GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – April 20-24, 2016! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

Sinabung volcano. Endro Lewa

April 24, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.


Sinabung (North Sumatra, Indonesia): The Sinabung is always active in recent days.

Great photos of Firdaus Surbakti and Endro Lewa allow to detail the evolution of the pyroclastic flow of April 20.

Beidar Sinabung

Beidar Sinabung

Beidar Sinabung

Endro Lewa

Santiaguito (Guatemala): Another large eruption occurred at the Caliente dome yesterday morning, at around 6 am, with a new series of collapses that generated pyroclastic flows and an impressive ash plume that rose approx. 3 km above the lava dome.

Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala. Matthew Karsten

Ash plume from Santiaguito. Carlos Ventura / Prensa Libre

Carlos Ventura / Prensa Libre

According to INSIVUMEH, the source of the collapses is the continued supply of viscous lava that extrudes into the summit of the Caliente dome, and the collapse and pyroclastic flows affected its eastern side.

Ash fall occurred in areas to the west and southwest in up to 25 km distance, including the towns of Cuyotenango, San Francisco, Zunilito and Pueblo Nuevo.


WATCH: Santiaguito volcano erupts.

Masaya (Nicaragua): The lava lake in the volcano's summit crater continues to be very active and its level has risen a bit during the past days, INETER reports.

View of Masaya's lava lake. INETER crater webcam

Seismic activity, including tremor reflecting the degassing of the lava lake, fluctuates at moderate to high levels.


Pavlof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Seismic activity at the volcano has continued to decrease over the past two weeks and no anomalous activity has been detected in satellite data since weakly elevated surface temperatures were seen on April 8.

AVO is therefore lowering the aviation color code to GREEN and the Volcano Alert Level to NORMAL.


Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): Darwin VAAC reported ash emissions from the volcano that rose to 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude and drifted up to 100 km north.

Aviation color code is at orange.


Alaid (Northern Kuriles, Kuril Islands): Eruptive activity on the remote volcano continues; satellite images show fresh ash deposits and evidence a strong heat source from the crater.

Satellite image of Alaid, showing ash-darkened snow. Terra satellite / NASA

Heat signal from Alaid volcano. MIROVA

Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka):  The volcano continues to be in mild to moderate strombolian activity.

Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy volcano.Yury Demyanchuk

Dukono (Halmahera, Indonesia): Intense ash emissions continue from the volcano.

Dukono's ash plume. Aqua / NASA satellite image

This morning, VAAC Darwin reported a plume at approx. 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude extending 50 km to the NE, well visible on satellite images.


Nevados de Chillán (Chile):  New ash emissions occurred yesterday morning, generating a small plume that rose approx. 500 m.

Small ash emissions from Nevados de Chillán volcano. SERNAGEOMIN

According to Sernageomin, this activity is not caused directly by fresh magma, but related to disturbances of the shallow hydrothermal system which interacts with an underlying, probably only small body of magma.SERNAGEOMIN also reported a slight increase in earthquakes typical of internal fluid movements (LP- long period events) during the past weeks and that sporadic ash emissions are likely to continue.

The volcano's alert level remains at "yellow" and it is recommended to stay outside a radius of 2 km around the active craters


Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Following Monday's large explosive activity (2 hours of lava fountaining), the volcano returned to be relatively calm, producing only steam emissions and no significant explosions.

Steam emission ("exhalation") from Popocatepetl volcano.

Bright glow remains visible from the summit, indicating that magma continues to rise and accumulate at the summit vent.


Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands, Japan):  The strombolian-type activity from the volcano on the small island in southern Japan continues to be elevated.

Ash plume from an eruption at Suwanose-jima volcano. JMA webcam

Frequent explosions produce small to moderate ash plumes that rise to altitudes of 5-7,000 ft (1.5-2 km).

Constant glow is visible from the O-take crater at night.


