GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Earthquake Strikes The Bardarbunga Volcano In Iceland - Around 15 Aftershocks In Just A Few Hours!

Bárðarbunga volcano. © Rax / Ragnar Axelsson

April 9, 2016 - ICELAND - There was a major earthquake on the northern edge of the Bárðarbunga volcanic craters at around midnight last night.

The quake measured 4.2 on the Richter scale and is therefore the largest quake to have hit the famous volcano since it stopped erupting in February last year.

According to Bjarki Fries, a natural disasters specialist with the Icelandic met office, the earthquake emanated from 3.5 kilometers underground.

Around 15 aftershocks have already been measured, the most powerful of which was a 3.5 quake at 01.00 this morning.

Met office earthquakes specialist Martin Hensch told RÚV that there is no evidence of lava movements or of any eruption activity connected to the earthquakes, but that the situation will be monitored carefully.

There were two quakes in the same location on April 3, measuring 3.4 and 3 on the Richter scale.

The recent eruption at Bárðarbunga, often known as Holuhraun, lasted from late August 2014 to late February 2015, and despite not affecting aviation or physically threatening any human settlements, it caused dangerous levels of pollution around Iceland and produced more new lava than almost any other eruption in Iceland since the Vikings first arrived. - Iceland Review.

 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Iceland Volcano Creating Field Of Lava And A Surreal Looking Landscape - Changes The Course Of A Nearby River; Leaving Craters 100 FEET DEEP That Will Last THOUSANDS OF YEARS; Causing Environmental Issues!

The lava has created a truly surreal look on the landscape in Iceland. (NBC)

April 8, 2015 - ICELAND - An erupting volcano in Iceland is creating a surreal looking landscape a field of lava.

The volcano is sending out a steady stream of lava, causing a nearby river to start running straight through the lava.

It's creating an area with deep craters that scientists say will last thousands of years.

However, it's causing some environmental issues.


WATCH: Erupting volcano causes environmental issues in Iceland.

Scientists said the fiery hot lava is producing heavy gas pollution in the air.

That thick sulfur is being monitored very closely by experts right now.

The entire area is being heavily guarded, to make sure curious tourists don't try to get close. - KRISTV.

MONUMENTAL GLOBAL VOLCANISM: NASA’s Earth Observatory Reveals That Lava Flow From The Holuhraun Lava Field In Iceland May Now Be THE BIGGEST IN 200 YEARS - A Total Of 32 SQUARE MILES, Larger Than The Island Of Manhattan!

Holuhraun lava flow on Jan. 3, taken by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8. (Jesse Allen and Josh Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory)

January 12, 2015 - ICELAND - Bigger than the island of Manhattan, the lava flow from the Holuhraun lava field in Iceland is now the largest the country has seen in more than 200 years, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Since August of last year, massive amounts of lava have been spewing from a fissure that erupted in Iceland’s largely uninhabited Bárðarbunga volcanic system.

The infrared images below show the Holuhraun lava flow from Sept. 6, 2014, left, and Jan. 3, 2015, right. The pictures were captured by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8. (Jesse Allen and Josh Stevens/ NASA Earth Observatory)

In the past six months, the lava flow spread a total of 32 square miles, making it now the largest lava flow since the 1783–84 Laki eruption that wiped out 20 percent of Iceland’s population.

According to the University of Iceland’s Institute of Earth Sciences, the eastern part of the lava field was about 30 feet thick, and the center and western parts were about 40 feet thick.

Adam Voiland of NASA wrote: “While Holuhraun continues to spew copious amounts of lava and sulfur dioxide, some observations suggest the eruption may be slowing down. … This doesn’t mean that the eruption will stop soon. Like the weakening spray from an aerosol can, the eruption rate declines exponentially. The lower the flow, the more slowly it declines.” - Washington Post.

MONUMENTAL GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts With Massive Lava Flow - Forces Icelanders To Hide; Lava Field Covers 70 SQUARE KILOMETERS, An Area Larger Than Manhattan; Over 200 Earthquakes In The Area In Just 3 Days; Authorities On High Alert!

Photographer: Bernard Meric/AFP via Getty Images

November 12, 2014 - ICELAND - Bardarbunga volcano’s lava field now covers 65 square kilometers (25 square miles) and the amount of lava that has been spewed out equals about 1 cubic kilometer (0.24 cubic miles).

