Volcanoes

Alert level raised after explosion at remote Alaska Peninsula volcano

Anchorage Daily News
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:27 UTC

Veniaminof Volcano near Perryville, Alaska

© Chris Waythomas / AVO
This July 16, 2013, photo by the Alaska Volcano Observatory shows the southwest flank of the intracaldera cone at the Veniaminof Volcano near Perryville, Alaska.

A small explosion was recorded Thursday at a remote volcano on the Alaska Peninsula, prompting officials to raise the alert level.

Satellite and webcam views indicated low-level ash emissions from Mount Veniaminof volcano. The ash plume did not rise above 10,000 feet, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said. Minor ash deposits are visible at the volcano, located 480 miles southwest of Anchorage.

Officials said eruptive activity typically includes minor ash, lava fountaining and lava flows from the small cone in the ice-filled summit caldera. Ashfall is usually confined to the summit crater but larger explosions can send ash to nearby communities, as happened in a 2018 eruption.

Veniaminof is one of the most active volcanos in the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula, erupting at least 14 times in the last 200 years.

Environmental disasters across globe in February 2021

Burak Bir
Anadolu Agency
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:15 UTC

At least 51 people killed when glacier breaks in northern India, Europe's tallest active volcano Mt. Etna erupts

February saw a host of environmental disasters, including floods in Turkey and Japan, a powerful volcanic eruption in Italy's Mt. Etna, and heavy monsoon rains in Indonesia.

Here is a timeline compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Feb. 1:

- The US northeast is in the midst of a massive snow storm with some areas expected to receive up to 2 feet of snow.

Feb. 2:

- Heavy rainfall in western Turkey floods some parts of Izmir province, leaving two dead.

Scientists in Iceland say 'strong signs' volcanic eruption is imminent

Jon Henley
The Guardian
Wed, 03 Mar 2021 17:09 UTC

© Promote Iceland
Mount Keilir, about 20 miles south of Reykjavik. Scientists said there was no immediate danger to the public.

Scientists in Iceland have said there are now "strong signs" that a volcanic eruption may be under way following several days of near-constant seismic activity near Mount Keilir about 20 miles south of the capital, Reykjavik.

"We are not saying we have signs an eruption has begun," Kristín Jónsdóttir of the Icelandic meteorological office told local media on Wednesday. "But this looks like the type of activity we expect in the run-up to an eruption."

Víðir Reynisson of the island's civil defence force told a mid-afternoon news conference it was "more likely than not" that an eruption - the first in the area since the 12th century - was about to begin, and could happen within the next few hours.

But Víðir said there was "no disaster going on and everyone can get on with their daily lives". There was no immediate danger, he said, although people should avoid travelling to the area on the Reykjanes peninsula.

Thousands of tremors measuring up to 5 on the Richter scale have been recorded on the peninsula during the past week. Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a geophysicist, said that if it came, the eruption could also be delayed by several days.

Comment: Shallow 5.6-magnitude tremor strikes near Reykjavik, Iceland

Guatemala's Pacaya volcano erupts, officials warn of burning projectiles

Sofia Menchu
Yahoo Eurosport UK
Thu, 04 Mar 2021 01:11 UTC

Guatemala's Pacaya volcano erupted on Wednesday, expelling lava for several hours and prompting the country's meteorological institute to warn that incandescent volcanic blocks could rain down on nearby towns.

Officials stopped short of ordering evacuations following the so-called strombolian eruption, explosions that consist of relatively mild blasts but eject burning cinders and lava bombs.

One of the Central American country's most active volcanoes, Pacaya began to expel lava at dawn, creating an immense column of smoke, video footage from the institute showed.

"The Pacaya volcano has a very high level of activity, which has generated a strombolian type eruption, with strong explosions," the meteorological institute, Insivumeh, said in a statement.

Comment: Guatemala: There's nowhere to hide - hundreds of thousands live in the shadow of 3 erupting volcanoes

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: 750 year eruption cycle begins, will it affect our civilization?

Adapt 2030
Mon, 01 Mar 2021 23:14 UTC

Krísuvík volcano in Iceland has just awoken after 750 years of slumber, on its regular multi-century eruptive cycle. The last time an eruption out of Iceland affected the entire planet was either 1340 with the Black Plague or 1108 AD that took down dynasties and empires on all continents. We are back at the beginning again.

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano spews ash 3 km into sky

The Hindu
Tue, 02 Mar 2021 04:57 UTC

© Reuters
Mount Sinabung volcano sent a cloud of hot ash as high as 3 km on March 2, 2021. The volcanic activity as seen from Kuta Rakyat village in Karo, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. |

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano sent a cloud of hot ash as high as 3 km on March 2, in its first big eruption since August last year.

Mount Sinabung's activity has increased since August last year and the alert for the volcano in North Sumatra province has been placed at second highest level.

No casualties were reported as officials had earlier urged people to stay at least 3 km from the crater, Indonesia's volcanological survey said on Twitter.

Videos on social media showed little panic among residents over the eruption, which sent a column of white ash into the blue sky.

Comment: The increasing volcanic activity worldwide continues.

Spectacular eruption at Mount Etna for the 7th time recently

Atolo Kecil
YouTube
Sun, 28 Feb 2021 18:30 UTC

Mount Etna is at it again! This is the 7th outbreak in the last few weeks.

Living up to its name as one of the most active volcanoes on Planet Earth

Eruption at Sakurajima Volcano, Japan on February 28

Volcano Time-Lapse
YouTube
Sun, 28 Feb 2021 10:25 UTC

Sakurajima Volcano

With all the cameras on Sakurajima, this is the only one that caught this eruption at 10:00 JST.

Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts with ash plume 15000 ft high

Volcano Discovery
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:15 UTC

Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000 ft (4600 m) altitude or flight level 150.

The full report is here.

Comment: Guatemala: There's nowhere to hide - hundreds of thousands live in the shadow of 3 erupting volcanoes

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: More infrastructure goes down across the globe

Adapt 2030
Sat, 27 Feb 2021 03:29 UTC

Unbelievably more infrastructure going down across the planet, Japan pipes collapse due to a six foot plus snowstorm cutting off water on Hokkaido. Europe's longest bridge closed due to too much snow fall. Oil prices up and exodus from the cities expected to continue for the next 24 months.