Soufrière Hills (Montserrat): On the island of Montserrat, heavy rains have eroded and re-mobilized the eruptive ash deposits in the Belham Valley, creating lahars there and making of this a dangerous area.

Lahars in the Belham Valley. MVO

The activity of the volcano Soufriere Hills, remains unchanged, characterized by a plume of gas blown northwards towards uninhabited areas. The alert level remains at 1.




Etna (Sicily, Italy): At Etna, ash emissions are noticed on the night of April 20 to 21, still visible the next morning at the northeast and new southeast craters.

 EtnaLive site states, based on the latest multidisciplinary INGV Catania report on the April 19th, that at the level of Bocca Nuova, the crater floor collapsed gradually, to produce the formation of a new crater in the fossa.
 

Bocca Nuova Etna - the red arrow indicates the collapse. INGV Catania

Etna summit craters - with legend. Joseph Nasi / Butterfly helicopters Service

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): The volcano produced a small ash plume today, Manizales volcano observatory reported to Washington VAAC.

Webcam views are obscured by weather clouds.Sporadic mild ash emissions have been occurring from the volcano from time to time during the past weeks.




- Volcano Discovery | MVO | INGV Catania | GVP.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – February 23 - 29, 2016! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

Eruption of Momotombo volcano (February 21, Image: Richard Roscoe)

February 29, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.


Momotombo (Nicaragua): The volcano continues to produce on average 2-3 vulcanian-type explosions per day. Some of them seem to generate small pyroclastic flows.

Eruption yesterday evening.

WATCH: Spectacular video by Richard Roscoe that was taken last week.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Over the past days, activity at the volcano seems to have picked up. The frequency and size of explosions from the summit have increased and generated several ash plumes that rose up to approx 3 km height above the summit.

In addition, collapses of parts of the lava lobe generated small to moderate pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 3 km down on the ESE side. One of them on Saturday reached again the (already mostly destroyed and abandoned) village of Simacem on the ESE flank at only 3 km distance from the crater.

Explosion from Sinabung on February 25. (Image: Endro Lewa / Facebook)

Eruption with lightning on February 25. (Image: Endro Lewa / Facebook)

Explosion at Sinabung. (Image: Endro Lewa / Facebook)

Destroyed houses in Simacem (Photo: Andi / VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia)

Whether this apparent increase in activity caused by and actual increase in magma and or gas output, or simply a process of releasing accumulated pressure and instabilities on the already emplaced lava lobes on the steep flanks of the volcano is unclear.

For the local population, this means the long-lasting (more than 2 years now) crisis has no end in sight: the exclusion zone of 4-5 km radius around the volcano (depending on which sector) remains in place. More than 9500 people evacuated from villages in this risk area continue to live in a total of 9 now semi-permanent shelters.



Dallol hydrothermal field (Ethiopia):  One of our groups visited Dallol last week during our recent Danakil volcano expedition. The hydrothermal activity was observed to be very intense, with many colorful ponds and hot springs.

Expedition leader Enku reported:

"Dallol is back to its original status with every bit of the geothermal fissures which are full of activity with gas and liquid chemicals washed out by the hot ground water. I have never seen Dallol like this before in my entire 12 years of Afar Depression trip."

Green and yellow salt pond at Dallol (Image: Enku Mulugheta)

Green lake at Dallol (Image: Enku Mulugheta)

Salt lake at Dallol (Image: Enku Mulugheta)

Tungurahua (Ecuador):  Two moderately large explosions occurred at the volcano yesterday noon from 12:12 local time. The first and larger explosion produced an ash plume that rose approx. 5000 meters above the summit.

The ash plume dispersed mainly to the west and northwest where ash fall occurred in areas including Choglontús, Pillate, Cahuaji and El Manzano.

According to IGEPN, the eruption - which came after a 3 months interval of quiet since last November - was most likely NOT the result of new magma, but instead of accumulated gas pressure in the upper conduit.

