 - INDONESIA - A volcano eruption in Indonesia killed three people and forced tens of thousands more out of their homes, the disaster management agency said Friday.
Two died from smoke inhalation while the third was hit by a collapsing wall. Officials had originally reported two deaths due to falling building debris.
Mount Kelud in the eastern part of the main island Java has been spewing ash for at least two days high into the air, as a smoke plume has risen from out of its crater into the sky.
The government raised its eruption alert to its highest level overnight, and authorities have ordered an evacuation of all residents in a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) radius of the volcano in eastern Java.
At the height of the crisis Friday, 100,000 people evacuated, but that number later dropped to more than 75,000.
Seven airports closed due to volcanic ash, which filled the skies and can lead to jet engine problems.
Lightning was seen striking the volcano's peak as it spewed debris, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
The nation's volcanology agency said other smaller eruptions could happen. Authorities urged people to stay outside the 10-kilometer radius.
Pictures from the scene show large black plumes rising over Mount Kelud, raining pebbles and ash on the surrounding area.
WATCH: Indonesian volcano erupts, killing 3 and grounding flights.
WATCH:
Volcanic ash blankets towns & villages in Java, Indonesia.
The military has been called in to help evacuate people from the area to nearby shelters.
Mount Kelud last erupted in 2007, but it has recently ramped up activity in the past 10 days.
In 1990, an eruption killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds.
Indonesia is part of the vast "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of colliding continental plates where powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur. - CNN.
February 13, 2014 - INDONESIA - Volcanic ash from a major eruption in Indonesia shrouded a large
swath of the country's most densely populated island on Friday, closed
three international airports and sent thousands fleeing.
This file pic shows another Indonesian volcano - Mount Sinabung -
erupting in Perteguhan,
North Sumatra, Indonesia Photo: AP Photo/Binsar
Bakkara
First light brought clear the extent of the overnight explosive eruption at Mount Kelud on Java Island, though there was no immediate word on any casualties.
Booms from the mountain could be heard 130 kilometers (80 miles) away in
Surabaya, the country's second-largest city, and even further afield in
Jogyakarta.
Villagers sit inside a car as they are
evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Kelud in Kediri, East
Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014. Indonesia's mount Kelud in
densely populated Java Island has erupted, forcing evacuation of
thousands of people. Head of volcano monitoring agency Muhammad
Hendrasto, said the mountain in Kediri regency erupted late Thursday,
just about 90 minutes after authorities raised its status to the highest
level.AP PHOTO
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/13/5336864/indonesias-mount-kelud-in-java.html#storylink=cpy
Villagers walk as they are evacuated from
their homes on the slope of Mount Kelud in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia,
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014. Indonesia's mount Kelud in densely populated
Java Island has erupted, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.
Head of volcano monitoring agency Muhammad Hendrasto, said the mountain
in Kediri regency erupted late Thursday, just about 90 minutes after
authorities raised its status to the highest level.AP PHOTO
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/02/13/5336864/indonesias-mount-kelud-in-java.html#storylink=cpy
Ash covered the ground in both cities and was still falling, according to witnesses and accounts on social media. TV footage from towns closer to the peak showed farmyard animals covered in ash.
Transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said Jogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya airports were closed due to reduced visibility and the dangers posed to aircraft engines by ash.
This photograph taken on February 12, 2014 shows residents looking at
Mount Sinabung volcano,
which erupted earlier this month on Sumatra
island (AFP/File, Sutanta Aditya)
The growing plume from the February 14, 2014 eruption of Kelut in Indonesia. Image: JMA, edited by E. Klemetti.
The 1,731-meter (5,680-feet) Kelud had been rumbling for several weeks.
Muhammad Hendrasto, head of the country's volcano monitoring agency, said the mountain in East Java province erupted violently about 90 minutes after authorities raised its status to the highest level.
Officials late Thursday urged about 200,000 people living in 36 villages within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the crater to evacuate. It was unclear how many people heeded that warning, though thousands fled when the blasts began.
