Global Volcano Watch

Sunday Jan 13, 2013 10:00 AM - Active new lava flow from the effusive vent on the N side of the NE crater cone; the new breach is visible to the left of the vent
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): During a larger explosion of the NE crater, part of the northern crater wall collapsed. The explosion and resulting rockfall caused a large ash and steam plume that drifted over the island and scared many of the inhabitants.
When we visited the Sciara del Fuoco in the afternoon, a small lava flow was actively issuing from the effusive vent (that had been active intermittently during the previous days) located just beneath the new crater breach. The flow was about 10 meters wide and had previously reached about 150 m length where a cooling flow front was still visible. During the afternoon / evening, the flow continued to be quite active, producing many incandescent avalanches of blocks tumbling down the Sciara.

Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): Further ash explosions occurred today and yesterday. VSI maintains status 3 (out of 4) of the volcano and recommends not to approach the Tompaluan crater within a radius of 2.5 km.

Kizimen (Kamchatka): An ash plume was observed at 15,000 ft (4.6 km) altitude 12 Jan morning, possibly from a pyroclastic flow or an explosion at the growing lava dome. A new lava flow extrudes from the summit on the north-eastern flank of the volcano. Incandescence of the volcano summit, hot avalanches on the western and eastern volcanic flanks and strong gas-steam activity accompany this process.
Tolbachik (Kamchatka): The eruption continues with little changes. KVERT reports constant high tremor and effusion of lava flows from the southern fissure.

Manam (Papua New Guinea): An large explosion occurred yesterday morning. VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume rising to 45,000 ft (approx. 14 km) altitude.

Other volcanoes: No significant changes have occurred at most volcanoes we monitor.

Earthquake-report.com summarizes the activity of volcanoes in Central and Southern America as follows (12 Jan):

Exhalations continue to occur at a reduced rate (less than once per hour on average) at Popocatepetl volcano (Mexico). Small volcanic earthquakes continue at Colima volcano, suggesting further surface activity should be expected there.

Seismicity is reduced at Fuego volcano (Guatemala) and Santa Maria volcano. Both seismicity and a volcanocam photo indicate a recent exhalation from the Satiaguito Dome Complex (Santa Maria volcano). Nearby Pacaya volcan chatters with frequent volcanic earthquakes.

Banded volcanic tremor at San Cristobal volcano (Nicaragua) has become more pulsatory and diminished during the past 24 hours. Elevated volcanic tremor continues at Masaya volcano and volcanic earthquakes (and a train of volcanic tremor) continue to affect Concepcion volcano today.
Volcanic tremor has diminished at San Miguel volcano, but occasional volcanic earthquakes have struck the volcano the past few days.
Numerous small earthquakes rattle Colombian volcanoes: Nevado Del Ruiz, Machin, and Galeras today.

Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) has returned to slumber, internal activity appears on the increase again at Reventador volcano, and a few small earthquakes have affected Cotopaxi volcano during the past few days.

SERNAGEOMIN reports that seismicity has diminished slightly beneath Copahue volcano during the past 24 hours. Just over 1000 events occurred during that period.

January 13, 2013 – PAPUA NEW GUINEA - A large eruption seems to have occurred this morning around 05:30 GMT from Manam volcano north of New Guinea. VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume rising to 45,000 ft (approx. 14 km) altitude. A hot spot is visible on MODIS satellite data. For the moment, no precise other information about the nature of the eruption is available, as the island is remote and most of its population had been relocated after the last major activity in 2004. –Volcano Discovery

Quake strikes beneath Alaskan volcano: A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck deep beneath the Alaska Peninsula southwest of Cook Inlet early Sunday morning, triggering a tsunami warning that was quickly canceled, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The 3:45 a.m. shaker hit some 80 miles underground just across the inlet from communities along the western Kenai Peninsula. Data from the University of Alaska earthquake center pegged it 55 miles west of Nikiski but only a few miles from Mount Redoubt, an active volcano in Cook Inlet that last erupted in 2009. Despite its depth and distance it was strong enough to rattle dishware and trigger car alarms in South Anchorage, about 115 miles northeast of the epicenter, according to data from the earthquake center. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. –Alaska Dispatch

January 15, 2013 – ITALY – Spectacular lava flows and smoke from an active volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli on Monday sparked fear among inhabitants but geophysicists said the situation was under control. Stromboli is part of the seven-island Eolian Archipelago just off Sicily in southern Italy. The volcano is active but on Monday there was a particularly powerful eruption and sustained lava flows, following four days of heightened activity. Stromboli mayor Marco Giorgianni told the island’s 500 inhabitants that they were not at risk and experts from Italy’s civil protection agency are due on the island for further controls shortly. “We are afraid,” one resident, Pier Paolo Cincotta, was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying. “No-one has really explained to us what the situation is and what we should do,” he said. Italy’s National Geophysics Institute is monitoring the situation. –France 24

