General Volcanic Activity Thread!

[The PIT]

Signs that the activity is on the wane at El-Hierro volcano http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25/el-hierro-canary-islands-spain-volcanic-risk-alert-increased-to-yellow/

Unless there's another injection of magma into the volcano there's unlikely to be an eruption this time around.

Popo is still rumbling as are the volcano's in Columbia .

[john pike]

Mount Merapi, located in Yogyakarta, emitted high-pressure gas on Sunday afternoon that caused its crater wall to collapse and volcanic ash to fall on its western slope, as smoke billowed up to 1 kilometer into the sky. As the gas discharge was not followed by other dangerous volcanic activity, the phenomenon was regarded as a small-scale volcanic eruption and the volcano’s alert status remained normal

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=VA-20120717-35816-IDN

[john pike]

Small volcanic earthquakes have been recorded beneath Mount Tongariro. The sequence started on July 13, but soon declined, restarting on July 18 and increasing in number on July 19 and 20. These indicate unrest at Tongariro and give reason to change the Volcanic Alert Level to Level 1 and the Aviation Colour Code to Yellow.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/jul-20-2012-1-30-pm-tongariro-volcano.html

[Buzzit]

Small volcanic earthquakes have been recorded beneath Mount Tongariro. The sequence started on July 13, but soon declined, restarting on July 18 and increasing in number on July 19 and 20. These indicate unrest at Tongariro and give reason to change the Volcanic Alert Level to Level 1 and the Aviation Colour Code to Yellow.

http://www.geonet.or...ro-volcano.html

NZ herald has a good detailed story : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10820996

[Kiwi]

NZ herald has a good detailed story : http://www.nzherald....jectid=10820996

Yes Tongariro national park has several volcanoes. Another close to Mt Tongariro itself is Mt Ruapehu.

Ruapehu has a couple of large ski resorts on it which will be busy now. I used to ski at Whakapapa frequently and we were always aware of the siren warning system, which involves skiing/climbing out of the valley to avoid the lava flows!! http://www.mtruapehu.com/content/library/Whakapapa_Volcanic_Hazards_map1.pdf

(And there are some amazing views of Mt Tongariro and Ngauruhoe from Whakapapa)

[john pike]

Volcano activity of July 20, 2012 – Mt. Tongariro (New Zealand), Soufrière Hills (Montserrat), Bagana, Nyiragongo, Popocatepetl, Fuego and Galeras

http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/20/volcano-activity-of-july-20-2012-mt-tongariro-volcano-new-zealand/

quite a bit going on again

interesting read up on new zealand

[karyo]

What kind of eruptions does this volcano give?

Karyo

[john pike]

What kind of eruptions does this volcano give?

Karyo

hi karyo what one are you asking about?

let me know and i will get the details for you

[karyo]

hi karyo what one are you asking about?

let me know and i will get the details for you

Thank you John,

I am referring to Mount Tongarino in New Zeeland.

Karyo

[john pike]

hi karyo

take a read of this

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-volcanic-activity/3

plus

Mount Tongariro (MÄori pronunciation: [tɔŋaɾiɾɔ]) is a volcanic complex in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres to the southwest of Lake Taupo, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.

The volcanic massif, often simply referred to as Tongariro, has a height of 1,978 metres (6,490 ft). It first erupted about 260,000 years ago. The volcano consists of at least 12 cones; Ngauruhoe, while often regarded as a separate mountain, is geologically a vent of Tongariro. It is also the most active, having erupted more than 70 times since 1839, although the last eruption took place in 1974-1975.^[2] Activity has also been recorded at other vents. Red Crater last erupted ash in 1926 and contains active fumaroles. There are many explosion craters on the massif; water has filled some of these to form the Blue Lake and the Emerald Lakes. Tongariro is an element of the Taupo volcanic zone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tongariro

i think messy comes to mind here

hope that helps

[Buzzit]

Yes Tongariro national park has several volcanoes. Another close to Mt Tongariro itself is Mt Ruapehu.

