Volcanoes
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Attention

Alert level raised for Cleveland volcano in Alaska after explosion detected

Cleveland volcano
© Flickr/ NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Scientists raised the alert level for a remote Aleutian volcano on Monday after an explosion was detected on the mountain and heard by residents of a tiny village some 45 miles (72 km) away, a monitoring website said.

Cleveland Volcano, a 5,676-foot (1,730-metre) peak on the uninhabited Chuginadak Island, about 940 miles (1,504 km) southwest of Anchorage, was raised to orange from yellow by the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The orange code, the second-highest on the scale, is issued when a volcano is "exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption," according to the observatory. A red code is issued when an eruption is imminent or under way.

The observatory said that an explosion was detected on Cleveland by both infrasound and seismic data and heard by residents of Nikolski, a settlement of less than 50 people on Umnak Island about 45 miles (72 km) to the east.

Infrasound instruments measure air pressure around the volcano.

Scientists said that cloudy weather obscured Cleveland's peak in satellite images but that no evidence of an eruption cloud had been detected at a height of 28,000 feet (8,534.4 meters).

Attention

Mount Bulusan spews ash column 2.5 kilometers high in Bicol, Philippines

The ash column from the Mt Bulusan phreatic eruption on October 23, 2016 is 2.5 kilometers high.
© Ronald Ballon The ash column from the Mt Bulusan phreatic eruption on October 23, 2016 is 2.5 kilometers high.
Phivolcs records a phreatic eruption at 3:31 pm on Sunday, October 23, as the volcano in Sorsogon remains under Alert Level 1

Mt Bulusan, a restive volcano in Sorsogon province, again spewed ash on Sunday, October 23.

In a bulletin issued 5 pm on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a phreatic eruption occurred 3:31 pm, producing an ash column 2.5 kilometers high.

"The event was recorded as an explosion-type earthquake and lasted for approximately 15 minutes based on the seismic record," said Phivolcs.

"The eruption originated from the summit crater, while a smaller eruption also transpired at the southeast vent."

Arrow Up

More strong eruptions at Colima, Turrialba and Bulusan volcanoes

Colima eruption
© www.webcamsdemexico.com
It's not even a week away that the Colima and Turrialba volcanoes erupted violently. And yesterday again they covered surrounding municipalities with ash after strong explosions. The Bulusan volcano also shows enhanced activity patterns.

The Colima continues its activity with some photogenic explosions yesterday, Oct. 18th.


Attention

Bulusan volcano spews ash a kilometer high in the Philippines

Bulusan, an active volcano in the eastern Philippine province of Sorsogon, erupted again Monday
Bulusan, an active volcano in the eastern Philippine province of Sorsogon, erupted again Monday
A Philippine volcano 250 km southeast of Manila erupted on Monday, spewing ash about a kilometer high into the sky above the volcano's crater, said the chief of the the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Renato Solidum told radio DzBB in an interview that Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon province that the steam-driven explosion took place at 7:36 a.m..

In its bulletin, the Phivolcs said it has detected a total of 24 volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours.

"Steaming activity could not be observed due to thick clouds covering the summit," the bulletin said.

It added that the volcano's sulfur dioxide emission was measured at an average of 79 tonnes a day on Oct. 12.

Arrow Up

Charity calls on DiCaprio to step down from UN climate change role

DiCaprio
© Olivier Marteau on Twitter
A rainforest charity calls on the star to either denounce his connection to individuals involved in a Malaysian corruption scandal and return laundered money he allegedly received or give up his role.

In perhaps the biggest attack on Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental credibility, a rainforest charity on Friday called on the actor to give up his title as UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change.

At a press conference in London, the Bruno Manser Funds offered DiCaprio an ultimatum: either he renounce his connections to the "politically exposed persons" at the center of the multi-billion dollar 1MDB Malaysian corruption scandal now being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and return corrupt money he allegedly received or resign from the position he was given by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in 2014.

"If DiCaprio is unwilling to come clean, we ask him to step down as UN Messenger for Peace for climate change, because he simply lacks the credibility for such an important role," said Lukas Straumann, director of the Switzerland-based charity, which has a particular focus on deforestation in Malaysia.

DiCaprio is alleged to have received millions of dollars diverted from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund for his role as star and producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, alleged by the DOJ to have been funded by stolen Malaysian money and produced by Red Granite, co-founded by Riza Aziz, the stepson of the Malaysian prime minister and a major figure in a DOJ filing. He is also alleged to have received laundered 1MDB money for his charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, from his former close associate Jho Low, the controversial Malaysian businessman at the heart of the scandal.

