New eruption in the Afar region of Ethiopia 2 July 2009
Posted by volcanism in Africa, Ethiopia, activity reports, eruptions.Tags: Africa, Ethiopia, Manda Hararo, sulphur dioxide, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Thermal anomalies and dense sulphur dioxide plumes in Ethiopia appear to indicate that a significant effusive eruption has taken place in the Manda Hararo area of the western Afar region. There is as yet no visual confirmation of the eruption from the ground.
There was a VEI=2 eruption at the Manda Hararo volcanic complex in August 2007, and a larger (possibly VEI=3) eruption in the Alu-Dalaffilla region in November 2008. In terms of size, volcanic SO2 expert Prof Simon Carn of Michigan Technical University reports that the current Manda Hararo event seems to lie somewhere between the two.
The MODIS thermal alerts service at the University of Hawaii has shown hotspots of varying intensity over a considerable area of the Manda Hararo region since 27 June, while the OMI Sulfur Dioxide Group has mapped considerable SO2 emissions on 29 and 30 June:
[Thanks to Volcanism Blog reader Gijs de Reijke for information received.]
UPDATE: Dr Erik Klemetti has an informative post about this event at Eruptions. He has also wisely used maps showing up-to-date political boundaries, thus saving himself a heap of trouble.
For other Ethiopian volcanism coverage: Ethiopia « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Manda Hararo – summary information for Manda Hararo (0201-115)
Sickness absence 29 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in admin, miscellaneous.8 comments
Sorry for the lack of posts here over recent days: I’ve been unwell. Normal service will be resumed shortly – thanks for your patience.
Chaitén bulletin no. 98 (23 June 2009) 25 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Chaitén, Chile, activity reports, eruptions.Tags: Chaitén, Chile, South America, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Another somewhat insubstantial bulletin on the Chaitén eruption from SERNAGEOMIN. This is number 98, dated 23 June 2009, and covering the period 16-23 June 2009. It is available as a PDF via the informes page of the Observatorio Volcanológico de los Andes del Sur (OVDAS) website, and there is also a summary version on the SERNAGEOMIN website. Translation as follows.
CHAITÉN VOLCANO
TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 98
16-23 JUNE 2009
OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN
1. Visual monitoring
The images obtained through the DGAC camera located to the south of Chaitén volcano show that the eruption continues unchanging with its column of gases and ashes, which occasionally rises to 1.5 km above the dome complex. During the few periods of observation, because of clouds and rain in the area, a predominance of water vapour has been observed in the column. The block-and-ash flows still persist, indicating that the dome complex continues its growth, particularly towards the western sector of the caldera.
2. Seismic activity
The seismic monitoring network of Chaitén volcano has registered an average of 23 HB-type [hybrid] earthquakes per day, with maximum magnitudes reaching 4.1, displaying a slight increase compared to the previous weeks. Regarding the seismicity of magnitudes of under 2.5, these have continued with an average of 12 HB-type earthquakes per day. Most of the seismicity has shown very similar wave forms, which suggests that they may come from the same source and the same originating mechanism. With regard to the seismic energy liberated RSAM, this has not exceeded 150000 units.
3. Conclusions and interpretation
The eruptive activity continues with the sometimes visible growth of the dome complex, which continues its expansion in height and extent. The seismic activity for this period shows a slight increase in the daily average, but the magnitudes have been maintained. There is a continuing latent danger of collapse because of the growth of the domes, with possible explosions and generation of block-and-ash flows, which may affect the valleys adjacent to Chaitén volcano. Moreover, the quantity of pyroclastic material from fallen volcanic rock originating from both block-and-ash flows and lateral explosions has formed important accumulations in the adjancent valleys and especially towards the valley of the Chaitén river, from which the fresh occurrence of lahars towards Chaitén during torrential rains cannot be ruled out. In consequence, given that the seismic activity remains elevated as an effect of the growth of the dome complex, with the possibility of the generation of block-and-ash flows in random directions that may affect surrounding valleys and include the generation of new lahars, SERNAGEOMIN maintains Volcanic Red Alert.
OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN
23.06.09
[End of SERNAGEOMIN bulletin.]