New Zealand volcano restless: Mt Tongariro has continued to emit steam and gas but beneath the mountain, things have been quiet so far this year. The Te Maari craters, the site of eruptions in August and November last year, continue to be active with continuous emissions of steam and volcanic gas, GNS Science said. The gas was coming from a large fumarole and crack in a cliff just east of the Upper Te Maari crater. The main Upper Te Maari crater is also discharging gas but at a lesser rate. “Gas and steam emissions from the volcano will continue to be a feature of the mountain for several years to come,” GNS head vulcanologist Gill Jolly said. GNS Science vulcanologists are planning to take new gas measurements to compare with those made at the end of December. Aerial observations at the end of last year showed a large amount of material had filled in the Upper Te Maari crater in the November 21 eruption but the main shape of the crater had not changed. Meanwhile seismic activity had remained relatively low, with no earthquakes yet recorded beneath the mountain this year. GNS said Tongariro continued to be in a heightened state of unrest and eruptions could occur with little or no warning. –Stuff

January 17, 2012 – HAWAII – The orange glow atop Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea was a little stronger yesterday (Jan. 15) than it has been in recent weeks. The volcano’s lava lake lapped over the inner ledge of its vent, reaching a new high and bring molten rock closer than ever to the floor of Halema’uma’u crater. The level was about 80 feet (25 meters) below the crater floor, the highest level reached since the summit vent blasted open in March 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The lava lake last surged on Oct. 23, 2012, when the high mark was measured at 100 feet (31 m) below the crater floor. Since fresh lava appeared atop Kilauea in 2008, the lake level has varied from near the crater to out of sight, more than 650 feet (200 m) beneath the crater floor. The lake sits in a vent, which is actually a pipe-like crater within the smaller crater called Halema’uma’u. And Halema’uma’u is also a crater within a crater — the giant Kilauea caldera, the bowl left behind when the volcano blew its top about 1500 A.D. The USGS also reports that activity is up at Pu’u ‘O’o crater, 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the summit in the volcano’s East Rift Zone. The crater was awash with lava flows in recent days, and lava overflowed from its northeast lava lake and north spatter cone, the USGS said in a statement. At the coast, oozing flows continues to slowly drop into the ocean. This month marks the 30th anniversary of the eruption at Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. The volcano’s longest continuous rift zone eruption since the 15th century, the massive upwelling has created more than 500 acres of new land. -OAP

January 17, 2012 – EARTH – Stromboli (Italy): The lava overflow that started on Monday and reached about 400 m elevation on the Sciara del Fuoco has stopped (for now). Strong explosions felt in houses in the village continue to occur frequently and tremor remains elevated. Etna volcano: The strombolian activity inside Bocca Nuova crater has ended abruptly yesterday. Colima (Mexico) has entered a new eruptive phase with more explosions during the past days. Popocatépetl (Mexico): Activity has not changed significantly: there are 1-2 weak emissions per hour, sometimes producing small quantities of ash. Glow from the summit remains visible at night. Some small volcanic earthquakes (below M2) have been occurring in the past days as well. Santiaguito (Guatemala): The activity has remained essentially unchanged but lower than last week. During 14-15 Jan, few weak explosions occurred from the dome, and glowing avalanches were observed from the fronts of the active lava flows on its flanks. Pacaya (Guatemala): Increased steaming has been observed today, but otherwise, there has not been any new activity. Numerous small earthquakes continue to be visible as evidence of fluid movements under the volcano. Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has been decreasing with few explosions and the lava flow reducing its length to 300 m. Nicaragua’s San Cristobal, Masaya and Concepcion volcanoes have not shown appreciable changes in their (seismic) activity of varying amounts of volcanic earthquakes and tremor. Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): No other activity than degassing has been reported recently. Seismic activity remains elevated but at relatively low levels. A swarm of earthquakes occurred under the volcano on 15 Jan afternoon. Very small, but numerous, earthquakes are occurring at Machin, Galeras, and Cumbal volcanoes in Colombia. Reventador (Ecuador): Strong seismic activity including some explosion signals and a hot spot visible on satellite images suggest that the lava dome in the summit crater continues to be active. Tungurahua is currently calm. Copahue (Chile/Argentina border): No surface activity and no glow has been observed, but there is elevated seismic activity of low energy with more than 1700 events detected between 15-16 Jan. Alert level remains at Orange because of the risk of sudden phreatic explosions. Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): Another explosion occurred this morning at 09:33 local time. It was weaker than the previous ones and produced a plume rising to about 12,000 ft (3.6 km) altitude and drifting NE, VAAC Darwin reported. Kilauea (Hawai’i): Activity has been stable with good magma supply maintaining relatively high levels of the lava lakes and feeding lava flows that continue to reach the ocean. Sakurajima volcano in Japan has maintained a rythm of 2-3 daily explosions with ash plumes rising to 6-10,000 ft (1.8-3 km) altitude. White Island (New Zealand): The tremor has increased significantly during the past 24 hours. If this is caused by the volcano (and not wind), it could suggest a new eruption under way, but there have been no reports of any activity so far. Kizimen (Kamchatka): The new lava flow from the summit dome continues to be active on the north-eastern flank of the volcano. Incandescence of the volcano summit, hot avalanches and strong degassing accompany this process, KVERT reports. Tolbachik (Kamchatka): The eruption still continues with active lava flows being fed by the southern vent. KVERT reports tremor at higher levels than during the past week. –Volcano Discovery