Attention

Kilauea Volcano's lava lake rises 54 feet to near crater rim in Hawaii

An image from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater on Tuesday.
© USGS Hawaiian Volcano ObservatoryAn image from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater on Tuesday.
Kilauea Volcano's summit lava lake rose to within 54 feet of the crater rim Tuesday under the watchful eyes of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The lake level is reminiscent of spring 2015, when the lake eventually overflowed onto the floor of Halema'uma'u Crater, covering 28 acres in fresh lava.

"We haven't had an overflow since then," said HVO Scientist in Charge Tina Neal.

If there's a big rockfall from the side of the crater into the lake, and if winds happen to be coming from the south at that time, some ash could fall on visitors. But that shouldn't be terribly troubling, except to those with significant pre-existing respiratory problems, Neal said.

Why is this happening?

It's unclear why the lake is rising so much, Neal said.

"Over the long-term history of the lake, it's unusual — the only other time it got this high, it overflowed," she said.

What will happen at Pu'u 'O'o?

"If the lake is high, typically we've seen a variety of behaviors down at Pu'u 'O'o," Neal said.

This photo captured from the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the end of April 2015 shows the lava lake in the completely filled Overlook crater atop Kilauea Volcano. The lava lake is rising again.
© USGS Hawaiian Volcano ObservatoryThis photo captured from the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the end of April 2015 shows the lava lake in the completely filled Overlook crater atop Kilauea Volcano. The lava lake is rising again.

Cloud Grey

Japanese volcano dramatically erupts, spewing ash on surrounding countryside

An aerial view shows volcanic ash around the eruptive crater of Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan
© Kyodo / ReutersAn aerial view shows volcanic ash around the eruptive crater of Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan
People on the foothills of Mount Aso in Japan are cleaning up after a volcanic eruption rained tons of ash down on their homes and streets.

In the aftermath of the eruption, the Japanese Meteorological Agency warned that a second one could follow. No one has reportedly been injured however the volcanic alert has been raised to Level 3, which cautions against approaching the volcano.

Footage showed flames bursting from several sources on the mountaintop as the volcano belched thick ash into the sky.


Bizarro Earth

Mount Aso erupts in Southern Japan

Moutn Aso
© Perth NowJapan's meteorological agency has warned Kyushu residents to stay away after Mount Aso erupted.
Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture erupted early Saturday, belching a column of ash 11,000 meters into the air in the latest eruption in one of the world's most volcanically active countries.

The explosive eruption occurred around 1:46 a.m. on one of the peaks of the 1,592-meter mountain, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

It was the first explosive eruption at that particular peak since January 1980.

The agency raised the alert level for the volcano to level 3 on a scale of 5 and urged people not to approach the mountain.

Footage on NHK public television showed orange flames billowing from several locations on the mountaintop as the volcano emitted thick gray smoke into the sky.

There are no houses within the off-limit area and no injuries or major damage have been reported in nearby towns, though buildings and cars were covered with thick ash. No flights were affected.

A window at a youth center just a few kilometers away from the mountain suffered a crack apparently from volcanic rocks.

Masaaki Yamamoto, a manager at the center, told NHK that he heard small volcanic rocks hitting the exterior of the building, and found a crack in the window along with nearby chunks of volcanic debris about the size of golf balls.


Camcorder

USGS releases video of volcano lava lake at Kilauea, Hawaii

Hawaii volcano lava lake
© YouTube/Associated Press (screen capture)
The US Geological Survey has produced new, high definition images of the Hawaii volcano Kilauea summit eruption and the active lava lake formed in the crater at the top of the volcano.


Comment: There has been increased activity at Kilauea volcano this year. See also:


Arrow Up

Dormant volcano in British Columbia, Canada sparks with activity

Mount Meager
© Global Volcanism Program/Smithsonian InstituteVolcanologist Melanie Kelman with Natural Resources Canada is taking a closer look at Mount Meager, north of Pemberton, after a discovery this summer showed the long-dormant volcano is a little more active than originally thought.

Expert says activity on Mount Meager presents no danger to the public, but scientists monitoring


Experts are taking a closer look at Mount Meager, a dormant volcano north of Pemberton, after they discovered activity on the peak earlier this summer.

Volcanologist Melanie Kelman with Natural Resources Canada said sulphur smells and volcanic openings known as fumaroles were spotted on the the long-dormant volcano.

She said it is not uncommon to find fumaroles on the peak, and it could have been thinning ice that exposed the vents.

While fumaroles pose no risk to the public, she said it would be unsafe to approach or enter them as they are letting off hydrogen sulfide — a poisonous gas — and the ice around them is crevassed and potentially unstable.

Her team is now monitoring the area for increased seismic activity — the key sign of an upcoming eruption.

"The main thing we would expect if the volcano was becoming more active is lots and lots of small earthquakes," she explained.

"We're not seeing a lot of that right now, but this is what we would expect, and that's why we're watching it closely."