For all our Chaitén coverage: Chaitén « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Chaitén – summary information for Chaitén (1508-41)
SERNAGEOMIN – Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (Spanish)
Erupción del Volcán Chaitén – extensive coverage of the Chaitén eruption
Saudi tremors continue: return of evacuees delayed 25 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in activity reports.Tags: activity reports, Saudi Arabia, Saudi earthquakes
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The earthquakes in Saudi Arabia may have dropped out of the news recently, but the activity has been continuing. The return of residents evacuated from the Al Ais area of western Saudi Arabia has been indefinitely postponed following the occurrence of significant tremors over the past few days, reports the English-language Saudi daily Arab News:
The decision follows the relatively high intensity of tremors registered over the past two days, he said. According to an SGS bulletin issued yesterday, the National Network for Seismic Monitoring, a subsidiary of SGS, registered two tremors measuring 4.55 and 3.2 on the Richter scale in addition to several lesser tremors during the 24 hours ending noon yesterday.
Meanwhile an intriguing (if rather vague) story from the Saudi Gazette quotes a Saudi Geological Survey report that ‘geologists discovered the detachment of a large chunk of a mountain in Harrat Al-Shaqqah from the main mountain mass as the result of the widening of the faults in its base’, and gives the explanation of geology professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bin La’boon for the Al-Ais activity: ‘molten rocks under the ground tried to push their way to the surface through the channels used by old volcanoes that erupted earlier, but due to their old age the rocks had solidified, so the current molten rocks are trying to find a new way out’.
News
Earthquake threat persists in Al-Ais – Arab News, 31 May 2009
SGS issues statement on Harrat Al-Shaqqah tremors – Saudi Gazette, 12 June 2009
Return of Al-Ais dwellers delayed – Arab News, 24 June 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Harrat Lunayyir – information from the GVP on the area where the seismic activity has been located
Global Volcanism Program: Arabia – information from the GVP about the volcanoes of Arabia
Sarychev Peak update, 24 June 2009 24 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Russia, Sarychev Peak, activity reports, eruptions.Tags: Kharimkotan, Kuril Islands, Russia, Sarychev Peak, Severgin, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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The eruption at Sarychev Peak in the Kurils appears to be on the wane, with no visible emissions cloud reported in the latest Volcanic Ash Advisory from Tokyo VAAC, issued at 02:52 GMT yesterday, 23 June 2009.
The Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team reported a steam and gas plume extending 120 km south of the volcano on 20 June, a ‘high’ (1.5 km altitude) steam and gas emission stretching 7 km north-west and an intense thermal anomaly on 21 June, a steam and gas plume extending 29 km north at 1.5 km altitude on 22 June, and a 9-km-long steam and gas plume extending north-west and an intense thermal anomaly on 24 June.
Incidentally SVERT also notes possible ‘increasing of steam-gas activity’ at Severgin volcano in its 22 June bulletin, and a thermal anomaly at the same volcano on 24 June. Severgin was the central cone of a volcano on the island of Kharimkotan in the northern Kurils, which destroyed itself in a VEI=5 eruption in 1933. This, the GVP notes, was ‘one of the largest [eruptions] in the Kuril Islands during historical time’. The island shows evidence of repeated slope-failures and collapses precipitating debris avalanches into the sea. The 1933 collapse of Severgin produced a tsunami that reached Paramushir, ~150 km to the north.
For all our Sarychev Peak coverage: Sarychev Peak « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Sarychev Peak – summary information for Sarychev Peak (0900-24=)
Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT) – organization monitoring Kuril volcanoes
SVERT status reports – current and archived alerts and status reports
Rinjani eruption continues 24 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Indonesia, Rinjani, activity reports, eruptions.Tags: Barujari, Indonesia, Lombok, Rinjani, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Caldera of Gunung Rinjani (Lombok, Indonesia) by Nusa Tenggara (Indonesia), 6 September 2008. Barujari cone can be seen on the far side of the caldera lake, slightly to the left of centre. Detail view below shows the cone more clearly. [Picture taken by Nusa Tenggara and reproduced under the terms of a Creative Commons license. From Flickr: click on the image to go to the source page.]
Mount Rinjani on Lombok Island, Indonesia, is continuing to erupt, as it has been doing pretty much continuously since the current phase of activity began on 2 May. The eruption is located at Barujari cone, which has been the focus for eruptive activity since records began in 1847 and can be seen in Nusa Tenggara’s wonderful picture above.