For the kids at the Graenuvellir kindergarten in Husavik, north Iceland, going out to play was not an option.

They were kept inside on Nov. 4 to protect them from sulfur-dioxide gases spewing from the Holuhraun lava field near the Bardarbunga volcano. The eruption has been going for almost three months and shows no sign of stopping. Red-hot lava has spread 70 square kilometers (27 square miles), covering an area larger than Manhattan.

“On regular days the kids go out to play to take in the fresh air, but that’s not really possible or safe under the current conditions,” Agusta Palsdottir, a manager at the kindergarten, which has 125 children between the ages of one and six, said in a Nov. 4 interview.

Icelanders can only wait for nature to run its course as they monitor how gas clouds drift across the island, itself a product of volcanic activity. As descendants of Viking settlers 1,200 years ago, Icelanders have learned to coexist with their volcanoes and to harness their power. Yet some events have proven deadlier than others. In the late 1700s, an eruption triggered a famine that killed 25 percent of Iceland’s population.

Tracking Gas

“There’s exactly nothing you can do, aside from going inside,” said Kristjan Thor Magnusson, mayor of Nordurthing, the municipality that includes Husavik, a 2,200-person town famous for its whale watching. “People that are more sensitive than others need to avoid physical exertion outside and try to stay inside and warm up their houses to prevent the gas from getting inside.”

The discomfort of the Graenuvellir kids is also being felt in other towns across Iceland long after the rest of the world stopped fretting over potential disruptions to trans-Atlantic air travel. The island’s Met Office tracks which way the sulfur-dioxide blows daily from the fissure that opened up in the lava field that dates back to an eruption from 1797.

“Which town is affected depends only on weather and winds,” Bergthora S. Thorbjarnardottir, a geophysicist at the Met Office, said in an interview.

Bardarbunga, one of Iceland’s largest volcanoes, began rumbling on Aug. 16. An eruption then started from a fissure 300 meters (984 feet) long and has since been moving northeast, away from the ice. An eruption under the ice of the glacier covering the volcano could cause an explosion that would spew ash into the air and disrupt air travel.

Quakes Continue

Since Nov. 7, about 200 earthquakes have rocked the area surrounding the eruption site, with the biggest one of about magnitude 5.2 measured yesterday evening. Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency today warned that gas pollution was expected mainly in the western part of the country.

At the beginning of the eruption, airlines were put on alert for a potential repeat of 2010, when a volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap spewed a column of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the air. That event shut airspace across Europe for six days, forcing carriers to cancel more than 100,000 flights. Ash is a danger because the glass-like particles can damage jet engines.

Most Vulnerable

While the current eruption isn’t the largest on record, it’s being compared to the 1783 Lakagigar blowout, which lasted for seven to eight months and eventually covered 600 square kilometers in lava, Thorbjarnardottir said.

“There’s still a chance that the eruption in Holuhraun will pose a risk to international air travel,” she said. “Although there’s quite a bit of activity in the crater of Bardarbunga volcano, the activity does seem to be moving northeast, away from the ice cap.”

The government has issued warnings on the health risks. Exposure to sulfur-dioxide can cause irritation in the eyes, throat and lungs. High levels can lead to breathing difficulties. Children are the most vulnerable, according to the Health Directorate.

“Personally, I can feel the contamination a little,” said Palsdottir at the kindergarten. “Breathing is a little uncomfortable and it’s uncomfortable staying outside when the contamination comes in over our town.”
So most Icelanders are just hoping the wind blows the right way and also for rain to damp the gas clouds.

They may be in luck, according to the Met Office.

“Wind and rain is the best thing to happen for Icelanders while the eruption continues,” said Thorbjarnardottir. “Iceland usually has plenty of that.” - Bloomberg.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Volcano Report For June 9, 2014 - Eruption Subsides At Alaska's Pavlof Volcano; Ash Emissions From Mount Etna's New Southeast Crater And Partial Collapse On Its Eastern Flank In Italy; And San Salvador's Chaparrastique Volcano Emit Pulsating Gas And Ash Emissions! [PHOTOS+GRAPH]

June 09, 2014 - GLOBAL VOLCANISM - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.

Photograph of the eruption at Mt. Pavlof on May 31, 2014. Image Credit: Paul Horn, Alaska Fish and Game.

