Global Volcanism Program website news 24 October 2009
Posted by admin in volcanoes.Tags: Global Volcanism Program
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The good news is that the Global Volcanism Program website seems to have recovered from its recent problems this morning.
The Smithsonian Institution circulated an e-mail early this morning via the VOLCANO listserv regarding the recent downtime at the Global Volcanism Program website, saying that the GVP’s computer team has been working hard to fix the problem and ‘should have the site up and running normally early next week’ – although they seem to be doing better than that. In the meantime, two approaches to dealing with the problem are suggested. To quote directly from the message:
1. We found that clearing our browser’s cache (on the Internet Explorer this is found under Tools, Options, then deleting Browsing History, which will clear away previous history) and then rebooting enabled us to log onto the usual site (http://www.volcano.si.edu)
2. ‘The volcano blog’ [yes, that's us] posted this address, which seems to work: http://rathbun2.si.edu/
Well, as noted above, the GVP website seems to be working fine again now (without any cache-clearing or rebooting required) at its usual address of volcano.si.edu. The rathbun2.si.edu backup address posted here yesterday also appears to be fully functional.
A vote of thanks to the website team at the Global Volcanism Program, who have clearly been working very hard to get everything up and running again after this very serious breakdown.
The Global Volcanism Program … 23 October 2009
Posted by admin in volcanoes.Tags: Global Volcanism Program
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… can currently be found, more or less, here: http://rathbun2.si.edu/
It’s unclear for how long this location will be valid. For the moment all links pointing to the GVP at volcano.si.edu are broken.
Nevado del Huila update, 22 October 2009 22 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Colombia, Nevado del Huila.Tags: Colombia, Nevado del Huila, South America, volcanic activity reports
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The INGEOMINAS Observatorio Popayán, which monitors Nevado del Huila volcano, issued a bulletin yesterday which reported ‘a decrease in the continuous tremor which has been registered since the evening of Friday 16 October’ and ‘a significant increase in long-period (LP) seismicity, possibly associated with the ascent of magmatic material to shallower levels’. The continuous emission of gases and the ‘pulsed output’ of ash from the volcano has been observed through the webcam. The alert level for Nevado del Huila remains at Orange (Naranja), ‘eruption probable within days or weeks’, and INGEOMINAS is warning local communities to be ready for any increase in the volcano’s activity.
Ashfall from the current activity at Nevado del Huila is causing problems in communities around the volcano. The local newspaper for Popayán, El Liberal, reports that ‘people living in the affected municipalities are concerned about the ash and the smells produced by the changes in the volcano’s behaviour’, and one municipality (Jambaló) has requested scientific analysis of its water supplies, which it is feared may have been contaminated by the ash.
For all our Nevado del Huila coverage: Nevado del Huila « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Alerta por probable erupción del volcán nevado del Huila – El Liberal, 22 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Nevado del Huila – summary information for Nevado del Huila (1501-05=)
INGEOMINAS Popayán – main page for the Observatorio Popayán, which monitors Nevado del Huila
SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 14-20 October 2009 22 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, Bagana, Batu Tara, Caribbean, Chaitén, Chile, Cleveland, Colombia, Dukono, Ebeko, Ecuador, eruptions, Gaua, Hawaii, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Japan, Kamchatka, Karymsky, Kilauea, Kizimen, Kliuchevskoi, Nevado del Huila, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Piton de la Fournaise, Rabaul, Reventador, Russia, Sakura-jima, Shishaldin, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, United States, Vanuatu, Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports.Tags: Global Volcanism Program, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Click on the map for a larger version (1280 x 898 pixels).
The Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 14-20 October 2009 is available on the Global Volcanism Program website. The following is a summary and not a substitute for the full report.
- The current report: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report.
- Previous reports: Weekly Reports Archive.
- The SI/USGS map of volcanoes discussed this week.
New activity/unrest: Chaitén (Chile), Ebeko (Russia), Gaua (Vanuatu), Kaba (Indonesia), Kizimen (Russia), Kliuchevskoi (Russia), Nevado del Huila (Colombia), Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion), Reventador (Ecuador), Soufrière Hills (Montserrat).
Ongoing activity: Bagana (Papua New Guinea), Batu Tara (Indonesia), Cleveland (Alaska, USA), Dukono (Indonesia), Karymsky (Russia), Kilauea (Hawaii, USA), Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), Sakura-jima (Japan), Sangay (Ecuador), Shishaldin (Alaska, USA), Shiveluch (Russia).
Eruption at Nyamuragira 22 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Africa, Congo (Dem. Rep.), eruptions, Nyamuragira.Tags: Africa, DR Congo, Nyamuragira, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Nyamuragira volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo is reported to have erupted on Monday 19 October. Lava flowed northwards, away from the town of Goma which is to the south of Nyamuragira’s southern neighbour, Nyiragongo.
There are no reports of casualties or any disruption, but the area has been the scene of fighting between the DR Congolese army and rebels, and local relief agencies are concerned that further eruptive activity could prevent them getting help to where it’s needed.
UPDATE. The volcano-watchers at Activolcans have been checking thermal anomalies at Nyamuragira/Nyiragongo and have left a comment below which raises a cautionary note: this may not have been an eruption of Nyamuragira.
