Volcanoes
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Attention

Zhupanovsky volcano in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula spews ash 8 km high


TASS
Tue, 19 Jan 2016 06:41 UTC
Zhupanovsky volcano eruption
© Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS, KVERTZhupanovsky volcano eruption on 19 January 2016

An "orange" code of warning for the aviation has been issued, and travel companies have been asked not to organize tours to the areas close to the Zhupanovsky volcano

The Zhupanovsky volcano in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday released ash to the height of 8 kilometers above the sea level after almost two months of relative calm, a member of the local group of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has said. "Today at around 4.30 p.m. local time [3.30 a.m. GMT] the Zhupanovsky volcano spewed ash to the height of up to 8 kilometers [5 miles] above the sea level.

The ash column could be seen with the naked eye from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and some other settlements," the scientist said. Experts said the ash cloud spreads in the eastern direction towards the Pacific Ocean. The populated areas are currently not under threat. "At the moment, the ash cloud has spread to 20 kilometers and it continues moving towards the ocean," the member of the group said. An "orange" code of warning for the aviation has been issued.
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Alarm Clock

Peru's Ubinas volcano erupts: 3km smoke ash cloud

Adam Justice
International Business Times
Sat, 16 Jan 2016 19:48 UTC
Peru's Ubinas volcano
Peru's Ubinas volcano
Peru's Ubinas volcano erupted on 15 January at 12.53pm local time (7.53am GMT), emitting smoke and ash that affected seven nearby towns. The volcano spewed an ash cloud some 9,842ft (3km) high, according to the scientists who monitor the volcano.

Volcanologists from the Volcanology Southern Observatory said the ash spread south and southeast some six miles (9.65km), affecting seven surrounding towns. Scientists expect smaller eruptions of smoke and ash to continue throughout the day.

Just days earlier, a team of volcanologists had ascended Ubinas to study the crater and take readings. After being dormant for several years, the volcano has become increasingly active since September 2013. The Ubinas volcano is in Peru's Moquegua department, 776 miles south of Lima.

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Alarm Clock

Colima volcano erupts in Mexico


Reuters
Sun, 17 Jan 2016 18:39 UTC
Mexico's Colima volcano,
Mexico's Colima volcano, also known as the 'fire volcano', has erupted again.
Mexico's Colima or "Fire" Volcano spewed a large column of gas and ash high into a blue sky on Saturday (January 16). The ash cloud reportedly shot more than 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) into the air.

The explosion at the volcanic crater was registered at 3:42 p.m. local time (21:42 GMT). Located in the southwestern Mexican state of Colima, the Fire Volcano has been bursting to life since July 9 last year including three eruptions on New Year's Eve.

The Fire Volcano, officially known as the Colima Volcano, is part of the Pacific's Ring of Fire. Mexico contains over 3,000 volcanoes, but only 14 are considered active. Major eruptions in Mexican history have included the 1953 eruption of the Paricutin Volcano in Michoacan, the 1982 eruption of Tacana Volcano in Chiapas and the 1986 eruption of the Colima Volcano.

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Attention

Mount Egon volcano rattles Flores Island, Indonesia


Earthweek
Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:17 UTC
Volcano on Flores island
Evacuation ordered as volcano on Flores rumbles to life
Residents living around the base of Indonesia's Mount Egon were ordered to evacuate as the Flores Island volcano began to rumble because of rising magma.

A 2-mile exclusion zone was established around the 4,487-foot volcano, which last erupted in 2008, forcing more than 10,000 people to flee.

Egon is the only one of six volcanoes in Indonesia currently on an alert level of 3 or 4 that is not currently erupting.

The vast archipelago has 127 active volcanoes, more than any other country on the planet.
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Attention

Strong eruption at Soputan volcano, Indonesia: Ash plumes over 4 km high


Volcano Discovery
Fri, 08 Jan 2016 15:41 UTC
Soputan volcano
© SindonewsLava fountaining at Soputan volcano on 5 Jan 2016
A powerful explosive eruption occurred at the volcano during 4-6 January. It began with a series of at least 4 powerful explosions between 20:50 on 4 Jan and up to the next morning, producing tall ash plumes that rose 4-6 km above the volcano and drifted north.

At least some of the explosions also triggered pyroclastic flows reaching the southern base of the summit cone. Moderately strong ash fall of 1-2 cm occurred in villages about 10 km to the NE of the volcano.

Apart from significant damage to farmland because of the ash cover, no injuries or damage to infrastructure were reported. The airport of Manado had to be closed for 2 days.

In the course of the second day (5 Jan), the activity at the volcano changed to violent lava fountaining from a fissure vent at the summit of the cone, producing lava flows that descended the cone. Activity ceased after around 6 January.