January 18, 2013 – GEOLOGY – With Kamchatka currently being one of the most volcanically active places on the planet, here is a summary of the current volcanic activity in the past week in the region by the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team. Lava dome growth and effusion of a viscous lava flow continue at Shiveluch volcano, accompanied by moderate fumarolic activity and incandescence. Satellite imagery showed a thermal anomaly over the volcano all week. Eruption’s at four cinder cones producing fluid lava flows on the S part of the fissure on the flank of Tolbachik continues. A large thermal anomaly on the N part of the fissure was detected on satellite imagery. Gas and ash plumes from Tolbachik rose to heights of 4 KM a.s.l. A lava flow continues to extrude on the east flank of Kizimen volcano, accompanied by incandescence, hot avalanches and strong gas and steam activity. Two new lava flows were detected on the SE flank of the volcano by satellite data. A thermal anomaly was also observed. Possible ash eruptions from Karymsky volcano were detected in the past week with ash plumes possible rising to a height of 2.5 KM a.s.l. A thermal anomaly was detected at the volcano on the 11 and 14 January. Strombolian activity continues at Kliuchevskoi volcano. This was accompanied by gas and steam activity from the summit and incandescence. Thermal anomalies were detected on 11 and 13 Janaury. Here is a summary of volcanic activity in the past week in the Kuril Islands by the Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team. Gas and steam activity were noted from Chirpoi volcano on January 9 and 11. Chirpoi last erupted in 1982. A thermal anomaly and strong gas and steam activity were noted from Medvezhia volcano on January 11. Medvezhia’s last eruption was 1999. The caldera floor contains several lava domes, cinder cones and associated lava fields, and a small lake. The westernmost of the post-caldera cones, Menshoi Brat, is a large lava dome with flank scoria cones, one of which has produced a series of young (probably a few centuries old) lava flows up to 4.5 km long that reached Lake. –Volcano Discovery

On the precipice of a shift: Geologically speaking, we may be on the verge of witnessing something unprecedented in recorded history, as more aggressive change progresses within the interior of our planet. From January 6 to 13, in a span of only seven days, no less than 10 volcanoes were stirred into activity. Six volcanoes in Kamchatka, along, are reporting activity. At the planet struggles to equilibrate its thermal cycle, more and more of the planet’s systems that utilize thermal energy will be thrown into disorder: tectonic plates movements, sea-floor spreading rifts, sesimic events, climate, volcanic systems, and ocean circulation patterns. Change has come to planet Earth, and the effects will only become more pronounced and extreme over time. –The Extinction Protocol

New Zealand rattled by 11,000th aftershock, following 2010 earthquake
January 17, 2012 – NEW ZEALAND – A magnitude-3.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch this afternoon could be the 11,000th tremor since September 4, 2010. The quake hit at 12.55pm, 15 kilometers east of Christchurch at a depth of 6km. Over 163 people reported feeling the “moderate” shake on the GeoNet website. According to Christchurch Quake Map, the quake was the 11,000th the region has experienced since the magnitude-7.1 struck early on September 4 2010. GNS Science geological hazard modeler Matt Gerstenberger said 11,000 quakes was a significant but expected number for the region to have experienced. “Anyone living there knows what it has been like. However, it is in the range of what we would have expected for a region which has had a large earthquake.” Many of those quakes would not have been felt, he said. “Many would have been so small they wouldn’t have been noticed. Also, I’m not sure what the minimum magnitude for a quake is that is mapped on that website, but that [11,000] figure would be in the range, I suspect.” He did not expect the number of quakes mapped to go up greatly. “According to the aftershock sequence, the aftershocks will now be further apart and so the number will go up slowly over time,” he said. “There won’t be a huge or sudden increase.” –Stuff.NZ

January 21, 2013 – CHILE - Terrestrial and satellite observations confirm that for about 2 weeks weak explosive activity deep within the summit crater has resumed and indicates that magma might have begun to rise again within the volcano. This ends a period of more than six months of remarkable inactivity. It is expected that in the coming weeks or months incandescence will be visible again at the crater during the nights. The activity levels are so low, that without the help of satellites it would not have been possible to detect the increase in heat from the crater. In addition, about 2 weeks ago, the seasonal melting of ice and snow on the volcano began and produced large volumes of melt-water that drained within and at the base of glaciers. A critical mass of water might have entered the volcano’s hydrothermal system. The internal heat evaporates the water in the immediate area of ​​the volcanic conduit and forms condensation on the inner walls above. The condensation phenomenon has been observed in good weather, notably on 16 and 17 January after noon. The detailed analysis of more than 12,000 daily sequential images indicates that no ash emissions have occurred nor landslides in recent months. –Volcano Discovery

