General Volcanic Activity Thread!

[john pike]

Volcanic activity worldwide 16 Nov 2013: Colima, Copahue, Klyuchevskoy, Sinabung, Sakurajima, Bagana, Etna

Saturday Nov 16, 2013 12:21 PM |

Steam rings from Etna's New SE crater this morning

Ash plume fro Klyuchevskoy this morning

Colima volcano early on 15 Nov 2013 (Photo: Bullriv Colima Rivera via facebook)

 

 

Etna volcano - eruption update

 

 

Weak explosions continue at the New SE crater, and often produce steam rings. This morning, tremor has started to rise, which could indicate the start of yet another paroxysm.

 

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Explosive activity at the summit crater has intensified. The volcano produces a near constant steam and ash plume of fluctuating size. The ash plume reaches about 21,000 ft (6.3 km) altitude drifting east.

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): VAAC Tokyo reports continuous ash emissions and some relatively large explosions with plumes reaching 12,000 ft (3.6 km) altitude last evening.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): An explosion this morning produced an ash plume to 9,000 ft (2.7 km) altitude this morning, VAAC Darwin reported.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Explosions continue to become gradually stronger. Two powerful vulcanian explosions occurred on 14 Nov producing ash plumes rising to about 12,000 ft (3.6 km) and causing small pyroclastic flows. More than 5000 people have been evacuated so far.

Colima (Western Mexico): Activity has increased recently, judging from recent pcitures of the volcano. Abundant rockfalls and lava flows descend the flank of the steep cone. It appears that growth of the lava dome has resumed in speed and overflows the rims of the crater.

Copahue (Chile/Argentina): New ash emissions started yesterday shortly before noon (local time) and have been more or less continuous since then. The low-level ash plume is drifting NW.

 

 

 

 

SERNAGEOMIN mentions that seismic activity has remained above background, with a total of 18684 recorded earthquakes during October, most of them at depths less than 10 km.

 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/38839/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-16-Nov-2013-Colima-Copahue-Klyuchevskoy-Sinabung-Sakurajima-Bagana-Etna.html

 

 

Ash emission from Copahue

[john pike]

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Cleveland.php

 

cleveland alaska updates above

 

 

 

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Veniaminof.php

 

veniaminof above

[john pike]

http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/

 

new zealand updates above and looks fairly quiet

[john pike]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2507799/Shes-smoking-Mount-Etna-puffs-dozens-rings-measuring-hundreds-feet-spews-molten-lava.html

 

not my normal source

 

but some nice pictures

[john pike]

Etna volcano: New SE crater paroxysm last night - report and video

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUQ91-CLTbc#t=0   nice video

 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/etna/news/38847/Etna-volcano-New-SE-crater-paroxysm-last-night-report-and-video.html

 

Edited November 17, 2013 by john pike

[The PIT]

It busy tonight as well.

 

http://www.guide-etna.com/webcam/

[john pike]

Earthquakes deep below West Antarctica reveal an active volcano hidden beneath the massive ice sheet, researchers said today (Nov. 17) in a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

 

The discovery finally confirms long-held suspicions of volcanic activity concealed by the vast West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Several volcanoes poke up along the Antarctic coast and its offshore islands, such as Mount Erebus, but this is the first time anyone has caught magma in action far from the coast.

 

"This is really the golden age of discovery of the Antarctic continent," said Richard Aster, a co-author of the study and a seismologist at Colorado State University. "I think there's no question that there are more volcanic surprises beneath the ice."

 

 

 

Mount Sidley is the youngest volcano rising above the ice in West Antarctica's Executive Committee Range. A group of seismologists has detected new volcanic activity under the ice about 30 miles ahead of Mount Sidley.