Ruapehu has a couple of large ski resorts on it which will be busy now. I used to ski at Whakapapa frequently and we were always aware of the siren warning system, which involves skiing/climbing out of the valley to avoid the lava flows!! http://www.mtruapehu...azards_map1.pdf

(And there are some amazing views of Mt Tongariro and Ngauruhoe from Whakapapa)

Indeed ! I have done the Tongariro crossing was facinating and quite awe inspiring with respect to views and the almost lunar landscape...

Another very good site for any interested in the Tongariro Complex is http://www.photovolcanica.com/VolcanoInfo/Tongariro/Tongariro.html

[karyo]

hope that helps

Thanks John, that's very imformative.

Karyo

[john pike]

'No significant risk' from Tongariro volcanic gases

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7333612/No-significant-risk-from-Tongariro-volcanic-gases

not sure if this is good or bad

[Chris W]

I hiked over the Tongariro Crossing last year - through three of the craters next to Mt Tongariro and over the adjoining Red Ridge - so this is pretty interesting personally! Ngauruhoe was the most recently active of the volcanoes in the park, Ruapehu aside of course, but I didn't expect Mt Tongariro to do anything at all any time soon.

[karyo]

Wow! Spectacular eruption of Sakurajima in Japan! http://www.itn.co.uk/home/51250/Japanese+volcano+erupts

Karyo

[john pike]

Volcano Eruption in Japan on Thursday, 26 July, 2012 at 02:59 (02:59 AM) UTC.

A volcanic eruption spewed flames into the southern Japanese sky and blanketed a nearby city with ash. Debris filled the air in Kagoshima City, wreaking havoc with transportation, forcing residents to wear facemasks and prompting extensive cleanup efforts. The Mount Sakurajima volcano is in a state of near-perpetual eruption, with more than 600 minor explosions this year, the BBC reported. But when it started spewing ash Tuesday at 7:15 p.m., residents knew it wasn't a trivial flare-up. The eruption sent 18-inch rocks more than a mile through the air, the Huffington Post reported. Residents couldn't see more than a few feet in front of themselves, ITN reported. After the dust settled, people spent hours in the streets with brooms, sweeping away the ash. Many residents wore white masks to avoid breathing in potentially harmful dust and fumes. Japan's meteorological agency reported that this was the largest eruption since 2009, and that another volcanic eruption of this magnitude is only a matter of time.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_update_read&edis_id=VE-20120726-35930-JPN&uid=12799

[john pike]

Fuego volcano (Guatemala), activity update: strombolian activity and lava flows

Weak but frequent explosions occur at Fuego volcano in Guatemala. On 25-26 July, they were producing gray ash columns reaching heights of 300 m to 600 m, and drifting up to 12 km west, northwest and southwest.

The explosions ejected incandescent material to heights of 100 to 150 m above the crater and generated weak avalanches on the upper crater flanks with rumbling and jetting sounds. Weak glow is seen at the crater at night.

The lava flow toward Taniluyá canyon reaches 400 meters in length. A new lava flow is active toward Ceniza ("ash") Canyon and has reached 200 m length, and from both flows, glowing lava blocks roll down the flanks and reach the vegetation. A third lava flow was observed in the direction of the Lajas Canyon with a length of 600 m.