Pavlof (Alaska): The eruption at Mount Pavlof in Alaska has now subsided after several days of heightened activity in early June that sent fountains of lava and towering plumes of ash into the air. The volcano is currently under an orange alert level because officials do not know if or when the eruption will resume.

Mount Pavlof is a 8,262-foot (2,518-meter) tall volcano that is located along the Aleutian Arc off the western coast of Alaska. It is one of Alaska’s most active volcanoes, and it has erupted about 30 times since 1901. The last time the volcano erupted was June 26, 2013.

The most recent eruption at Pavlof began on the evening of May 30, 2014, and the level of volcanic activity escalated gradually over the next several days. During June 2–4, fountains of lava and large plumes of ash and steam were detected over the volcano. At times, ash plumes up to 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) in height were observed.

Officials issued a red/warning on Monday, June 2 to protect aircraft from the thick ash, which can damage engines. The red/warning was reduced to an orange/watch on Tuesday, June 3 as the eruptive activity subsided. Lower levels of eruptive activity continued throughout the week. On the morning of June 6, officials at the Alaska Volcano Observatory noted that the level of activity at Mount Pavlof had declined substantially.

Eruption a Mt. Pavlof taken on May 18, 2013 from the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.

The volcano is located in a remote region in Alaska, and no injuries have been reported. Lahars (mudflows) were detected along the north flank of the volcano and some flooding in that area is likely, officials say. Heavy ash fallout in nearby communities is, however, not expected to occur, according to the latest update from the Alaska Volcano Observatory on June 6, 2014.

The alert status continues to be at the orange/watch level because officials do not know if or when significant eruptive activity will resume.

Bottom line: The eruption at Mount Pavlof in Alaska has now subsided after several days of heightened activity in early June 2014. The volcano is currently under an orange alert level because officials do not know if or when the eruption will resume.


Etna (Sicily, Italy): Glow and ash emissions continue to be observed at the summit vent of the New SE crater. The intensity of this still weak activity slowly increased this morning with 5-10 small explosions per hour.

Partial collapse on the eastern flank of the New SE crater ((Radiostudio7 webcam)

Ash emission from the New SE crater this morning.(Radiostudio7 webcam)

A small event this afternoon at 13:42 (local time) from the New SE crater produced a reddish-brown ash plume generated by partial collapse on the upper part of the eastern flank of the cone.


San Miguel / Chaparrastique (San Salvador): The Chaparrastique volcano continues to emit pulsating gas and sometimes ash plumes from its crater. Tremor has been showing large fluctuations over the past days and now risen again.

Tremor amplitude at Chaparrastique volcano over the past weeks (MARN)

Civil Protection in San Jorge and local observers in the village of El Carreto reported some millimeters of ash fall on the northern flank of the volcano.

The volcanic system remains in a highly unstable state and a larger eruption could occur with little or no warning.


Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for June 9, 2014.

SOURCES: EarthSky | Volcano Discovery. 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Volcano Report For May 18, 2014 - Updates On Ubinas, Batu Tara And Fuego! [PHOTOS+GRAPHS]

May 19, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of  Volcano Discovery.

Ubinas (Peru): Ash emissions have become near continuous and produce a plume extending approx 100 km to the NE of the volcano. Seismic activity is elevated.

Ash emission from Ubinas last evening

Current seismic activity at Ubinas (UB1 station, IGP)

Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): The volcano has entered a phase of more vigorous explosions again. In the past days, it produced a series of ash plumes that were detected on satellite imagery. VAAC Darwin reported volcanic ash drifting at 8,000 ft (2.4 km) altitude for 50 km to the west.


Fuego (Guatemala): Activity increased at the volcano during Friday-Saturday.

Fuego's lava flow yesterday morning

Near continuous mild to moderate strombolian explosions were observed and a new lava flow was erupted on the upper southern flank. Judging from the seismic signal, activity has decreased again today.

Seismic signal Friday evening (FG3 station, INSIVUMEH)

Current seismic signal (FG3 station, INSIVUMEH)

Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for May 18, 2014.


 -  Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Volcano Report For May 15, 2014 - Updates On Sinabung, Merapi, Dukono, Shishaldin, Santiaguito, And San Miguel! [PHOTOS+MAPS+GRAPHS]

May 15, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of  Volcano Discovery.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Activity at the volcano remains weak. Slow lava extrusion continues along with occasional ash venting and small pyroclastic flows triggered by collapse of parts of the viscous lava lobe on the southern flank.