 

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/41262-west-antarctica-new-volcano-discovered.html

[john pike]

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province has unleashed volcanic ash as high as 8,000 metres (26,250ft) in recent days, said the government volcano expert Surono. The 2,600-metre Mount Sinabung has sporadically erupted since September after being dormant for three years. Officials raised the alert status of Sinabung to the second-highest level after an eruption early this month, prompting evacuation of more than 6,000 villagers living near its slopes. Its activities have continued since then, sometimes unleashing lava down the slopes. "It was the strongest eruption in recent days," said Surono, who like many Indonesians uses a single name. The transportation ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said his office had issued a notice for all airlines to avoid routes near the mountain. Residents in Medan, the provincial capital about 30 miles (50km) to the north-east, could see black smoke billowing from Sinabung.

 

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_update_read&edis_id=VE-20131024-41395-IDN&uid=14471

[john pike]

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merapi volcano news & eruption updates

latest (2013) | 2012 | 2011 | archive

Monday, Nov 18, 2013

Merapi volcano (Central Java): strong explosion

A relatively strong explosion occurred yesterday morning (4-6 am local time), producing a large ash plume of about 2 km height and accompanied by loud rumblings. Ash fell to the south and east sides of the volcano, as far as Solo (30 km distance). According to local press, many people spontaneously evacuated their homes in several villages near the volcano.

Edited November 18, 2013 by john pike

[john pike]

Without warning, Mount Merapi erupted this morning in central Java, spewing ash and lava up to 2,000m into the sky. No one was killed in the eruption so far, but the event has sparked fear among local residents because of the danger of the dust cloud falling on houses and fields. Mount Merapi ("mountain of fire" in the local language) is in the heart of Java, about 26 km from the city of Yogyakarta, a very densely populated area, and is Indonesia's most active and dangerous volcano. In October-November 2010, it erupted several times, killing hundreds of people. Before that, it erupted in 1930 (with 1,400 deaths) and 1994 (70 deaths). According to National Disaster Management spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, today's eruption was "triggered" by a number of tectonic shocks following an earthquake that hit the area. Days of heavy rain compounded the problem as the latter quickly turned into "steam", accelerating the eruption.

 

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=VE-20131119-41696-IDN

[cyclonic happiness]

Does anyone have anymore information on the mud volcano/volcanic vent, that opened up at the end of the main airport in Rome?

 

I cannot find any information on it which is strange considering it's such a strange event?

 

Thanks :-)

[john pike]

hi cyclone

 

absolutely nothing on the rome airport story

 

will update when i see something

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Volcanoes Today, 20 Nov 2013: Fuego, Klyuchevskoy, Sinabung, Santa María / Santiaguito, Pacaya, Yasur, Etna

Wednesday Nov 20, 2013 10:03 AM |

Weak glow from the eastern effusive vent at Etna's New SE crater

Lava flows on Fuego on 19 Nov into Taniluya (left) and Ceniza (right) canyons

Etna (Sicily, Italy): (19 Nov) Weak explosive (sporadic small strombolian eruptions) and effusive activity (weakly alimented lava flow from eastern fissure vent) continues at a decreasing trend. There are interesting small surges of activity at rhythmic intervals of 3-4 hours (visible as the smaller peaks in the tremor signal).

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): Eruptive activity remains high with ongoing mild to strong explosions at the summit. A particularly intense phase yesterday produced a plume rising to 10-12 km altitude that extended SE. Today, activity has decreased, but plumes continue to reach 5-6 km altitude and drift N and NE.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): A new explosion was reported this morning (around 7:30 UTC), sending an ash plume to estimated 30,000 ft (9 km) altitude.

Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): Geohazards reports that the volcano continues to produce near-continuous ash emissions while explosions are relatively weak. This phase of ash emissions began on 3 November and are likely to continue into the coming days and weeks.
Yasur Alert Level is still maintained at Level 1.
Villages and communities located close and far away from the volcano, especially those in the prevailing trade winds direction (NW) are likely to receive ash falls.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): No significant changes in activity have occurred over the past days. INSIVUMEH reports weak explosions and continuing incandescent block avalanches from the active lava flow on the NE side of the Caliente dome.