Kelud is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelagic nation is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called "Ring of Fire" — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
The eruption at Kelud in Indonesia on February 14, 2014, with volcanic lightning being generated
in the ash plume. Image: @hilmi_dzi / Twitter, used by permission.
The eruption at Kelud, seen just before 11 pm (local time) on February 14, 2014.
Image: @hilmi_dzi / Twitter, used by permission.
Data from the seismic station monitoring Kelud in Indonesia. Image: Kediri Regency
Due to its population density and fertile soils that volcanic slopes provide, hundreds of thousands of Indonesians live close to active volcanos. They have learnt to live with the rumblings, and frequently ignore orders to leave.
The last major eruption at Kelud was in 1990, when it kicked out searing fumes and lava that killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds.
WATCH: Television and eye-witness reports on the volcanic eruption.
In 1919, a powerful explosion that reportedly could be heard hundreds of miles away killed at least 5,160.
Earlier this month, Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province erupted as authorities were allowing thousands of villagers who had been evacuated to return to its slopes, killing 16 people. Sinabung has been erupting for four months, forcing the evacuation of more than 30,000 people. - Sun Herald.
February 10, 2014 - PACIFIC OCEAN - Five military ships and about 600 military personnel from 13 nations
will join New Zealand forces this month in an exercise to test New
Zealand's readiness to help its Pacific neighbors after a natural
disaster, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced Wednesday.
The
exercise to be held in Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf, in the upper east
of the North Island, from Feb. 17 to March 7 and would include forces
from Australia, China, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore
and the United States, said a statement from the NZDF.
The Royal
New Zealand Navy was organizing the Western Pacific Naval Symposium
(WPNS), which would be the largest naval exercise hosted by New Zealand
in decades, it said.
The training scenario was set in the
fictional and remote South Pacific island nation of the Barclay Islands
after a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and a powerful tsunami.
Key
shipping channels into the capital would be cut off and mines and
explosive remnants dating from World War II would litter coastal waters.
The
scenario would see a multinational task force led by New Zealand
personnel deployed to create new shipping routes to undamaged coastal
areas so that humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies could be
delivered. - Global Times.
February 04, 2014 - OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES - Bank of Albuquerque and Bank of Oklahoma have announced a preparedness
drill which will disrupt internet based and automated bank services.
January 30, 2014 - UNITED STATES - Stop the press! A recent snowstorm that blanked Atlanta and parts of
Virginia sending thousands of residents into turmoil, causing nearly the
entire city to come to a standstill, may have been a false flag
operation or beta test carried out by diabolic factions of the U.S.
government.
While the motive is not yet fully known, one thing is for sure, havoc
has ensued and something is just not sitting right with people in the
region.
Rebekah Cole left work Tuesday afternoon and was still sitting in
traffic 10 hours later — at 1 a.m. Wednesday. She said she hoped her
car wouldn’t run out of fuel as she prepared to spend the night in it. She described what she had seen as a “zombie movie” — droves of people got out of their cars and were having conversations. In the dead of night, they talked and walked between cars covered in white powder.
But what if that powder was made of a synthetic material? The Proof
How many times have you seen snow in your life?
I am guessing that everyone reading this likely has seen and handled
snow at one time or another. I mean, anyone that has handled snow knows
that it melts as it is simply made of water.
Shockingly, after “massive chemtrail” sightings over the state of
Georgia and parts of West Virginia over the last few days, residents are
becoming wiser–nonetheless the government and mainstream media remains
silent.
Response by Atlanta city officials including the mayor have been limited, blaming the storm on a “faulty weather forecast”.
Concerned citizens and experts alike have been left to wonder how such a big city can be caught off guard by a snowstorm.
It is also important to point out that mainstream media rhetoric has
become extremely unusual regarding the weather in Atlanta over the past
24 hours. A Call To Action
While the true intent of this operation, likely militarized, is
currently unknown, it begs for a few good questions. I mean, why would
the military want to demobilize the city of Atlanta for days? If they
did, what would be the purpose? Interestingly, a few things actually
come to mind.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC), based in Atlanta
Preparations for martial law based on a known future event to take place soon
Prepositioning of military forces
Right now we are looking for boots on the ground reports out of Atlanta, to help aid our investigation into this matter.