January 19, 2013 – GEOLOGY – A low-level earthquake swarm continues beneath Mammoth Mountain volcano (CA) (station MMS), with a M1.3 event recorded earlier today. Dilatometer data from instruments located within Long Valley Caldera show an inflection in trend at the swarm onset on or around 15 January 2013. A series of small explosions (green signals) followed a very subtle increase in volcanic seismicity in the past day at the Colima volcano (Mexico). Exhalations of gas and ash have increased slightly during the past 24 hours at Popocatepetl volcano. A mixture of wind noise, and small local and larger regional earthquakes dot seismograms at Guatemalan volcanoes Fuego (station FG3), Santa Maria (station STG6) and Pacaya (station PCG) today. Santa Maria seismograms show the most volcanic activity with occasional increases in tremor tucked within the “noisy” record. Recent MODIS thermal imagery shows the active lava flows descending the flanks of Fuego and the Santiaguito Dome Complex (Santa Maria). A few larger magnitude volcanic earthquakes punctuate an otherwise slowly decreasing trend in seismicity at San Cristobal volcano (Nicaragua) (station CRIN) today. Volcanic tremor amplitude continues to be unstable at Masaya volcano (station MASN), and frequent, low-amplitude volcanic earthquakes continue to plague Concepcion volcano (station CONN). An episode of larger magnitude volcano-tectonic earthquakes also affected Nevado Del Ruiz volcano (Colombia) (station OLLZ) late yesterday. Numerous low-amplitude volcanic earthquakes and occasional periods of volcanic tremor continue at the volcano. Numerous small seismic events continue at nearby Machin volcano (station CIMA) as well. The tremor-like signal late in the record at Machin is due to cultural noise, not the volcano. Strong degassing continues at Reventador volcano (Ecuador) (station CONE), accompanied by abundant low-frequency seismicity, including volcanic tremors. Over 1100 small volcanic earthquakes, along with low-level volcanic tremors have occurred during the past 24 hours at Copahue volcano (Chile-Argentina border). Weather obscures any surface activity accompanying the seismicity. –Earthquake Report

January 21, 2013 – NEW ZEALAND – Scientists are warning Mount Tongariro may erupt again as the Department of Conservation looks at re-opening the remainder of the iconic Tongariro Crossing next month. GNS Science say emissions of steam and a gas plume have been a continuous feature of the mountain since the August 2012 eruption. Scientist Tony Hurst said the volcano is still in an “active” state. “Therefore we have to be prepared there will be other events like that without any warning,” said GNS Scientist Tony Hurst. The risk of another eruption is causing concern for the Department of Conservation as it prepares to reopen the northern section of the Tongariro Crossing which was damaged in the August eruption. GNS Scientists are also concerned neighboring Mt. Ruapehu may be due to erupt. Gas samples show there could be a blockage underneath the volcano’s surface. The blockage could burst and erupt without warning. Tourism operator Stewart Barclay from Adrift Outdoors said tourism on Mt. Ruaphu and Mt. Tongariro is reliant on the findings of GNS scientists. “We can’t do anything until the scientists scratch their heads and reckon it’s all safe to go up,” said Barclay. DOC has closed the area within 2km of the centre of crater lake at the summit of Mt Ruapehu. -TVNZ

January 22, 2013 – NEW ZEALAND – Volcanic activity at White Island is the most “vigorous” in years and could mean a large explosive eruption is imminent, GNS Science says. The volcano, off the Bay of Plenty coast, is the country’s most active and showed heightened signs of unrest last year. But it is the increased hydrothermal activity in the last three weeks which is of “significant concern,” GNS vulcanologist Brad Scott says. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything this strong since the late 90s and 2000s.” The activity then led to a large eruption in July, 2000. “The hydrothermal activity is some of the most vigorous I have seen at White Island for many years. This type of activity usually leads to stronger volcanic activity and is a significant concern,” Scott said. “Increases in hydrothermal activity often leads to explosive eruptions and that can be quite dangerous for visitors.” The activity may mean an eruption is imminent, but there is also a chance it could cease. The volcano poses no threat to the mainland, however, as it is 48 kilometers from shore. But White Island is a popular tourist attraction, with boat and flight tours heading there daily. If it does explode, ash may reach the mainland and Bay of Plenty locals might smell gas, Scott says. Scott’s observations were based on a visit to the island yesterday. Hydrothermal activity in the small ‘hot lake’ had increased, large amounts of sediment had surfaced and vivid white steam and gas was flashing from the base. This was the sort of activity that had been increasing since late 2012 and was now semi-continuous, Scott says. The lava dome that was first observed in late November has not changed since earlier this month. There were elevated levels of volcanic tremors, probably generated by the hydrothermal activity, Scott says. As usual, the volcano could erupt with little or no warning. -Stuff