Pacaya (Guatemala): INSIVUMEH reports ongoing mild to moderate strombolian activity with ejections of lava to up to 75 meters. Intervals between bursts are 20 seconds to one minute.

Fuego (Guatemala): Two lava flows are active on the upper slopes of the volcano at the moment, to the Taniluya (south) and Ceniza canyon (SE). The effusive activity started on 11 Nov and increased on 18 November, reaching a length of 600 m. Constant avalanches detach from the flow fronts.
At the same time, explosive activity at the summit crater remained at low to moderate levels, with strombolian explosions that produce ash plumes of up to 800 m height and incandescent jets visible from distance. Some of the explosions generate shock waves that can be felt and heard in up to 15 km distance, causing roofs, doors and windows of houses to rattle.
Fine ash fall occurred in Panimaché, Morelia abd Sangre de Cristo.

 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcanoes/today.html

[john pike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIHk_A0z0Rc#t=0

[Nick B]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25032329

 

from BBC web site

 

New island forming 620 miles south of Tokyo.

[john pike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZY6kH_RXSU#t=0

[john pike]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24602#.Uo5wX-JcqUl

 

 

 

The 8-kilometre-high ash cloud from Mount Sinabung dwarfs this villager in the north of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, on Monday. The volcano rumbled back to life in 2010 after lying dormant for hundreds of years.

[john pike]

Volcanic activity worldwide 22 Nov 2013: Fuego, Chaitén, Santa María / Santiaguito, Colima, Popoca...

Friday Nov 22, 2013 11:33 AM |

SO2 plume from Langila on 22 Nov (NOAA)

Popocatépetl this morning

Explosion at Santiaguuito yesterday morning

Seismic signal of Fuego yesterday (FG3 station, INSIVUMEH)

 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/39082/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-22-Nov-2013-Fuego-Chaitn-Santa-Mara-Santiaguito-Colima-Popoca.html

Chirpoi (Kurile Islands, Russia): SVERT reported that a thermal anomaly from Snow, a volcano of Chirpoi, was detected in satellite images during 13-15 November. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.

Chirinkotan (Northern Kuriles): SVERT reported that during 13-15 November a thermal anomaly over Chirinkotan was observed, as well as steam-and-gas emissions during 14-15 November.

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): The past days have been relatively calm at the volcano with only infrequent and smaller explosions and less ash emission, compared to the intense phase of activity during 13-15 November.

Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): An SO2 plume from the volcano is visible on satellite data today, indicating continuing activity.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Since the large vulcanian eruption on Wednesday (9 km ash plume), several smaller explosions occurred. Ash plumes rose to estimated 12,000 ft (3,6 km).

Colima (Western Mexico): The current eruptive phase continues. Local newspapers reported explosions every 30-35 minutes, with plumes up to 2 km high. Lava flows (and incandescent avalanches) descend on the flanks of the volcano.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): No significant changes in activity have occurred. CENAPRED reports occasional weak emissions mostly of steam and sometimes with small amounts of ash. Significant degassing and SO2 emissions continue.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): A phreatomagmatic (water-magma interaction driven) explosion yesterday morning produced a plume of fine ash rising to 3.2 km altitude (700 m above the lava dome) and drifted SE, causing ash fall in Finca La Florida.

Fuego (Guatemala): A surge in activity occurred yesterday, with drastically increased numbers of strombolian explosions and lava effusions. The explosions generated ash plumes rising about 500 m and caused moderate ash falls in areas to the south and SW, mainly in the village of Sangre de Cristo.

Today, the volcano seems to have calmed down again.

This was the 4th (and so far weakest) paroxysmal phase of the volcano this year.

Chaitén (Southern Chile and Argentina): Increased seismic activity has been detected under the volcano, Chilean scientists reported.