Weak avalanches from the summit area were directed toward Canyon Santa Teresa and reached about 300 m distance and lifted up light ash clouds.

http://www.volcanodi...lava-flows.html

list of recent noteable earthquakes MAP 4.2 2012/07/27 23:53:08 14.255 -91.540 69.9 GUATEMALA MAP 4.7 2012/07/27 02:06:58 14.641 -90.585 232.8 GUATEMALA MAP 4.6 2012/07/22 19:40:46 11.461 -87.156 53.3 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA MAP 5.0 2012/07/22 18:02:12 11.700 -87.157 48.9 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA MAP 4.5 2012/07/22 10:36:41 14.511 -89.113 42.6 HONDURAS

http://earthquake.us.../270_15_eqs.php

Edited July 28, 2012 by john pike

[john pike]

Geothermal activity seen in New Zealand

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Geothermal_activity_seen_in_New_Zealand_999.html

posted as i found this interesting

[john pike]

Santiaguito volcano has showed an increase in activity yesterday morning INSIVUMEH reports in its latest special bulletin. The block lava flows from the lava dome have a length of about 3 km in different directions, mainly in the southwest, south and southwest flanks. The fronts and steep sides of the flows generate many avalanches of blocks, which along with regular explosions from the dome cause strong seismic signals. Starting early on 29 July (local time), some of the block avalanches turned into weak pyroclastic flows, and generated thick colums of fine ash rising up to 1500 meters above the crater and moving southwest towards the San Marcos and El Rosario Palajunoj regions at an approximate distance 15 kilometers.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=VA-20120731-36000-GTM

info

http://www.photovolcanica.com/VolcanoInfo/Santiaguito/Santiaguito.html

[john pike]

GeoNet has responded to the continued sequence of small volcanic earthquakes beneath Mount Tongariro by repeating some gas and hot spring sampling and installing a GPS instrument. The earthquake activity declined last week but increased again over the weekend. Currently about 3-10 events are occurring each day. Analysis of gas samples confirms that volcanic gases are present.

As part of our routine monitoring, we have recorded a sequence of volcanic earthquakes at Mount Tongariro since July 13, peaking in activity on July 20, and now numbering 3-10 per day, as shown on the graph below. The earthquakes cluster in a zone between Mount Tongariro and the eastern side of Lake Rotoaira at 2-7 km depth. These are very small earthquakes and unlikely to be felt.

Analysis of the gas samples collected in the last fortnight shows that volcanic gas levels are above the normal levels measured at Tongariro. There is always a mix of volcanic and hydrothermal gases and fluids rising to the surface at Tongariro, but the recent samples contain a marked increase in the volcanic gas component. These results confirm the volcanic unrest indicated by the seismic data.

We are working to complete the analysis of the water samples and plan more field work within the next two weeks or sooner if activity changes significantly. GNS Science volcanologists are monitoring the unrest and further information will be released as necessary.

Mount Tongariro is a volcanic complex that lies to the north of Mount Ngauruhoe. It consists of numerous craters, cones and lava flows. Te MÄri craters lie about two kilometres east of Ketetahi hot springs on the north side of Mount Tongariro. The Te MÄri craters are the last craters to be active on Tongariro. Ash eruptions from Tongariro are recorded from 1855 to 1897, as well as unconfirmed activity in 1926-27.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/jul-31-2012-10-00-am-tongariro-volcano.html

click on link above for graphs

[john pike]

worth keeping an eye on this

GNS Science has issued a volcanic alert for White Island because of increased activity in the crater lake and numerous earthquakes. GNS Science duty volcanologist Michael Rosenberg says the risk of eruption has increased. “Eruptions can occur at any time with little or no warning. The recent changes in activity suggest that the hydrothermal system has become unstable, and as a result the risk has increased.†The aviation colour code has been changed from green to yellow, meaning the volcano “is experiencing signs of elevated unrest above known background levelsâ€. The volcanic alert level remains at 1 – “departure from typical background surface activityâ€. There have been a number of earthquakes in the vicinity of the island since the beginning of July. Mr Rosenberg says until very recently the crater lake was almost empty, but between Friday July 27 and Saturday July 28 the level rose by about 3m to 5m. A recent ground survey has also showed the main crater floor may be slowly rising. “These phenomena are typical for White Island’s activity, but are the first substantial changes to occur in the last few years,†Mr Rosenberg says. The amount of sulphur gas being emitted from the volcano has also increased. But Mr Rosenberg says the crater lake has not been accessible for some months and GNS Science has been unable to measure temperature or chemistry changes. Mr Rosenberg warns people that White Island is an active volcano and people visiting the island need to take extra care. He says the activity at the island has no connection to the recent earthquakes and changes in gas flux at Mt Tongariro. GNS Science isVol monitoring the situation and will release more information as it becomes available. White Island is located 48km off the east coast of the North Island in the Bay of Plenty.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=VA-20120802-36026-NZL