January 22, 2013 – KAMCHATKA – Three volcanoes in Russia’s Kamchatka continue to send steam and ash into the air while lava flows down their slopes. Volcanic activity on the peninsula has dramatically intensified. Aviation authorities issued an orange security level in the area. The volcanoes Shiveluch, Kizimen and Plosky Talbachek are erupting in different parts of the peninsula simultaneously, causing dozens of local earthquakes, as the vibrations accompanying the eruptions of the giants continue to increase. The biggest and most active is Shiveluch, Kamchatka’s northernmost volcano and 3,283 meters high. Over the last days it made several eruptions of gases, steam and ash, the highest of which reached the 4,900 m above sea level. Unceasing earth tremors send avalanches down its slopes. Sensors installed near the volcano are registering high seismic activity with, active gas generation and thermal anomalies. Activity of Shiveluch started to grow back in 2009 when its dome split with a fissure 30 meters deep. A mere 45 km from Shiveluch there is Klyuchi settlement with 5,000 citizens. Volcanologists say at the moment there is no imminent danger to the town. Stratovolcano Kizimen 3,900 m high in the Kronotsky Reserve, famous for its Geyser Valley, is situated some 265 km from the region’s largest city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its seismic activity also by far exceeds normal: over 80 local earthquakes have been registered near the volcano in the last 24 hours. The pillar of gas and ash rises to 4,400 m above sea level. At night the red glow could be seen in the sky above its crater. Kizimen ‘woke up’ in 2009 after the last big eruption in 1928-29 and since then its activity has only been growing. Plosky Talbachek volcano 3,140 m, a part of two-dome volcanic pile (the second dome Ostry Talbachek is 3,689m), became active on November 27, 2012, some 36 years after precisely predicted “Great fissure Tolbachek eruption” in 1975-76. Plosky Talbachek has been erupting lava for weeks now. Two openings below the crater level were sending lava flows that reached 6 and 18km. The flows are glowing in the nighttime, which means that more and more masses of lava continue to arrive, reported Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team. Though increased volcanic activity and eruptions pose a certain threat to air travel over the Kamchatka Peninsula, volcanologists closely monitoring the situation report no imminent danger to settlements close to any of the three volcanoes. –RT

January 22, 2013 – CHILE - A new (so far small) eruption began yesterday from Caulle volcano, local sources reported. Ash emissions reaching 11,000 ft (3.4 km) altitude were reported by Buenos Aires VAAC. Local news report ash fall over Puyehué, Entre Lagos and Osorno today. –Volcano Discovery

January 22, 2013 – HAWAII – Eruptive activity at the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano is picking up at the Pu u Oo vent and Halemaumau Crater. At the Pu u Oo vent, situated in the volcano’s East Rift Zone, lava flows are sporadically spilling onto the east flank of the vent. The volume of lava streaming to ocean entry is increasing slightly, with small entry points now spread along the coastline near Kupapu Point on both sides of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The current ocean-entry flow has been under way since mid-November. This month marks the 30th anniversary of Kilauea volcano’s ongoing East Rift Zone eruption. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed from the Pu u Oo vent. Since then, nearly continuous flow has built a vast plain of slow-moving pahoe hoe lava stretching from the volcano’s rift zone to the Big Island’s shoreline. Also, in recent months, at Kilauea volcano’s summit caldera, the lava lake swirling in Halemaumau Crater has been rising to record levels. Since March 19, 2008, when an explosive eruption formed the lava lake, its surface level has remained mostly below the inner ledge (about 100 feet below the floor of Halemaumau Crater). It has, however, risen above and flooded the ledge in October 2012 and this month. According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists, “the lake level responds to summit tilt changes, with the lake receding during deflation and rising during inflation.” The best and closest place within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to catch a look at eruptive activity at Halemaumau is at the Jaggar Museum, which is near the summit. After sunset, the lava lake casts a vivid glow on the ever-present plume of volcanic gases rising from the site. On-island viewing of the ocean-entry lava flow is now largely limited to the Kalapana viewing area, which is maintained by Hawaii County and located outside of the national park. –Hawaii Mag http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2013/1/21/Hawaii_Volcano_Kilauea_lava

January 22, 2013 – PHILIPPINES - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Tuesday the seismic activity of Taal Volcano in Batangas province has increased in the past 24 hours. Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum, Jr. said the agency has recorded 10 volcanic quakes from 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday. But Solidum said no steaming has been observed in the past 24 hours and water temperature at the main crater lake decreased from 31.7 to 30.9 degrees Celsius. The Phivolcs chief noted the volcano’s Alert Level 1 will be maintained as “10 volcanic quakes are still appropriate for a volcano that is under abnormal level.” He said that a volcano under Alert Level 1 means that abnormal volcanic activities are observed, though a hazardous eruption is not imminent. Since January 18, Solidum said Taal Volcano was relatively calm, with its seismic network recording “zero to eight” volcanic earthquakes in a day. –MST

January 28, 2013 – KAMCHATKA - A volcano erupting in Russia’s Far East has sent plumes of gas, ash and molten lava into the sky. Footage filmed on Friday shows rivers of molten lava flowing in the remote area of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano, in Kamchatka peninsula. “The hot materials have erupted to the height of up to one hundred meters,” said Yuri Demyanchuk, a volcanologist who has made several visits to the site. According to authorities, there is no immediate threat to residential areas, but officials have advised residents to ensure they have access to protective masks. The nearest town is around 60 kilometers away. The volcano started erupting in November, after lying dormant for almost 40 years. –Telegraph