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Fire

Lava lake on the rise - again? Rockfalls cause explosions at Hawaiian volcano

Chelsea Jenson
Hawaii Tribune Herald
Fri, 08 Jan 2016 18:50 UTC
Kilauea Volcano explosion
© USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY This webcam screen capture shows an explosive event that occurred after a rockfall Friday morning at the Overlook vent within Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano.
A series of rockfalls into Kilauea Volcano's summit lava lake causing small explosions lighting the night sky could be the result of the lake starting to rise again.

Since Saturday, there have been three such rockfalls resulting in small explosions at the summit lake, said Janet Babb, a geologist with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

"When the lava lake rises, it heats the rock in the vent's rim, and as you know, when you heat things, things expand and the rocks crack," Babb explained, "and because it becomes unstable, periodically we see these rockfalls."

She added, "Over the past week, the level of the lava lake has been the highest it has been in the past six months."

On Christmas Eve, the lake was about 210 feet below the floor; on Nov. 29, about 165 feet below; on Oct. 15, about 260 feet below; on Sept. 16, about 236 feet below; and on Aug. 20 about 190 feet below the crater floor. This week, the lava lake level has fluctuated from about 115 feet below on Sunday to 95 feet below on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon, the level was about 112 feet below the floor of Halemaumau.

The lava lake last overflowed the Overlook vent rim sending flows across the floor of Halemaumau Crater between late April and May 9, drawing thousands of visitors looking to get a glimpse of the activity. It marked the first time the floor of Halemaumau was exposed to lava since 1982.

Friday, Babb said, the lava still remained out of sight of visitors at Jaggar Museum. However, an incandescent glow is visible at night.

The most recent rockfall and explosive event occurred early Friday. At 3:51 a.m., a section of the Overlook vent's eastern wall fell into the summit lava lake resulting in a small explosion that agitated the lake enough to light up the night sky, she said. The explosion occurs when the rocks hit the lava lake's gas-rich foam-like surface.

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Clock

Major Russian Shiveluch volcano erupts again


Sputnik
Sun, 10 Jan 2016 17:52 UTC
Shiveluch volcano
© IVS FEB RAS/Y. Demyanchuk
The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Kamchatka erupted once again on Sunday, as the volcano's activity continues to grow, potentially leading to a major eruption.

The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Kamchatka territory woke up on Sunday morning local time, releasing a plume seven kilometers up in the atmosphere, the Kamchatka Branch of the Russian Academy of Science's Geophysical Service said.
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Red Flag

Guatemala's Fuego volcano spews ash up to 24,000 feet; new lava flows

Ella Turner
The Telegraph, UK
Mon, 04 Jan 2016 10:54 UTC
Fuego volcano
© Reuters via Storyful
Footage shows the moment the Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupted on Sunday.

According to Guatemala's volcanic monitor, Insivumeh, thick ash was sent up to 24,000 feet high because of the eruption.

It caused new lava flows and loud explosions, however none of the mainland has been greatly impacted.

This comes after an eruption that began last week intensified for the volcano, which lies about 30 miles southwest of Guatemala city.

The eruption has had no affect on any flights at the country's main international airport according to Reuters.


Comment: Fuego volcano in Guatemala; increased activity, strombolian explosions, pyroclastic flow

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Cloud Lightning

Ticking time-bomb: Yellowstone super-volcano could kill millions


Sputnik News
Fri, 08 Jan 2016 01:37 UTC
Yellowstone caldera
© USGSYellowstone caldera
The US is in more immediate danger from "super-volcanos" like the one in the Yellowstone National Park, than other natural disasters -- as it may go off within the next 80 years, scientists say.

Experts from the European Science Foundation have determined that the likelihood of an eruption happening at one of the major volcanoes within 80 years is around 5-10%, due to a "volcano season" of increased activity.
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Attention

Strong explosion at Momotombo volcano in Nicaragua


Volcano Discovery
Sun, 03 Jan 2016 13:04 UTC
Momotombo volcano
The cone of Momotombo volcano covered by glowing bombs from this morning's eruption
A strong explosion occurred this morning at 04:22 local time at the volcano, covering much of the summit cone with incandescent ejecta.

The lava flow effusion and continuous strombolian activity had stopped in early December, followed by only high-temperature degassing, sporadic minor explosions and the growth of what might have been a small lava dome. A more intense phase of activity seems to have started yesterday. Early on 2 January, small ash emissions occurred, followed by more, still weak explosions in the early afternoon of yesterday.

The strong explosion this morning might have involved a small pyroclastic flow on the NE side of the volcano, reaching about 1.5-2 km length.


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