Eruption plume of Tungurahua volcano (Image: J.L Espinosa-Naranjo @Ambalaser / Twitter)

Magmatic gasses (H2O, CO2 etc) still contained in older magma inside the conduit was being released quietly as the magma continued to cool and crystallize, but most of these gasses were being trapped beneath a solid plug. With time, the gas pressure increased to the critical point: the plug gave way in yesterday's explosions.

The explosion itself, a typical so-called "vulcanian"-type eruption, was preceded only by a short (lasting little more than an hour), but intense seismic swarm of shallow earthquakes caused by internal fluid movements and rock fracturing as pressurized gasses started to disintegrate the overlying plug.



Shiveluch (Kamchatka): Based on satellite data, Tokyo VAAC reported an eruption plume from the volcano that rose to estimated 21,000 ft (6.4 km) altitude yesterday evening and drifted NW.

The volcano overall has been a bit calmer recently.

This and a similar report a few days ago indicate that activity continues, and produces occasional moderate-sized explosions and/or pyroclastic flows event from the active lava dome. In many cases, cloud cover prevents visual observation of the volcano from the webcam.


Etna (Sicily, Italy): An unusual eruptive episode occurred yesterday morning from the volcano's NE crater (the least active of the summit vents over the past few decades). Incandescent bombs were ejected above the rim of the crater and an ash plume rose several hundred meters.

Whether this is the beginning of a more significant eruptive phase, after a period of relative calm since the violent paroxysms of Voragine summit crater in early Dec 2015 remains to be seen.

Eruption of Etna's NE crater (INGV Catania)

Thermal image of the eruption showing incandescent material ejected from NE crater

INGV published the following report:

"During the month of January 2016, Etna's eruptive activity has maintained rather low levels. Early that month, a few weak ash emissions occurred from the 25 November 2015 vent located high on the eastern flank of the New Southeast Crater (NSEC) cone; similar phenomena were repeated during the last week of January and once more on the morning of 6 February. During the same time interval, degassing from the Northeast Crater (NEC) were sometimes accompanied by the emission of minor traces of ash.
A field survey was carried out in Etna's summit area by INGV-Osservatorio Etneo (INGV-OE) staff on 19 February. During the visit, no ash emissions occurred from the summit craters, but the NEC was the site of intense degassing from its open conduit; due to strong wind it was not possible to hear if there was any acoustic activity coming from the crater, which typically produces loud bangs and rumblings. At the other summit craters, degassing was limited to extensive fumarolic areas along the crater rims. The eruptive products of December 2015, which fill the single huge depression constituted by the Voragine and Bocca Nuova, were covered with snow except in the areas where vapors were emitted from fissures formed by compaction of the deposit.
At 03:22 UTC (=local time -1) on 23 February 2016, the video and thermal cameras of the INGV-OE recorded an explosive event at the NEC, which ejected incandescent pyroclastics to several tens of meters above the crater rim (see image at top left, recorded by the high-definition visual camera at Monte Cagliato, on the east flank of Etna - click on image for larger version) and produced a dark ash plume that was blown northeastward by strong wind. The images at center left (click on image for larger version) were recorded by the high-sensitivity camera on the Montagnola (EMOH, on the upper south flank of Etna) and also show a few lightning flashes in the ash cloud.
The images recorded by the thermal surveillance camera at Monte Cagliato (EMCT, see images at bottom left - click on image for larger version) show a conspicuous anomaly generated by the explosion, which was followed by minor ash emissions that gradually diminished; as of the late morning of 23 February, intermittent and weak ash emissions are continuing from the NEC." (INGV Catania)

Colima (Western Mexico): The new lava dome in the summit crater continues to be active (and probably is growing) as bright glow visible at night suggests.

Small emission and glow from Colima's summit crater.

Explosive activity on the other hand has decreased recently.


Reventador (Ecuador): The eruptive activity of the volcano continues with no significant changes, at moderate to high levels, as IGEPN reports on a daily basis.