January 28, 2013 – INDONESIA - A stronger than usual explosion produced an ash plume spotted on satellite data at 7,000 ft (2.1) km altitude today (VAAC Darwin). Batu Tara stratovolcano is a small isolated island in the Flores Sea in Indonesia. Vegetations covers the flanks of Batu Tara. The first historical eruption occurred in 1852 with explosions and lava flows. The last eruption occurred at the volcano in 2012. –Volcano Discovery Wikipedia

February 1, 2013 – KAMCHATKA – Volcanic eruptions are hardly a rarity. It seems that a new one goes off every few weeks or so somewhere in the world. But a string of four volcanoes erupting in close proximity to one another is virtually unheard of. That, though, is what has taken place in recent weeks on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. Four different cones and mountains, all within 180 kilometers (110 miles) of each other, have been active simultaneously since late November. Given that volcano experts don’t believe that the four volcanoes are being fed from the same magma source, the parallel eruptions would seem to be the geological equivalent of winning the lottery. That volcanoes erupt in Kamchatka is, of course, hardly news. The peninsula, which has a total land mass that is slightly larger than Germany, is one of the most active parts of the infamous “Ring of Fire,” the zone of volcanic and seismic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Three tectonic plates — the North American Plate, the Okhotsk Plate and the Pacific Plate — collide beneath Kamchatka, with the peninsula’s coastal range boasting 30 active volcanoes. All four of the volcanoes now erupting have shown significant activity in recent years. Most recently, Tobalchik began spewing lava on Nov. 27 of last year, creating the impressive lava flows visible in the 360 degree video taken by Airpano. Shiveluch, the northernmost of the four, prefers shooting columns of ash high into the air, which it has been doing on a regular basis during the last four years since a magma dome in its crater exploded. Besymjanny awoke with a bang in the 1950s following 1,000 years of dormancy and has been active since then, with huge clouds of ash rising on a regular basis. Finally, the southernmost of the quartet, Kisimen, has been erupting regularly since 2010, and there is concern that it could perform a repeat of the violent explosion which sheered of half of the mountain some 1,300 years ago. –Spiegel


January 31, 2013 – INDONESIA - Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, erupted twice throughout Thursday (31/01/2013) afternoon. Head Volcano Observation Post Lokon and Mahawu, Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) Bandung Geological Agency, Ruskanda Farid Bina, said the first explosion occurred at 6:54 pm and was followed by a second explosion at 10:44 pm, and that was followed by a boom that sounded up to the settlements located around the crater. “We could not observe the height of the eruption of dust because of the condition of the fog around the crater. At first eruption eruption dust altitude of about eight hundred yards,” said Farid. He said the series of eruptions occurred after an increase in seismicity that occurred on Wednesday (30/1) at 22:54 pm. “Until now the status is still at alert level three,” he said. –Inilah translated

January 31, 2013 – ITALY – It looks like we may be in for an earth-shattering explosion. A dormant super volcano appears to be stirring under the Phlegraen Fields of Naples in Italy. Rising soil temperatures and surface deformation in the area have alarmed seismologists. In the distant past, volcanic super eruptions caused global climate change responsible for mass extinctions of plant and animal species. So far, scientists are unable to model the potential consequences of an awakening supervolcano. Latest studies show that the Phlegraen Fields have actually been swelling above sea level at a rate of 3 cm per month. Micro quakes and large amounts of gases accumulated in soil indicate that the volcano may be preparing to erupt, says Vladimir Kiryanov, Assistant Professor of Geology at the St. Petersburg University. “The Phlegraen Fields is a supervolcano. Yellowstone in the United States and Toba in Indonesia are also supervolcanoes capable of spewing more than 1,000 cubic km of magma. These are catastrophic eruptions. There was a huge volcanic eruption in the Phlegraen Fields some 30,000-40,000 years ago. Volcanic ash from that eruption is still found in the Mediterranean, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and even in Russia. We are now seeing the expansion of a magma pocket, which means that there might be an eruption at a certain time.” Super eruptions of such magnitude may produce the so-called “volcanic winter” effect when sulfur gases and ash will reach the stratosphere and cover the globe with thick ash clouds that solar rays will be unable to penetrate. Condensed sulfur trioxides will react with moisture, forming sulfuric acid. Downpours of sulfuric acid will hit the Earth. Scientists have obtained new evidence of a similar cataclysm following the eruption of the Toba super volcano on island of Sumatra in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago. But today, things promise to be even more devastating. Suffice it to recall the havoc wreaked by a minor increase in volcanic activity in Iceland in 2010 on air transportation over Europe. Super eruptions occurred so rarely that it is virtually impossible to calculate the approximate time span between the first and last stages of a future potential eruption. In the 1970s, the Phlegraen Fields inflated by more than 50 cm. There were even cracks in house walls. But then the process slackened. Apparently, the fact itself that a magma chamber is being filled with magma may or may not signal any immediate eruption. Alexei Sobisevich, laboratory chief at the Institute of Volcanology and Geophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, shares his view: “It actually seems to be a long-term precursor. A magma chamber may be filled up within a span ranging from decades to centuries. Many mounts grow by 5 cm per year. This is a natural process.” Some scientists hold that the volcanic system of the Earth is becoming increasingly tense and that underground cavities are full of magma, threatening to burst out any moment. Whether this will be a super eruption or a string of smaller eruptions, we should prepare for the worst. –Voice of Russia