[john pike]

White Island volcano's unrest is possibly being caused by magma pushing closer to the surface, GNS Science says. GNS yesterday changed the volcano's code from a "normal, non-eruptive state" to "experiencing signs of elevated unrest above known background levels" after crater lake began to re-fill quickly and the number of tremors began to increase. The volcano, located about 49 kilometres off the coast of Whakatane, is a popular tourist spot, but vulcanologist Michael Rosenberg said those visiting it should be cautious. Scientists could not rule out a volcanic eruption in the future, as history showed White Island could be unpredictable, he said. "It can erupt with virtually no warning at all and that happened in July 2000. "It was in a slightly elevated state of unrest, higher than what it is now, and just overnight it was just bang." However, Rosenberg also said episodes of volcanic unrest could frequently lead to nothing. Last week, the volcano's lake level quickly rose by about three to five metres sometime between Friday and Saturday, exposing a "vigorous" flow of gas and steam into the air, he said. "There used to be a lake there in the early 2000s, and it slowly evaporated and it was virtually down to nothing and then overnight the water level rose by maybe five metres."

It has risen in the past, but took much longer than the 24 hours, he said. During the past few weeks there had also been some minor volcanic tremors, including several hours on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. "There hasn't been very much of that volcanic tremor in the last couple of years, this is one of the reasons that we issued the alert bulletin." Rosenberg said scientists believed there was something changing in the magma underneath the volcano. "It's either that a pulse of gas is being released from that magma and that's providing a bit of extra pressure to push everything else towards the surface, or possibly it's a small amount of magma pushing closer to the surface. We are unsure at this stage." He said GNS Science would stop tourists from visiting the island if the volcano began to erupt a plume of ash, rocks or mud. "From where the volcano is now, there would have to be quiet a significant change over many days to weeks before it got to the stage where we thought it would erupt," he said. Further west, Mt Tongariro has also been showing signs of increased activity, with more than 100 minor shakes since July 11. Rosenberg said having White Island and Mt Tongariro both on a yellow code - meaning "signs of elevated unrest" - was just a coincidence. "Each volcano behaves in its own way. Yes, they both lie pretty much of either end of the Taupo volcano zone that runs through the North Island that's on top of the plate boundary. But that's about as closely related as they get."

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_update_read&edis_id=VA-20120802-36026-NZL&uid=12826

[john pike]

more info regarding white island from geo net

Crater Lake at White Island has recently started to re-fill and gases are now vigorously streaming through it. Airborne gas measurements made yesterday show that the discharge of some sulphur gases has increased. During the past few weeks there has also been some minor volcanic tremor.

crater lake march 6th 2012

crater lake july 28th 2012

link for full story

http://www.geonet.or...nd-volcano.html

Edited August 3, 2012 by john pike

[john pike]

ONE of the volcanos in the Caulle Cordon of southern Chile has erupted violently, billowing smoke and ash high into the sky and prompting more than 3,500 people living nearby to evacuate.

http://www.momentng.com/en/news/2831/mass-evacuation-as-volcano-eru.html

[karyo]

ONE of the volcanos in the Caulle Cordon of southern Chile has erupted violently, billowing smoke and ash high into the sky and prompting more than 3,500 people living nearby to evacuate.

http://www.momentng....olcano-eru.html

That's amazing as the eruption is so close to the Puyehue volcano which was erupting for much of last year!

In theory, this eruption shouldn't be as large or long lasting.

Karyo