Volcanoes
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Camera

Skiers in Chile shocked when Nevados de Chillán volcano erupts next to them

Lucy Aspden
The Telegraph
Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:55 UTC
Nevados de Chillan eruption
© DMC Photography/FacebookSkiers were shocked when a volcano erupted next to them in Chile
Avalanches, extreme cold, and fast-changing weather conditions are just a few of the natural dangers that skiers and snowboarders must be aware of and prepare themselves for when out exploring the mountains.

However, skiers in the Bío Bío region of Chile in South America on August 2 were struck by an unexpected threat - an erupting volcano. The Nevados de Chillán volcano began to billow smoke, ash and gases while a group from ski and snowboard guide company Powder Quest were on the neighbouring slopes.

Skier Jess McMillan caught the whole thing on film and posted the video on her Instagram feed, with the caption: "So crazy to see a #volcano #eruption @nevadosdechillan Very cool way to end an epic bluebird powder day @powderquest #ladiesfreeridecamp."

Experts from the website Volcano Discovery suggest the eruption started around 5:10pm on August 1 - the dense plume of ash from the crater, which is off-limits to skiers and snowboarders, rose to 3,600m and quickly dispersed. In total the activity only lasted a few minutes, but nonetheless caught those enjoying the sunny South American slopes off guard.

Jess said: "The volcano has been giving off gases all season, there's now a closed area surrounding it to keep skiers and snowboarders a safe distance away. The volcano has emitted gases twice since in the past three days - it makes no sound and there's no earthquake when it happens."

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Attention

Volcanoes along the ring of fire are going off like firecrackers

Michael Snyder
End of the American Dream
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:30 UTC
ring of fire activity
So far this week, we have seen the most dangerous volcano in Mexico erupt, and three major volcanoes in Indonesia all erupted within the space of just 72 hours. Mexico and Indonesia are both considered to be part of "the Ring of Fire," and all along the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean volcanoes are starting to go off like firecrackers right now. According to Volcano Discovery, 25 volcanoes in areas that are considered to be within the Ring of Fire have erupted recently. Our planet appears to have entered a time of increased seismic activity, and those the follow my work regularly know that this is a theme that I revisit repeatedly. Sadly, most Americans are not paying too much attention to this increase in seismic activity, but the truth is that it has very serious implications for the west coast of the United States.

It didn't make a big splash in the mainstream media in the United States, but this week Mt. Popocatepetl erupted and coated homes and vehicles in Mexico City with a thick layer of volcanic dust. And now some scientists are becoming concerned that this recent activity may be building up to "a major disastrous eruption"...
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Calendar

Largest quakes since volcano stopped erupting recorded near Bardarbunga

Paul Fontaine
The Reykjavik Grapevine
Thu, 04 Aug 2016 16:25 UTC
Bardarbunga volcano
© Reykjavik Grapevine
One of the largest quakes since the famed volcano stopped erupting has been recorded near Bárðarbunga.

RÚV reports that a quake measuring a 4 on the Richter scale was recorded near the northern end of Bárðarbunga at about 5:00 Wednesday morning.

Einar Hjörleifsson, a natural disaster expert at the Icelandic Met Office, told reporters the quake is amongst the largest that have been recorded since the volcano stopped erupting in early 2015. The past week has been relatively quiet at the site, he said, but over the course of this day many tremours were recorded. He emphasised that the quakes in themselves do not necessarily mean that another volcanic eruption is on the way.

This is not for the first time in recent months that tremours have been recorded near Bárðarbunga. As reported last May, a quake measuring 4.4 was recorded near the volcano, followed by several aftershocks.

While scientists do not yet have reason to believe another eruption is imminent, they are still monitoring the area closely for increased activity. The Grapevine will keep readers updated in the event an eruption occurs.
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Arrow Up

Flights disrupted after 3 volcanoes erupt in Indonesia within 2 days


Globalnews.ca
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:43 UTC
Mount Sinabung volcano eruption
© Tibta Pangin/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesA general view of spewing pyroclastic lava is seen during Mount Sinabung volcano eruption, seen from Tiga Pancur village in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia on July 28, 2016.
Eruptions at three volcanoes in Indonesia have darkened skies in parts of the archipelago and disrupted some flights.

Mount Rinjani on Lombok Island near Bali, the Sinabung volcano on Sumatra Island and Mount Gamalama in the Moluccas chain of islands have all erupted in the past couple of days.

No one has been injured, but flights at two airports have been disrupted.

Sultan Babullah airport in Ternate, the capital of North Maluku province, was closed Wednesday and Lombok's international airport was closed for several hours on Tuesday.