A bulletin released on 17 June by the Indonesian Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation gives copious details of seismicity and eruption plume activity since 7 May, reporting frequent shallow earthquakes and episodes of harmonic tremor, and ‘thick white smoke’ reaching up to 1500 metres above Mount Rinjani’s summit. The bulletin also reports what sounds like impressive strombolian activity, with incandescent material being thrown 200 metres into the air from Barujari’s summit crater and landing up to 500 metres away. There is also a report of a lava flow some 600 metres wide that has extended 100 metres into the lake.
Indonesian volcanologists see no immediate prospect of this eruption coming to an end, according to reports in the local press.
For all our Indonesia coverage: Indonesia « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Rinjani eruptions seem like fireworks – Tempo Interaktif, 15 June 2009
Mount Baru Jari spews lava – Jakarta Post, 19 June 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Rinjani – summary information for Rinjani (0604-03=)
Pusat Vulkanologi & Mitigasi Bencana Geologi – News and information portal for the Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Indonesia
New webcams for Russian volcanoes 24 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Bezymianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, Russia, Shiveluch.Tags: Bezmianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, Russia, Shiveluch, volcano webcams
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The Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reports that new cameras are to be installed to monitor Kliuchevskoi, Bezymianny and Shiveluch volcanoes in the north of the Kamchatka peninsula. Their images will be made available online. Apparently two new high-resolution cameras are to be installed that will update their images every minute (presumably one of the cameras will monitor both Kliuchevskoi and Bezymianny, which are near neighbours).
In a further illustration of the mass media’s firm belief that to illustrate a story about a volcano, a picture of any random volcano will do, the RIA-Novosti story features a photograph of Chaitén volcano in southern Chile.
News
Volcano eruptions in Russia’s Far East to be available online – RIA-Novosti, 24 June 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Bezymianny – summary information for Bezymianny (1000-25=)
Global Volcanism Program: Kliuchevskoi – summary information for Kliuchevskoi (1000-26=)
Global Volcanism Program: Shiveluch – summary information for Shiveluch (1000-27=)
Saturday volcano art: matchbox volcanoes 20 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Saturday volcano art, volcano art, volcano culture.Tags: phillumeny, Saturday volcano art
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A slightly unusual dose of Saturday Volcano Art this week: volcanoes on matchbox labels. A Volcanism Blog reader sent in these images of matchboxes featuring illustrations of volcanoes, and I thought they were too nice not to share.
The choice of Izalco for matches imported into El Salvador is an obvious one: the volcano depicted doesn’t look terribly much like Izalco, but doesn’t look terribly much unlike it either. The volcano on the Indian ‘Volcanoa’ matchbox sits quite nicely in its stylized landscape, and the artist has made an effort to depict ashfall. The Hungarian box depicts a vigorously erupting volcanic island, or submarine volcano breaking surface – the ship seems rather dangerously close. The ‘Vesuvius‘ illustration looks to be based on a photograph, perhaps from a postcard, although the depiction of the volcano’s shape is rather wayward.
Volcanoes would seem an appropriate subject for matchbox illustrations, so presumably there are more examples like the ones reproduced above. These humble articles are examples of a genuine popular art form, and an attractive and interesting instance of the presence of volcano imagery in popular culture.
For all ‘Saturday volcano art’ articles: Saturday volcano art « The Volcanism Blog.
Chaitén bulletin no. 97 (16 June 2009) 20 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Chaitén, Chile, activity reports, eruptions.Tags: Chaitén, Chile, South America, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Bulletin no. 97 on the eruption of Chaitén volcano, covering the period 9-16 June 2009, is now available as a PDF via the informes page of the Observatorio Volcanológico de los Andes del Sur (OVDAS) website. There is also a summary version (combined with a report on Llaima) on the SERNAGEOMIN website. Translation as follows.
ERUPTION OF CHAITÉN VOLCANO
TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 97
9-16 JUNE 2009
OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN
1. Visual monitoring
Personnel of the Observatorio Volcanológico de Los Andes del Sur (OVDAS) who have been carrying out the collection of data from the seismological stations in the area have observed that the eruptive activity continues without change, shown by the column of gas, water vapour and ash rising up to 1.5 km above the dome complex. From the northern sector (Los Gigios) the continuing growth of the domes, mainly towards the western area of the caldera, has been observed, although the major fumarolic and ash emission activity is currently exclusively in the central sector. Because of adverse meteorological conditions it has not been possible over the last few days to observe the volcano through the DGAC camera installed at Chaitén.