Lava arrives at the summit crater where small explosive activity (probably strombolian-type) takes place. During yesterday, based on seismic data (the volcano is mostly hidden in clouds), 56 small explosions were registered. This morning, an ash emission was also detected by Washington VAAC.



Cotopaxi (Ecuador): Surface activity of the volcano has been mostly low during the past weeks, characterized by degassing / steaming and occasional very weak ash emissions.

According to IGEPN, the level of most monitored geophysical parameters (SO2, volcanic earthquakes, volcanic tremor, deformation) have returned to their pre-eruption background levels.

However, the overall seismic activity of the volcano is still elevated and some few deep-seated explosive events are being recorded (on average 1-3 / day).

Cotopaxi volcano.

This type of activity possibly indicates that a magma source remains active inside the edifice. The most likely scenario of the coming days to weeks is that surface activity remains at a low level and or continues to decrease, with intermittent small ash emissions possible that would not affect but immediate areas surrounding the volcano. However, even though much less likely now, an increase in internal and external activity of the volcano cannot be excluded either.

Although not directly connected to its activity, as a secondary effect, the risk of lahars (mud flows triggered by melt water) remains elevated.


- Volcano Discovery .

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – December 4-6, 2015!

Explosion from Rinjani's Barujari cone on December 1, 2015

December 6, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of Volcano Discovery.

Rinjani (Lombok):  The volcano continues to erupt, but activity has decreased a lot. When visited during November 30 to December 2, "the volcano erupted just 2-3 times eruption per day", but some explosions were fairly big



Etna (Sicily, Italy): Activity at the volcano remains elevated, but a significant change is occurring.

While explosions continued from Voragine crater and tremor levels remain high, it seems that since a few hours ago, most magma has now been using another vent: the new pit crater on the upper flank of the New SE crater.

View from Montagnola (Radiostudio7 webcam)

Lava fountain during Etna's 4th Voragine paroxysm

INGV webcam from Montagnola

Lava fountain and ash plume from Voragine

It already has had intermittent activity throughout the current eruption, but this morning started to produce intense strombolian activity and dense ash plumes.

The situation remains highly interesting.


4th paroxysm of Voratine in progress

The 4th lava fountaining episode in less than 3 days has began at Etna's Voragine. Intermittent strombolian activity, elevated throughout the day since the end of last night's paroxysm, has now merged into sustained jets (fountains) of lava. An ash plume is again rising several kilometers.

Ash plume from Etna's New SE crater

Activity from New SE crater

Thermal image showing the lava fountain

Current tremor signal (ESLN station / INGV Catania)

At the time of updating, this activity is still increasing.

The speed at which activity increases is truly impressive. Even from webcams located more or less downwind (i.e. receiving much ash blocking clear view), the lava fountain is now visible clearly.


WATCH: Etna volcanic activity between December 4-5.

Bromo (East Java, Indonesia): An eruption warning was issued this morning - PVMBG raised the volcano's alert status to "siaga" (alert), or 3 on a scale of 1-4.

Bromo volcano this morning (PVMBG)

Seismic activity and degassing from the crater have sharply increased, suggesting that a new eruption could occur any time at the volcano.


Telica (Nicaragua): The volcano has calmed down, at least at the surface during the past week. Since 29 Nov, no more significant explosions / ash emissions have taken place.

Telica volcano's crater

Whether this is in connection with the new eruptive activity at neighboring Momotombo volcano or pure coincidence is up to speculation.


Momotombo (Nicaragua):  Activity at the volcano continues, but at lower intensity than during the first days of the new eruption. Strombolian explosions at the summit crater accompany the emission of a steam-ash plume rising up to approx. 1000 m, an possibly still continued, but very weak lava flow extrusion.

Momotombo volcano

After the more vigorous onset of the eruption on December 2, the new lava flow had reached the base of the summit cone by next morning, where it had branched into two lobes.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Latest Report Of Volcanic Eruptions, Activity, Unrest And Awakenings – November 23-28, 2015!