The three mountains are among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelago of 250 million people is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes because it sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a string of faults that lines the Pacific Ocean.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that Gamalama and Sinabung erupted again late Tuesday, blasting debris high into the air. Hot ash tumbled down the Sinabung slopes as far as 2,000 metres (yards) southward into a river.
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Bizarro Earth

Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia's Far East spews ash cloud up to 7.5 km


ITAR-TASS
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:53 UTC
Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia’s Far East
© Alexandr Arkhipov/ITAR-TASS

Klyuchevskoy volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East has spewed ash up to 7.5 kilometers in the air, the Kamchatka department of Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Service told TASS on Wednesday.

"According to satellite images, the ash column was as high as 7.5 km above the sea level. Ash is carried to the north-east. The concrete size of the ash plume is unknown since a large area near the volcano is covered in thick clouds," the Geophysical Service said.

No reports have been made yet about volcanic ash eruptions in settlements of the Ust-Kamchatsky district, where the volcano is located.
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Arrow Up

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupts, spews ash over Mexico City


Toronto Star
Mon, 01 Aug 2016 01:35 UTC
Car covered with ash in Mexico City
© Omar Torres/AFP/Getty ImagesA car is covered with ashes from the Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico City on Aug. 1.
Mexico's national disaster prevention agency says the Popocatepetl volcano has spewed ash over Mexico City and neighbouring areas.

The agency says the volcano erupted for about nine hours, until 3 a.m.

Mexico City residents awoke Monday to cars coated in a light dusting of ash. The disaster agency's monitoring cameras showed glowing rocks shot from the volcano's crater landing more than a half-mile (1,000 metres) down its slope.

About 25 million people live within 62 miles (100 kilometres) of the crater of the 17,797-foot (5,426-meter) stratovolcano. It's been periodically erupting since 1994.
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Smiley

Mother nature flashes a smile as Hawaii volcano appears to show off a red hot grin and glowing eyes when molten lava reaches the ocean

Valerie Edwards and James Gordon
Daily Mail
Sat, 30 Jul 2016 04:05 UTC
Kilauea volcano in Hawaii
The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has erupted, however the volcano appears to be 'smiling' when seen from the air.
A photographer captured incredible footage of a Hawaiian volcano's lava flow 'smiling' as it reached the Pacific Ocean.

The aerial video shows Kilauea's lava reaching the coast as it flowed down its slopes in the rugged Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on earlier this week.

The video which was taken by Paradise Helicopters show the volcano appear to form a giant smiley face as it pumps out lava into the sea.
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Alarm Clock

Alaska's Pavlof Volcano alert level increased amid signs of possible eruption

Chris Klint
Alaska Dispatch News
Fri, 29 Jul 2016 14:40 UTC
Pavlof volcano
© Pavel Izbekov via AVOA 1 p.m. Thursday photo of Pavlof Volcano, taken from a PenAir plane en route from Dutch Harbor to Anchorage, shows an ash plume drifting northeast.
The Alaska Peninsula's Pavlof Volcano is once again drawing concern from volcanologists after a major eruption in March.

Pavlof's alert level was raised Thursday in response to indications it might erupt again.

A Thursday update from the Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the volcano's aviation color code to orange and its alert level from advisory to watch. The alert level for Pavlof, roughly 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, had been raised from normal in early July after it showed signs of unrest.

On Thursday, webcam images of the volcano showed "steam de-gassing" from the volcano, with pilot reports and satellite data indicating an ash cloud rising less than 15,000 feet into the sky.

"Seismicity remains elevated, with periods of volcanic tremor continuing," staff wrote. "Activity is currently at relatively low levels. An increase in eruptive activity is possible and could occur with little or no warning."

During Pavlof's March eruption, dozens of villages received a dusting of ash, with ash clouds rising as high as 37,000 feet and posing a hazard to Alaska aviation due to ash blown northeast into Alaska's Interior.
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Attention

Guatemala's 'Volcano of Fire' erupts spectacularly, authorities on alert


RT
Fri, 29 Jul 2016 14:37 UTC
Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire)
© redeyecollection / Instagram
Amazing images have been captured of Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) erupting spectacularly. Authorities remain on high alert as it continues to display intense activity.

The volcano, considered one of the most active in Central America, is being monitored by CONRED, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction of Guatemala, and INSIVUMEH, the National Institute for Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology.

Comment: Some recent activity:

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Bizarro Earth

Iceland's largest volcano Katla rumbles with earthquakes


Iceland Monitor
Tue, 26 Jul 2016 21:14 UTC
Mt. Katla
© Iceland Monitor/Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson

Two earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 occurred in the Katla caldera in Mýrdalsjökull glacier around 4:00 AM this morning. Ten smaller earthquakes followed.

Katla is one of Iceland's largest volcanoes, and with twenty eruptions being documented since the year 930, Katla remains on of the country's most active volcanoes.
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