The devastating Plinian eruption of Chaitén in May 2008 forced the evacuation of the entire population of the small coastal town of Chaitén, located only a few kilometers south of the volcano. After the initial explosive phase, several lava domes have been growing slowly by extrusion of degassed, viscous magma. This phase ended in 2011 and since then, the volcano has only produced degassing.

... [show less]

On 20 Nov at 08:07 (local time), a volcano-tectonic magnitude 2.4 earthquake occurred at 6 km depth north-east of the volcano. It was followed by a swarm of more than 80 quakes of mostly long-period type, characteristic for movements of fluids (gasses, water, and possibly magma) inside cracks inside the volcanic edifice. They are considered potential precursors to eruptive activity. In addition, pulses of volcanic tremor and a second volcanic-tectonic quakes of magnitude 2.7 at 11:39 local time, this time at shallow 4.4 km depth were recorded.

[karyo]

I am very interested in the Chaiten developments!

[keithlucky]

Seven volcanoes erupt within hrs of each other http://t.co/XzP1c3uo6z

[john pike]

Askja volcano news & activity updates:

Recent earthquakes near Askja volcano in Iceland

A small swarm of earthquakes has occurred today under the eastern caldera rim. Another minor swarm took place yesterday under Þórðarhyrna volcano 20 km to the NE.

 

 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/askja/news.html

 

http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes/#view=map

 

http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earthquakes/vatnajokull/#view=table

 

links and images thanks to met office iceland

 

certainly lively there although a wait and see is needed to see if techtonic or not

 

 

Edited November 24, 2013 by john pike

[john pike]

Volcanic activity worldwide 23 Nov 2013: Etna, Nishino-shima

Saturday Nov 23, 2013 18:03 PM |

Eruption of Etna this morning (Etna Trekking webcam image)

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The latest paroxysm (nr 17 in 2013) at the New SE crater of Mt Etna occurred this morning, just less than one week after the previous one last weekend.

First signs of activity had become evident last evening with weak occasional explosions at the New SE crater. The strombolian activity increased quickly starting from about 10:30 local time and merged into violent lava fountains. The eruption today was much faster than the previous ones, but the peak phase of lava fountaining, which only lasted about one hour, was particularly intense. It produced tall fountains and a large ash plume of about 6 km height that drifted to the NE (towards Taormina) where heavy ash fall occurred.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiZ0dk7gZR4#t=0

Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands, Japan): The eruption in Japan's remote Izu island chain that created a new island the day before yesterday continues. It has already built a small cone with its crater isolated from sea-water access.

As a result, the eruption has changed in style from surtseyan (explosive magma-water interaction) to strombolian. Japanese Coast Guard observed the growing island on an aerial survey today (see video). The preliminary name of the island is "Nii-jima" ("the brother mountain").

It currently has two active craters. Explosions were observed to occur at intervals of 2-3 minutes with jets of scoria and ash reaching up to 750 m height. The sea water around Nii-Jima is discolored due to ash and gasses in solution.

[john pike]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFvG1on-JOU#t=34

[john pike]

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE Saturday, November 23, 2013 07:24 AM (Saturday, November 23, 2013 17:24 UTC)

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and Webcam images (available at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). All times are Hawai`i Standard Time.

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)

19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)

Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Activity Summary: Eruption at two locations continued with no significant changes. Summit instruments recorded the switch to DI inflationary tilt and the lava-lake level rose. At the middle east rift zone, the Kahauale`a 2 lava flow was active as small scattered breakouts burning forest northeast of Pu`u `O`o. Gas emissions remained elevated.

