Ashfall from Fuego and Santiaguito

Guatemala’s Prensa Libre newspaper reported yesterday that Fuego and Santiaguito volcanoes (the Santiaguito lava dome complex is part of Santa María volcano) are producing ‘large quantities of ash’, and that the aviation and emergency authorities have been alerted. The report says that the two volcanoes were producing powerful explosions and erupting incandescent material and steam, with ashfall being reported up to 8-12km distant. In the village of Sangre de Cristo, near Fuego, drinking water and food have been contaminated by ash.

Washington VAAC has no current volcanic ash advisories for Fuego, although emissions were reported 12-13 March 2009. An ash cloud was reported from Santa María on 15 March. The Instituto de Sismología, Vulcanología y Meteorología of Guatemala (Insivumeh) has been reporting light ashfall from Fuego and light to moderate ashfall from Santiaguito.

The Santiaguito dome complex has been almost continuously active since its appearance in 1922, within the crater left by the huge eruption (VEI=6?) of Santa María in 1902.

News
Volcanes de Fuego y Santiaguito lanzan grandes cantidades de ceniza – Prensa Libre, 16 March 2009

Information
Global Volcanism Program: Fuego – summary information for Fuego (1402-09=)
Global Volcanism Program: Santa María – summary information for Santa María (1402-03=)
Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrologia – main page for Guatemala’s volcanological authority