Small pyroclastic flow at Sinabung on the morning of May 13.

Merapi (Central Java, Indonesia): PVMBG reported that during 2-8 May white plumes rose as high as 650 m above Merapi. Thumping noises continued to be reported from multiple observation posts. Seismicity fluctuated but remained above background levels.

The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4) on 29 April. (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 7-13 May 2014)


Dukono (Halmahera): Activity at the volcano seems to be increasing - the sighting of ash plumes on satellite imagery has become a daily job of VAAC Darwin's watchful crew. This morning, a volcanic ash plume at estimated 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude extended 25 nautical miles from the volcano to the south.


Shishaldin (United States, Aleutian Islands): The Alaska Volcano Observatory believed that the activity at the volcano has a bit increased. Satellite data show persistent high temperatures in the summit crater which could be lava flows, or even a small lava lake, likely produced by episodes of lava fountains.

Shishaldin volcano yesterday evening (AVO webcam)

The heat signals detected went along with increasing volcanic tremor detected.

MODIS hot spots at Shishaldin (MODVOLC, Univ. Hawaii)

There is no visual confirmation of such activity so far; webcam images only show a weak degassing plume, but these images are too distant to allow detailed interpretations. The aviation alert level remained at Orange.


Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): As expected, heavy rainfalls triggered a hot lahar (turbulent flow of mud, boulders and ash deposits mixed with water) that traveled down the Nima I river valley yesterday. The lahar carried lava blocks up to 2 m in diameter as well as many tree branches and trunks.

Abundant steam and sulfur gasses were released from the flowing masses. The lahar passed near the volcano observatory like a mix of "cement", where it let the ground vibrate, increased water content and speed as it reached the Samala river.

Similar rainfall could cause other lahars in the river San Isidro, the other important tributary of the Samala river. (INSIVUMEH)


San Miguel (El Salvador): During the past 2 days, seismic activity at the volcano has shown a sharp increase after it had been gradually decreasing since late February.

Microseismic activity at Chaparrastique volcano (SNET)

The latest bulletins published by SNET suggest that the most likely expected eruption would be strombolian-type with associated lava flows, probably on the north side of the volcano.

Even without an eruption, the volcano poses a serious risk of mud flows and landslides that could occur as a result of heavy rainfalls.

At the moment, the only visible activity at the Chaparrastique volcano remain pulsating gas emissions, but surveillance remains at a maximum. Authorities started to establish a plan for evacuation and relocation of about 280 families living in high risk areas around the volcano.


Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for May 15, 2014.



- Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: The Volcano Report For May 13, 2014 - Weak Strombolian Activity At Italy's Mount Etna; And 65 Earthquakes Registered Beneath The Kilauea Volcano In Hawaii! [PHOTOS+VOLCANO SUMMARY]

May 13, 2014 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe, courtesy of  Volcano Discovery.

Etna (Sicily, Italy): Near-continuous weak strombolian activity is visible from the New SE crater. Tremor is currently low.

Mt. Etna showing active lava flows before sunrise, Sicily, Italy (Photo: Janka)

Strombolian activity at Etna's NSEC this evening seen from Catania

Kilauea (Hawai'i): Some big changes in eruption activity here on Kilauea over the past few days. In the past 24 hours alone, 65 earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea Volcano! Gas emissions continued to be elevated at the summit over the past week as well.

Perhaps the biggest change in eruption activity was that the summit tiltmeters recorded almost 4 microradians of (possibly DI) deflationary tilt. The lava-lake level dropped slightly but is still at a measured 51m (167ft) below the floor of Halema'uma'u crater.

On the east rift zone at Pu'u 'O'o cinder cone, the USGS recorded about -2.3 microradians of deflationary tilt over the past 2 days. Via webcams glow is persistent from the north, south, and northeast spatter cones on the Pu'u 'O'o crater floor. From our observations, it looks as though the lava that spilled over the edge of the cinder cone last week to the south is forming a channel and, possibly a lava tube in turn, pointing towards the ocean. We are excited about this new activity on the east rift zone, which may allow us to safely and legally access surface flows once again here on Kilauea!