2. Seismic activity
The seismic monitoring network of Chaitén volcano has registered an average of 18 HB-type [hybrid] earthquakes per day, with maximum magnitudes of up to 4.4, values similar to those recorded in the preceding weeks. With regard to seismicity with magnitudes of less than 2.5, on 10 June an increase was noted, climbing to 20 earthquakes, then declining up to 16 June. Much of the seismicity presents very similar wave forms, which suggests an origin in the same source, particularly for the smaller earthquakes. Regarding the seismic energy released RSAM, this has remained under 150000 units.
3. Conclusions and interpretation
The eruptive activity continues with the sustained growth of the dome complex, visible at times, which continues to expand in height and extent, with generation of block-and-ash flows. Seismic activity for this period has been maintained, both in average number and in magnitude. The latent danger of collapse caused by the growth of the domes continues, with possible explosions and generation of block-and-ash flows, which may affect the valleys adjacent to Chaitén volcano. In consequence, bearing in mind that seismic activity has remained elevated as a result of the growth of the dome complex, with the possibility of the generation of block-and-ash flows in random directions that may affect the surrounding valleys, SERNAGEOMIN maintains Volcanic Red Alert.
OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN
16.06.09
[End of SERNAGEOMIN bulletin.]
The above document can perhaps best be described as ’sketchy’. There is often a rather perfunctory air to these Chaitén bulletins from SERNAGEOMIN: an ‘informe’ as lacking in detail and information as that reproduced above really is not worthy of the name. Even after making every allowance for the pressures upon SERNAGEOMIN and its limited resources, one cannot help concluding that communicating with the public is just not something it particularly cares about. This attitude will have to change if the planned Chilean National Volcano Monitoring Network, in which SERNAGEOMIN will play a central role, is to do its job effectively.
For all our Chaitén coverage: Chaitén « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Chaitén – summary information for Chaitén (1508-41)
SERNAGEOMIN – Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (Spanish)
Erupción del Volcán Chaitén – extensive coverage of the Chaitén eruption
Increase in activity at Anak Krakatau reported 19 June 2009
Posted by volcanism in Indonesia, Krakatau, activity reports.Tags: Indonesia, Krakatau, volcanic activity reports
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‘Mt Anak Krakatau’s eruptions record tremendous increase’ is the headline at Indonesia’s Antara news agency, on a lengthy story reporting a rise in the numbers of earthquakes and ’small eruptions’ at the volcano, which is in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java:
At least 828 small eruptions were recorded to have happened on the volcano with 63 volcanic quakes, 434 tremors and 366 times of emission in the past six days, said Anto Prambudi, head of Mt Anak Krakatau Monitoring Post in Pasauran village, Serang district, Banten province, on Wednesday. According to him, in the past five days the volcanic quake of Mt Anak Krakatau showed a rise in its activity. In fact, the frequency of the quake and small eruptions took place in every three minutes interval.
People living near Anak Krakatau, which is constructing itself over the remains of the Krakatau volcano destroyed in the famous eruption of 1883, have been reporting for some time that activity levels have been rising, and on 6 May this year the Indonesian volcanological authorities raised the alert level to the second-highest level of Orange (Siaga), where it remains. The Antara report describes frequent earthquakes, ‘white smoke’ rising to 800 metres above the crater, hazardous gas emissions, and ‘glowing lava like gravel’ with a temperature of 600°C:
Officials at the Anak Krakatau Monitong Post in Pasauran village, Cinangka sub district, Serang district, said the volcano’s activity was on Friday marked by 182 eruptions coupled with 11 volcanic quakes, eight deep volcanic tremors, 54 shallow volcanic shocks, 44 tremors, and it also spewed smoke 29 times. But none of the phenomena posed a direct threat to human life.
There are reports of some local inhabitants leaving the area with their families in alarm at the volcano’s rise in activity. At the moment the authorities have imposed a three-kilometre radius exclusion zone, but no evacuations have been officially ordered.
For all our Indonesia coverage: Indonesia « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Mt Anak Krakatau’s eruptions record tremendous increase – Antara News, 18 June 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Krakatau – summary information for Krakatau (0602-00=)
Pusat Vulkanologi & Mitigasi Bencana Geologi – News and information portal for the Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Indonesia