Eruption of Telica volcano on November 22, 2015 (INETER webcam / annotated by Culture Volcan)

November 29, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of Volcano Discovery.


Telica (Nicaragua): After its powerful explosion on the 22nd of November, the volcano has mainly been calm, but weaker, sporadic ash emissions resumed during the past days.

Ash emission from Telica this morning

Ash emission yesterday

Ash plume from the eruption seen from Léon (Image: Canal 15 Nicaragua)

It is still thought that the recent activity is only caused by over-pressurized fluids in the upper conduit, and doesn't involve new magma, but comparing with the past episodes of explosive activity in May and September this year, it is almost likely that new, potentially strong and very dangerous explosions (in particular if you climb the volcano) could follow in the near future with no or little warning.


Batu Tara (Flores Sea, Indonesia):  We just returned from a 3-days expedition to the island during November 23-26: the volcano's activity was overall at similar levels as during the previous visits between 2012-June this year, but highly variable from day to day:

Phases lasting several hours, or even few days, with mild, ash-rich strombolian eruptions at intervals between 10-30 minutes alternated / were interrupted by much more powerful vulcanian-type explosions that produced shock waves and ejected dense columns of tephra (ash, blocks and incandescent lava bombs) in a single, cannon-shot like explosion. They sent ballistics to several hundred meters of height all over the upper half of the volcano. During the first two observation days, these explosions occurred at intervals between 3-10 hours, but became the dominant type of activity during the last 24 hours of our stay, when they occurred at shorter intervals of 1-2 hours typically.

Ash plumes from some of these explosions rose more than 1 km from the crater.


Copahue (Chile): Small to moderately strong ash emissions and explosions have been near continuous during the past days, creating steam/ash plumes that rise up to approx. 1 km. Overall, the volcano's activity seems to be gradually increasing.

Eruption plume from Copahue

Location of a landslide on the eastern flank yesterday (comparison by Lynne Gulley)

A larger landslide occurred yesterday from the eastern flank


Etna (Sicily, Italy): Since this afternoon there is a change visible in Etna's activity. Weak strombolian activity has started from the New SE crater. The activity probably started earlier today, but due to bad weather it was not observed before.

Thermal anomaly on the eastern side of the New SE crater (INGV Monte Cagliato thermal webcam)

Weak strombolian activity continues also from the vent inside the Voragine crater.

Tremor remains low at the moment.


Kanlaon (Negros Isl., Philippines): PHIVOLCS raised the alert level of the volcano following an increase in activity. Starting from 21:55 local time on November 24, a series of phreatic explosions occurred from the summit crater, producing ash plumes that rose up to approx. 1 km.

Ash emission from Canlaon volcano on November 24, 2015 (Image: Jigz Santiago)

According to PHILVOLCS, this explosive activity was followed by increased seismicity and volcanic tremor probably caused by degassing.

An exclusion zone of 4 km radius around the crater was put in place, to prevent similar accidents as when 3 climbers were killed by a sudden explosion in the 1990s.




Shiveluch (Kamchatka): The extrusive activity of viscous lava into the active dome continues with little significant change, but seems to have picked up a bit recently. Incandescent avalanches occur to both the southeast and southwest corridor.

Small pyroclastic flow into the southwestern corridor of the active lava dome of Shiveluch

Occasional larger collapses cause small to medium sized pyroclastic flows, such as one yesterday morning

Barren Island (India):  With all likelihood, the volcano continues to be in eruption. It is very remote and rarely directly observed, but satellite imagery regularly show albeit weak thermal signals - again present more or less continuously since August and more frequent since October this year.

Ash and steam plume from Barren Island on November 16 (Landsat 8 image, annotated by Culture Volcan)

MODIS thermal signal from Barren Island (MIROVA)

A satellite image from November 16 shows a volcanic plume stretching several tens of kilometers from the volcano.