Complete Earthquake list (worldwide) for May 13, 2014

Volcano Activity Summary:

Currently erupting:

Ambrym (Vanuatu): active lava lakes in several craters (updated 14 Aug 2013)
Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): ash explosions (updated 1 May 2014)
Barren Island (Indian Ocean): intermittent activity, likely strombolian-type and/or lava flows (updated 4 Feb 2014)
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): strombolian explosions, ash plumes up to 500 m, extrusion of a small lava dome with rockfalls (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Colima (Western Mexico): extrusion of lava flow from summit, intermittent explosions (updated 10 Apr 2014)
Dukono (Halmahera): thermal anomaly, probably small explosive activity in summit crater (updated 3 May 2014)
Erebus (Antarctica): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 21 Jan 2012)
Erta Ale (Ethiopia): active lava lake in northern pit crater, active hornito with intermittend flow in southern crater (updated 11 Jan 2013)
Fuego (Guatemala): frequent moderate to large strombolian explosions (updated 3 May 2014)
Gamalama (Halmahera): ash eruptions since 17 Sep (updated 17 Sep 2012)
Grozny (Iturup Island): fumarolic activity (updated 3 Apr 2013)
Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): likely lava lake in summit crater (updated 1 Aug 2013)
Ibu (Halmahera, Indonesia): growing lava dome, occasional ash emissions (updated 30 Mar 2014)
Karkar (Northeast of New Guinea): possible ash eruption on 1 February (updated 27 Mar 2014)
Karymsky (Kamchatka): occasional small explosions, thermal anomaly (updated 13 Apr 2014)
Kavachi (Solomon Islands): no eruption since 2007 (updated 2 Feb 2014)
Kilauea (Hawai'i): lava lakes in Halemau'uma'u and Pu'u 'O'o, lava flows on coastal flat and weakly active ocean entries (updated 13 Aug 2013)
Kizimen (Kamchatka): degassing (updated 22 Aug 2013)
Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): small explosions, lava flow? (updated 25 Jul 2013)
Manam (Papua New Guinea): degassing, occasional ash venting (updated 28 Aug 2013)
Marapi (Western Sumatra, Indonesia): sporadic explosions (updated 27 Mar 2014)
Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands): lava effusion enlarging the new island (updated 18 Apr 2014)
Nyiragongo (DRCongo): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 26 Feb 2014)
Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tanzania): effusion of natrocarbonatite lava inside the crater (updated 8 Jul 2013)
Reventador (Ecuador): intermittent explosions, lava fountaining and lava flow emission on 23-24 April (updated 9 May 2014)
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): ash venting, intermittent explosions (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Santiaguito volcano (Guatemala): lava flow on south flank of dome becomes more active (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): growing lava dome, ash venting and small to moderate explosions (updated 25 Jul 2012)
Shiveluch (Kamchatka): growing lava dome, incandescent avalanches, occasional explosions (updated 1 May 2014)
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): effusion of viscous lava, steaming, ash emissions (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Slamet (Central Java): strombolian explosions from central crater (updated 30 Apr 2014)
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): continuing lava overflows (updated 25 Jul 2013)
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): strombolian activity in summit crater (updated 1 May 2014)
Tinakula (Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands): increased activity at the volcano (updated 8 Feb 2013)
Tungurahua (Ecuador): strombolian activity, effusion of lava flow on upper NW flank (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): ash emissions, weak strombolian explosions (updated 14 Aug 2013)

Eruption warning / minor activity:

Bezymianny (Central Kamchatka Depression): steaming, degassing (updated 10 Jun 2013)
Chirpoi (Kurile Islands, Russia): hot spot visible on satellite imagery (updated 1 May 2014)
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): occasional small explosions (updated 2 Mar 2014)
Copahue (Chile/Argentina): seismic unrest (updated 21 Mar 2014)
Dieng (Central Java): increased degassing (updated 28 Mar 2013)
Etna (Sicily, Italy): lava flow from base of New SE crater, strombolian explosions / ash emissions from NSEC (updated 19 Apr 2014)
Galeras (Colombia): sporadic ash emissions (updated 25 Jul 2013)
Gamkonora (Halmahera): seismic swam, minor ash emissions (updated 27 May 2013)
Iliwerung (Lesser Sunda Islands): possible submarine eruption from Mt Hobal on 20 August (updated 20 Aug 2013)
Iwo-Tori-shima (Ryukyu Islands): possible small ash eruption on 6 July 2013 (updated 6 Jul 2013)
Kelud (East Java): steaming, activity at crater unknown (updated 2 Mar 2014)
Kerinci (Sumatra): seismic unrest (updated 5 Jun 2013)
Ketoi (Kurile Islands, Russia)
Kikai (Ryukyu Islands): steaming at summit crater of Iodake, occasional weak glows (updated 5 Jun 2013)
Kirishima (Kyushu): degassing, alert lowered (updated 30 Jul 2012)
Krakatau (Sunda Strait, Indonesia): degassing (updated 31 Mar 2014)
Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): occasional ash explosions (updated 11 Feb 2013)
Medvezhia (Kurile Islands, Russia): strong steaming, thermal anomaly (updated 17 Jan 2013)
Merapi (Central Java, Indonesia): sporadic phreatic explosions (updated 30 Apr 2014)
Nyamuragira (DRCongo): increased seismic activity (updated 13 Apr 2014)
Pacaya (Guatemala): weak strombolian activity in summit crater (updated 18 Apr 2014)
Papandayan (West Java): strong hydrothermal activity, increased seismicity (updated 6 May 2013)
Poas (Costa Rica): occasional small phreatic explosions, intense degassing (updated 30 Mar 2014)
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): degassing, sporadic explosions, slowly growing lava dome (updated 1 May 2014)
Rabaul (Tavurvur) (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): weak ash explosions (updated 26 Aug 2013)
Rasshua (Central Kuriles)
Raung (East Java): strombolian activity in summit crater (updated 5 Aug 2013)
Rincón de la Vieja (Costa Rica): small phreatic eruption on 11 April (updated 6 Oct 2012)
Sacabaya (Northern Chile, Bolivia and Argentina)
San Cristobal (Nicaragua): possible ash emission on 11 April (updated 12 Apr 2014)
San Miguel (El Salvador): small explosions, seismic unrest, intense degassing (updated 28 Apr 2014)
Sangay (Ecuador): degassing (updated 24 May 2013)
Shishaldin (United States, Aleutian Islands): likely new dome building, weak explosions (updated 1 May 2014)
Soputan (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): degassing, seismic crisis, eruption warning (updated 1 May 2014)
Turrialba (Costa Rica): ash venting, strong degassing (updated 24 Jul 2013)
Ubinas (Peru): degassing, sporadic small explosions and ash venting (updated 9 May 2014)
Ulawun (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): degassing, ash venting (updated 5 Aug 2013)
White Island (New Zealand): strong degassing, volcanic tremor (updated 20 Aug 2013)
Zavodovski (South Sandwich Islands (UK)): no activity detected in recent weeks (updated 9 May 2014)

 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Steam Explosions Seen At Russia's Zhupanovsky Volcano - NASA Observes Ash 9,702 Feet High!

November 08, 2013 - RUSSIA - A remote Russian volcano may be readying for a new eruption, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. On Nov. 5, NASA's Earth-Observing 1 satellite spotted ash above the 9,702-foot-tall (2,958 meters) Zhupanovksy volcano, which recently woke from a decades-long slumber.

The snowy peaks also shows signs of phreatic explosions — the stupendous blasts that result from hot lava meeting snow, ice or water, the Earth Observatory reported.

Zhupanovksy's latest activity started on Oct. 23, when the volcano spewed ash 16,400 feet (5 kilometers) into the sky.

It was the first explosive eruption at the volcano since 1959, according to KVERT, the Kamchatka Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which monitors volcanic and earthquake hazards in the Russian peninsula.

The initial blast of ash and volcanic gases was followed by several days of phreatic bursts and strong gas emissions from fumaroles (gas vents) at the peak, KVERT reported. - Live Science.




There are subtle signs of a new eruption brewing on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The Earth-Observing 1 satellite captured ash above Zhupanovsky Volcano on November 5, 2013 (top image). According to the Global Volcanism Program, the explosions at Zhupanovksy are phreatic, caused by the nearly instantaneous vaporization of water with hot material below the surface.

In this natural-color image, snow on the high-altitdue ridges is white, ash is light gray, bare rock is tan, and the deeply shadowed northern slopes of Zhupanovsky Massif are blue.

On October 26, 2013, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite spied a streak of dark material on Zhupanovsky’s north face. The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team reported ash plumes up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) high and a weak “thermal anomaly” (infrared heat detected by satellite) from October 23 through 26. The explosions were followed by gas and steam emissions from fumaroles—a common feature of Zhupanovsky. - EO.