WATCH: Here are several video evidence:
Many other videos proving something is wrong have been posted as we
It should be noted that the mayor of Atlanta stated in a press conference that the city was caught off guard. However, he keeps speaking rather cryptically, using odd terminology, alluding to the fact that military personnel will be present and future preparations may be necessary.
A State of Emergency has been declared. - Intellihub.
January 14, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted more than 30 times Tuesday spewing lava and ash clouds over a wide area, officials said, with more than 26,000 people now forced to flee their homes.
Mount Sinabung spews volcanic ash and lava near Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia. After a few days of
deceiving calm, the eruption of the volcano
intensified again today and produced the so-far largest
pyroclastic
flows, reaching probably more than 5-6 km in length, and associated
ash
plumes that rose to approx. 25,000 ft (8 km) altitude. AFP Photo.
Sinabung, which lies in the northwest of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, sent hot rocks and ash 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) into in the air, spreading hot clouds over a 4.5 kilometres radius, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation told AFP.
Enormous clouds rose from the mountain, as thick layers of grey ash blanketed plantations and nearby houses.
With the volcano erupting regularly, many of those who have left their homes since Sinabung started erupting in September have fallen ill, a local government official said.
WATCH: Sinabung volcano activity.
“Some refugees are sick, coughing mainly, and they are also in need of clean water,” Robert Peranginangin,a spokesman for Karo district, told AFP.
Volcanoes are a regular threat for many living in Indonesia near their fertile slopes. Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It had been quiet for around 400 years until it rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September last year.
WATCH: New footage shows devastation caused by Sinabung volcano eruption.
In August 2013, five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a small island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.
The country’s most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of eruptions in 2010.
Shiveluch (Kamchatka):
The volcano continues to erupt viscous lava and has frequent small to
medium-sized explosions. This morning, it produced again an ash plume
that rose to estimated 27,000 ft (8.1 km) altitude that drifted WSW,
Tokyo VAAC alerted the aviation community.
Ash plume from Shiveluch this morning (KVERT webcam).
Aso (Kyushu):
The volcano had a small eruption from the Nakadake crater today. On the
following webcam video for the past 30 hours, a strong increase in
activity can be noted during the past 12 hours. The degassing plume
possibly contains some ash and faint red glow is visible on some images
of tonight (towards the end of the video):
WATCH: Aso volcano activity.
VAAC Tokyo confirms a small ash plume that drifted south at approx 2000 m
altitude. A small thermal anomaly is identifiable on satellite data as
well.
The volcano is active from 2 vents in the Nakadake crater. During the
night, sometime strong incandescence, suggesting possible weak
(strombolian-type) ejections of lava, steaming and minor ash venting are
visible.
WATCH: Aso volcano activity.
Suwanose-jima (Tokara Islands, Japan):
Activity remains elevated. Bright glow from what is most likely strong
and near-continuous strombolian activity, a degassing plume and
sometimes low ash plumes are visible on the webcam:
WATCH: Suwanose-jima volcano activity.
Dukono (Halmahera):
Explosive activity - strombolian to vulcanian style - continues. VAAC
Darwin spotted ash plumes rising to 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude and
drifting 60 nautical miles to the NE this morning.
Ambrym (Vanuatu):
Richard Henley (geology professor from Australia) posted a great video
of the active lava lakes of Ambrym and strombolian activity in Yasur,
taken in Aug 2012 during our Vanuatu volcano tour:
During some periods of the night incandescence was observed over the crater.
Santa MarÃa / Santiaguito (Guatemala):
The volcano's activity has remained essentially unchanged. Small
explosions, intense degassing and viscous lava extrusion, especially on
the NE side of the Caliente dome were reported this morning.
Pacaya (Guatemala):
Activity continues to decrease back to normal levels. Apart from weak
activity left at the southern fissure, the lava flow emission has ceased
and the flows are now cooling. Strombolian activity at the summit vent
decreased as well back to mild levels with ejections rarely surpassing
50 m.