February 3, 2013 – INDONESIA - A large ash plume rising to 43,000 ft (about 13 km) altitude and extending 175 nautical miles to the south was spotted last night by VAAC Darwin. The likely cause is either a major dome collapse triggering a large pyroclastic flow or a vulcanian explosion of the lava dome. According to the first local press reports, an explosion occurred at the volcano last night at 23:36 local time. People from the north coast of Flores (17 km distance to the south) reported having heard rumbling and detonation sounds and seen incandescent lava ejections. A cloud of ash drifted over Flores and deposited about half a millimeter of fine ash in areas of the north coast. People were advised to stay home and wear dust masks. No reports were found about the situation on Palueh Island itself. The aviation alert level of the volcano was raised to Red. –Volcano Discovery

February 5, 2013 – NAPLES, ITALY – A restive supervolcano west of Naples is raising nervousness in the local Italian population. The ground of the Campi Flegrei “burning fields,” also known as the Phlegraean Fields, has risen more in recent weeks than it has in a long time. This does not necessary indicate a heightened risk of an eruption, however, said Thomas Wiersberg, a scientific drilling expert for the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam. The Phlegraean Fields are a large caldera, or volcanic crater, lying mostly underwater off the Italian coast. The caldera is thought to have been formed by a massive eruption some 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. The last major eruption in the fields of boiling mud and sulphurous steam holes, one of a few dozen super volcanoes worldwide, occurred in 1538. Wiersberg is part of an international research team that began drilling into the ground not far from the caldera last summer to monitor possible early warning signs of an eruption. The team has drilled a pilot hole to a depth of 500 meters but no data has been gathered yet, Wiersberg said in an interview with dpa. Italy’s Department of Civil Protection recently raised the alert level for the Phlegraean Fields, where Wiersberg said the ground was rising by about three centimeters a month. There are concerns that a magma chamber under the fields, presumably connected to the one under Mount Vesuvius, east of Naples, is filling up, the rising pressure possibly heightening the danger of an eruption. As Wiersberg pointed out, however, the two episodes of considerable ground uplift since the 1960s were not followed by an eruption. The uplift in the early 1970s, about 1.50 meters in three years, was somewhat greater than the current one, he said. “Many houses cracked,” after which the ground deformation sharply subsided, Wiersberg said. “But it’s true that the uplift has increased again during the past two or three months.” An eruption could have serious consequences for the heavily populated region with knock-on effects for the whole of Europe. There could also be worldwide impact, for example in the form of climatic changes. No forecasts have been made thus far. Since super volcanoes seldom undergo massive eruptions, empirical data is lacking. “It’s easy to assert there’ll be an eruption sometime. That doesn’t help us, though. We need more specific information,” Wiersberg said. He said the drilling project aimed in part to monitor the Phlegraean Fields over the long term and gain more knowledge of what had occurred earlier in the super volcano. “First we’ve got to understand what’s happening under the surface,” Wiersberg said. Then it may be possible to say more about the likelihood of an eruption. Fears of nearby residents, and some scientists, that the drilling could “awaken” the super volcano have proved to be unfounded. “Technically, everything went smoothly. No additional volcanic activities were triggered, nor were there any problems with gases or fluids,” he noted. It has not yet been decided when the scientists will continue their project and begin drilling to a depth of 3km. “At the moment it’s mainly a financial question,” Wiersberg said. –News 24

A team of Russian photographers were able capture an incredibly rare event as four volcanoes erupted simultaneously within about 100 miles of each other. The amazing display occurred in the Kamchatka region in Russia’s far East.

February 8, 2013 – ALASKA - Alaska’s Cleveland Volcano is heating up and scientists are on alert in case it sends up an ash cloud that could threaten trans-Pacific flights. The Alaska Volcano Observatory detected elevated surface temperatures Jan. 24 at Cleveland’s summit. Satellite data obtained last week indicated that a growing lava dome on the floor of the summit crater had reached about 328 feet, or 100 meters, in diameter. The summit crater itself is nearly 10 times that size, said Chris Waythomas of the U.S. Geological Survey. “It does this from time to time and it’s a fairly small lava dome,” he said Wednesday. “It’s not gigantic.” Lava domes form a lid on a volcano chamber that holds magma. When they grow big enough, lava domes can become unstable and collapse. Decompression of the magma chamber can lead to an explosion, as the conduit inside the volcano suddenly becomes unsealed and gasses escape. The new lava dome led the observatory to change the volcano’s alert level to “orange,” indicating heightened or escalating unrest. Development of a lava dome indicates sudden explosions of ash higher than 20,000 feet — a threshold for concern for international air carriers — could be produced with little warning. The volcano in the past has sent ash clouds much higher. Cleveland Volcano’s last major eruption was 12 years ago. It began in February 2001 and produced three explosive events that produced ash clouds as high as 39,000 feet. Cleveland has had burst of smaller plumes nearly every year since then. In December 2011, Cleveland sent up an ash cloud to 15,000 feet that did not disrupt international air carriers. Scientists last detected minor ash emissions in November. Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano blew on Dec. 15, 1989, and sent ash 150 miles away into the path of a KLM jet carrying 231 passengers. Its four engines flamed out and the jet dropped more than 2 miles, from 27,900 feet to 13,300 feet, before the crew was able to restart all engines and land the plane safely at Anchorage. Cleveland Mountain is a 5,675-foot peak on uninhabited Chuginadak Island about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. The nearest village is tiny Nikolski on another island about 50 miles east. Previous eruptions of Cleveland were not considered a threat to Nikolski’s 16 permanent residents. The observatory is a joint program between the USGS, the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute and the state Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. The observatory has no real-time seismic equipment on Cleveland. Pressure sensors on Okmok Volcano —74 miles away— have in the past detected a pressure wave from an explosion, Waythomas said. –Alaska Journal