Recent Observations at Kilauea summit: The summit tiltmeters recorded the switch to DI inflationary tilt at midnight last night and, after continuing to drop through yesterday, the lava-lake level started to rise this morning to an estimated 55 m (180 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. Gas emissions continued to be elevated: the most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 t/d on October 28, 2013 - the higher value represents a period in which spattering activity and gas release from the lava lake were active; however, these values are minimums because the data were acquired close to the vent where the plume is most dense and challenging to fully characterize; new measurements must await the return of moderate trade winds. Although not measured this morning, a very small amount of ash-sized tephra (mostly fresh spatter bits and Pele's hair from the spattering sinks) was probably carried out of the vent with the gas and deposited onto nearby surfaces.

 

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/status.php

[john pike]

Indonesian authorities raised the alert status for one of the country's most active volcanoes to the highest level Sunday after the mountain repeatedly sent hot clouds of gas down its slope following a series of eruptions in recent days. Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province unleashed fresh volcanic ash and gravel as high as 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and searing gas down its slope up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), said a government volcanologist, Surono, who like many Indonesians uses one name. The 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) -high mountain has sporadically erupted since September after being dormant for three years. "We are in a situation of high alert due to the danger of searing gas," Surono said, adding that authorities had urged people to stay at least 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from the crater. About 12,300 evacuees from eight villages around the mountain were packed Sunday in crowded government camps away from the fiery crater, while more than 6,000 others fled earlier to temporary shelters in 16 safe locations, said National Disaster Mitigation spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said airlines had been notified to avoid routes near the mountain. The volcano's last eruption, in August 2010, killed two people and forced 30,000 others to flee. It caught many scientists off guard because it had been quiet for four centuries. Mount Sinabung is among around 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

 

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_update_read&edis_id=VE-20131024-41395-IDN&uid=14485

[john pike]

Volcanoes Today, 24 Nov 2013: Sinabung, Sakurajima, Santa María / Santiaguito, Pacaya, Fuego, Colima, Popocatépetl

Sunday Nov 24, 2013 11:03 AM |

Explosion from Sakurajima this morning (Tarumizu MBC webcam)

Vulcanian eruption column from Sinabung volcano this morning (@sitepu_yolanda)

Colima early on 23 Nov 2013 (Photo: Hermando Rivera, s. facebook link)

Popocatépetl this morning (CENAPRED webcam)

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): After a short phase of weaker activity, the volcano began to erupt more violently yesterday with a series of powerful explosions that sent ash plumes up to 15,000 ft (4,5 km). Near-constant ash emissions have been taking place from the Showa crater.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The activity of the volcano continues to increase. More vulcanian-type explosions have occurred over the past days. Since yesterday evening alone, at least 8 explosions have been registered, the biggest one being probably one this morning that produced an ash plume rising to 25,000 ft (7.5 km) and drifting 60 nautical miles to the NW.

The frequent eruptions have been causing severe ash fall in villages nearby where lapilli of up to 0.5-1 cm in size have fallen. In Medan city 50 km to the NE, ash fall caused disruptions of traffic as visibility was reduced to 20 meters.

The aviation color code (red) and alert status (4 out of 1-4) of the volcano are now on their highest levels. The exclusion zone was extended from 3 to 5 km, which implies that about 10,000 additional people should be evacuated.

Colima (Western Mexico): Lava avalanches and flows continue to spill down the upper flanks.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The rate of emissions has dropped to less than 10 per day. Glow remains visible from the summit crater at night, indicating that magma continues to arrive (slowly). A small volcanic-tectonic quake of magnitude 2.0 occurred yesterday morning (CENAPRED).

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): No significant changes in activity occurred. Explosions generate ash plumes as high as 900 m above the dome and effusive activity continues to produce small lava avalanches mainly from the NE flank of the dome. A felt earthquake occurred yesterday night at 00:32 local time.

Pacaya (Guatemala): INSIVUMEH reports ongoing, but relatively weak strombolian activity.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has returned to normal levels, with weak explosions (ash plumes of 500-600 m height drifting W and NW). The lava flow towards the Ceniza canyon remains weakly alimented and had a length of 200 m yesterday.

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7XYNs-720M#t=0