Video from the lava flows 2 days ago:
WATCH: Pacaya volcano activity.
Fuego (Guatemala):
Activity at the volcano is still elevated but slowly decreasing. The
observatory reported 4 moderate and 13 weak explosions with ash plumes
rising to 500-800 m height above the crater, glowing material thrown to
200 m above the crater. The lava flow on the upper southern slope
decreased to 200 m length.
No significant changes have occurred, but the authorities warn that
another eruption in the near to medium-term
future cannot be ruled out.
Seismic activity with the presence of volcanic tremor remains at
elevated, fluctuating
levels. A degassing, SO2-rich plume rises about
150 meters above the crater. Current seismic signal at San Miguel
volcano (VSM station, MARN)
San Miguel (El Salvador): The alert status remains today in El Salvador by seismic activity of the Chaparrastique volcano, except in the eastern department of San Miguel, where the volcano of 2130 meters above sea level is located. According to the latest special report from Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), as vibrations persist and gases column is visible, the possibility of another eruption is not ruled out in the coming days or weeks through the central crater or their flanks.
Environment officials are urging people not to approach the volcano crater and abide by the instructions issued by the General Department of Civil Protection. MARN explained that the vibration levels and emission have shown changes but remain. Comments that include images captured by Web cameras installed northwest, southwest and south of the volcano indicate that the emission of gases from the crater have remained without significant changes and have reached a height of 150 meters. The Chaparrastique had an eruption on 29 December that forced the country’s authorities to evacuate nearby populations. The performance of Civil Protection, in coordination with the various state agencies prevented loss of life and serious injuries.
Nevado del Huila (Colombia):
Following a nearby magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 06:07 local time on 9
Jan, a swarm of volcanic-tectonic quakes was detected at 12-16 km
distance NE of the volcano and at approx 10 km depth. During the first
day, more than 600 small quakes were recorded. The swarm decreased over
the past days and no other (visual, deformation etc.) changes at the
volcano were observed.
Galeras (Colombia):
The volcano emitted again small ash plumes yesterday. The rate of such
small eruptions has apparently picked up. Pasto observatory last
reported similar small ash emissions on 13, 26 and 31 December, and on 8
January.
Ash emissions from Galera yesterday (INGEOMINAS).
No significant seismic activity accompanies these events
which suggests that the volcano is currently not heading for more
violent activity.
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia):
Over the past weeks, the volcano continued to have rather low seismic
activity, mainly in the "usual" area S and SE of the Arenas crater at
approx 8 km depth. At the surface, the volcano produces intense
degassing with a plume sometimes reaching 1.5 km height.
SO2 plume from Nevado del Ruiz volcano (NOAA)
Sotará (Colombia):
Seismic activity remains above background and is mainly associated to
internal rock fracturing processes. During the first week of the new
year, the number of earthquakes increased slightly, with a magnitude 3.7
quake at 12:22 local time on 5 Jan.
January 12, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Pacaya (Guatemala): The ongoing eruption of the volcano involved the opening of at least two
effusive fissure vents on the northern and southern base of the
Mackenney cone (this info according to images and maps published by
CONRED, although CONRED / INSIVUMEH at the same time report 3 vents on
the east, west and south flank).
Lava flowing from the Pacaya volcano near Guatemala City has prompted the evacuation of people
living nearest the crater, Guatemala authorities said today.
Map of the lava flows from Pacaya today (CONRED).
These fissures feed two large (and possibly one smaller third) lava
flows that have reached lengths of 3-5 km length and are several hundred
meters wide at their fronts (up to 800 m on the western side). The lava
flows have burned extensive areas of farmland and woods and are close
to some villages.
In the meantime, moderate to violent strombolian activity continues at the summit.
CONRED declared orange civil alert and started to evacuate families living in areas close to the volcano.