Heightened volcanic activity reported in the Solomon Islands region
February 13, 2013 – SOLOMON ISLANDS - The National Disaster Management Office in Solomon Islands says volcanic activity has increased on an island in Temotu province since the magnitude 8.0 earthquake several days ago. Sipuru Rove says the uninhabited island of Tinakula, which is about 50 kilometers north of Lata, has being making loud and strange sounds. He says help and information is needed from technical experts to assess the risk posed to the local community by the volcano as they are worried an eruption could be near. “The volcanic activity on one of the islands that is off Lata is alarming at the moment. And this will really require scientific special people to assist us in assessing this volcanic activity which is beginning to be abnormal.” Sipuru Rove says there are also significant aftershocks which meant a plane with supplies and medical staff couldn’t land and was forced to return to Honiara. –Radio New Zealand

February 12, 2013 – RING OF FIRE – Bad news, everyone – you have another near-certain world-ending catastrophe to look forward to. Scientists have confirmed that two continent-sized chemical blobs of partially melted rock are converging in the Pacific, and look set to create a massive new volcano, which could prove cataclysmic to life on Earth. Geologist Michael Thorne at the University of Utah reports in Earth and Planetary Science that the collision is slowly happening 1,800 miles beneath the ocean. He says that the collision could lead in two possible directions – both of which are bad, and would wipe out millions of species. One is just a massive single eruption, which would kill us all, the other is a thousand-year flood basalt eruption, which would also kill us. The problem is that two enormous “thermochemical piles” of molten rock about 3,000 miles across are moving towards each other at the bottom of the Earth’s mantle. The piles have been known about for decades, but it was originally thought they were static. But after extensive study with seismic waves, Thorne is convinced they’re in fact moving together. The result is a massive, molten blob that will one day be created beneath the ocean, creating a huge amount of pressure that will eventually blow up in our face. “What we may be detecting is the start of one of these large eruptive events that – if it ever happens – could cause very massive destruction on Earth,” said Thorne. Luckily the process is slow – it shouldn’t happen for another 100 million years or so. –Huffington UK

Trouble in the Pacific: But in the 1990s, geophysicists found evidence for the continent-size thermochemical piles beneath Africa and the Pacific. These are known technically as LLSVPs, or “large low shear velocity provinces,” because seismic shear waves passing through them move 5 percent slower that through surrounding mantle rock. That suggests they have a different composition and-or temperature than the surrounding mantle. Previous studies also have observed smaller blobs of rock, measuring perhaps 60-by-60 miles on the edges of the continent-sized masses. Seismic shear waves move as much as 45 percent slower through these blobs – known technically as ULVZs or “ultra low velocity zones” – indicating they may be spongy and partly molten. Thorne says his analysis of seismic waves passing through the core-mantle boundary reveals the Pacific pile really represents two or more continent-sized piles slowly sliding atop the core and colliding so that partly molten blobs on their edges are merging into the largest such blob or ULVZ ever observed – roughly the size of Florida. “My study might be the first to show actual seismic evidence that the piles are moving,” he says. “People who have done previous simulations have suggested this. They are sitting atop the core and getting pushed around by overlying mantle forces like subduction. They move around on the core somewhat like continental plates drift at Earth’s surface.” -UU

February 14, 2013 – INDONESIA - A report published by the Indonesian Volcanological Survey (VSI) indicates that the intense eruptive phase on 3 Feb caused the collapse of about 1/4 of the volume of the dome, a little more than one million cubic meters. VSI points out that the main hazard zones for pyroclastic flows, if the dome continues to grow, include now also the valleys to the west and south-east, in addition to the open valley to the south (that already was invaded by pyroclastic flows, visible on the recent NASA space image). The situation on the island remains critical. Many villages are now directly in this danger area (Nitunglea, Rokirole, Tuanggeo, Ona, Wolondopo). Significant ash fall may also occur, with the usual consequences (pollution of drinking water supplies, eye, epidermal, respiratory problems etc.) –Volcano Discovery