The lava flow from on the north side started from an eruptive
fissure at approx 2250 m elevation on the flank of the cone, traveled
north towards the caldera rampart of Cerro Chino and then turned left -
west - when meeting the topographic obstacle. It is now close (less than
1 km) from the village El Patroncino and has a 500-800 m wide front.
Lava flow from Pacaya following a trail (CONRED). The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology
and
Hydrology says today's lava flow in some areas is as large as 600 yards
wide and 1.8 miles (3km) long.
The southern fissure vent at the base of the south flank (at the crater, the dent from the 2010 paroxysm is visible)
The volcano has also been closed to tourists. (CONRED)
The northern fissure vent (CONRED). Alejandro Maldonado, director of the National Office for Disaster
Reduction,
said lava is flowing down one side of the volcano, but he did
not say how many people have been evacuated.
On the southern side, a vent opened low at the base of the cone, at
approx. 1880 m elevation, and started to feed a lava 200 m wide lava
flow that seems to have reached about 5 km length near the Rincon de
Pacaya area (part of Los Pocitos) on the SSW side.
At the moment, a decreasing tendency of tremor and activity is visible.
Lava flow burning forest (CONRED). The volcano just south of the capital city is also registering
small explosions and emitting gas and ash.
MODIS hot spot data (past 7 days) for Pacaya volcano (ModVolc, Univ. Hawaii)
Pacaya is one of Guatemala's most active and picturesque volcanos.
Current (saturated) seismic signal from Pacaya (PCG station, INSIVUMEH)
According to INSIVUMEH, the eruption has considerably slowed down since
last evening around 19:15 (local time), although weather prevented
detailed observations. Activity at the summit decreased to moderate
strombolian explosions with ejections reaching 100 m height and
degassing.
The tremor signal is still saturated, suggesting that the effusion
of lava continues. A strong thermal anomaly, corresponding to the new
lava flows, is now visible on satellite data.
Etna (Sicily, Italy):
No significant changes have occurred. While the continuing unusually
warm weather has stripped much of the snow on Etna's southern side,
diffuse weak ash emissions are visible from the NE crater and tremor
fluctuates at low levels.
Etna this morning.
Shiveluch (Kamchatka):
An explosion or a pyroclastic flow from a partial lava dome collapse
produced an ash plume rising to 28,000 ft (8.5 km) this morning. Views
on the webcam show a plume but don't allow to see details what occurred
at the lava dome.
Ash plume rising from Shiveluch volcano this morning (KVERT webcam).
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): More than 25,000 people have fled their homes following a series of eruptions and lava flows from a volcano in Indonesia.
Mount Sinabung, on the western island of Sumatra, sent hot
rocks and ash up to 5000 metres in the air several times on Saturday,
National Disaster Mitigation Agency emergency response director Tri
Budiarto said.
"So far, 25,516 people have been evacuated. There's nobody
now within a five-kilometre radius of the crater. We are urging those
living within seven kilometres south-east of the crater to move, too,"
he added.
Sinabung spews ash into the air during an eruption. Photo: AFP
A villager inspects her corn field. Photo: AFP
Hot lava, which has been spewing from the volcano for the past two
weeks, has flowed into a river and filled up valleys with volcanic
fragments, he said.
"There were small secondary explosions when lava flows came into
contact with the water, but there are no casualties so far. We are
urging people not to carry out any activity in the rivers," he added.
Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia
that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of
Fire.
Motorcyclists passing through an area covered by ash as they are evacuated. Photo: Getty
A dog stands in mud and ash spewed out of Mount Sinabung after it erupted at Kuta Rakyat village. Photo: Reuters.
It had been quiet for about 400 years but rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September 2013. In August, five people were killed and hundreds were
evacuated when a volcano erupted on a small island in East Nusa Tenggara
province.
The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of eruptions in 2010.
Recommended: Check out some great photos of the glowing lava dome, incandescent avalanches and a superb shot by Sutanta Aditya
of a pyroclastic flow and related mushroom-shaped co-ignimbrite ash
plume (lighter ash rising from the main body of the pyroclastic flow
immediately after its emplacement) taken on January 7.