News
Goma safe after volcanic eruption – The Southern Times, 22 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Nyamuragira – summary information for Nyamuragira (0203-02=)
Nyamuragira volcano – information from Volcano Discovery
Africa Volcanoes and Volcanics – information from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Latest update on Nevado del Huila 21 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Colombia, eruptions, Nevado del Huila.Tags: Colombia, Nevado del Huila, South America, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Further to yesterday’s reports of activity at Nevado del Huila, the Observatorio Popayán, which monitors the volcano, has issued a new bulletin reporting that ‘continuous tremor has been registered since the evening of Friday 16 October at 19:55 (00:55 17 October UTC). This seismic signal is associated with the continuous emission of ashes and gas at the surface’. Ashfall and sulphur smells were reported yesterday in areas surrounding the volcano. Webcam images showed ‘intense degassing of the system with pulsing emissions at the surface’. Emissions of sulphur dioxide have been high, with 4532 tonnes/day recorded on 17 October. The bulletin concludes that the volcano ‘is in a state of continuous activity, with a predominance of processes associated with fluid dynamics involving the output of ash and gases to the surface’, and warns that this situation ‘has the potential to evolve into higher states of activity’.
The Popayán newspaper El Liberal reports today that ‘Corinto, Caloto, Buenos Aires, Toribío, Piendamó, Belalcázar, Jambaló and Miranda municipalities have been affected by the ash emitted by Nevado del Huila’. Roofs, crops and animals were all covered by ash: ‘Although people are carrying on with their daily lives the ash and smell have caused havoc and discomfort, particularly in the north-west of Páez where there are children with red eyes, coughing and headaches because of the volcano’, says one Belalcázar resident quoted in the report. The Mayor of Páez is appealing for 12000 face masks to be provided for people living in the worst-affected areas.
The alert level for Nevado del Huila remains at the second-highest level of Orange (Naranja), ‘eruption probable within days or weeks’.
For all our Nevado del Huila coverage: Nevado del Huila « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Ya se empiezan a sentir los estragos del Nevado del Huila – El Liberal, 21 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Nevado del Huila – summary information for Nevado del Huila (1501-05=)
INGEOMINAS Popayán – main page for the Observatorio Popayán, which monitors Nevado del Huila
Nevado del Huila eruption throws up a plume 20 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Colombia, eruptions, Nevado del Huila.Tags: Colombia, Nevado del Huila, South America, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Washington VAAC has issued an ash advisory reporting an eruption of Nevado del Huila, Colombia, beginning at 11:00 UTC today. The advisory reports that by 13:15 UTC an ash plume extended 25 km south of the volcano and had reached an altitude of FL310, which is 31000 feet or 9.5 km. The Colombian paper La Nación says that the ash has mainly affected areas inhabited by indigenous people. Neighbouring municipalities have implemented emergency measures and schools have been closed.
There is currently no new information on the website of the Observatorio Popayán, which monitors Nevado del Huila.
For all our Nevado del Huila coverage: Nevado del Huila « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Volcán sigue activo – La Nación, 20 October 2009
Nevado del Huila volcano reawakens – Colombia Reports, 20 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Nevado del Huila – summary information for Nevado del Huila (1501-05=)
INGEOMINAS Popayán – main page for the Observatorio Popayán, which monitors Nevado del Huila
Volcano-related topics at GSA Portland (2) 20 October 2009
Posted by admin in current research, geoscience, volcanology.Tags: volcano research, volcanology
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A couple more presentations on volcanic themes from the current Geological Society of America 2009 Fall Meeting in Portland, Oregon (18-21 October 2009).
Magmatic plumbing of a ‘supervolcano’ exposed to a depth of 25 km (James E. Quick, Southern Methodist University) – the exposure through uplift of a Permian caldera in the Sesia Valley (PDF) reveals the magmatic plumbing system to 25 km depth. (More about this here at The Volcanism Blog, at Eruptions, and at Outside The Interzone here and here.)
Giant impact near India – not Mexico – may have doomed dinosaurs (Sankar Chatterjee, Texas Tech University) – the Shiva basin off the west coast of India may be a meteorite impact crater: as well as killing off the dinosaurs, the crust-vaporizing bang could have enhanced the Deccan Traps eruptions.
UPDATE. I should mention that Callan Bentley of the always-excellent NOVA Geoblog is posting regular reports on the Portland geo-jamboree: GSA update 1, GSA update 2, GSA update 3, GSA update 4. PLUS Jessica at Magma Cum Laude has a list of geobloggers presenting papers, and ongoing updates from the conference. AND Erik at Eruptions has a GSA pre-update.
Activity continuing at Vanuatu’s Gaua volcano 20 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Gaua, Pacific, Vanuatu.Tags: Gaua, Pacific, Vanuatu, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Both ABC’s Australia Network News and Radio New Zealand International are reporting today that the alert level for Gaua volcano in northern Vanuatu has been raised from 1 to 2, as reported here four days ago.
The ABC story reports that SO2 emissions at the volcano have risen from nil to 3000 tonnes/day, as recorded on 3 October by volcanologist Philipson Bani: ‘for this small volcano this is huge’. Local residents are reporting a strong smell of sulphur and ash falling on their crops.
News
Ash and fumes pour from Vanuatu volcano – ABC Australia Network News, 20 October 2009
Alert level raised for Vanuatu volcano – Radio New Zealand International, 20 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Gaua – summary information for Gaua (0507-02=)
Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory – geohazards home page for Vanuatu
Vanuatu volcanoes and volcanics – information from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Continuing high level of activity at Reventador 20 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Ecuador, Reventador.Tags: Ecuador, Reventador, volcanic activity reports
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Reventador, looking towards the eastern flank. Picture taken during the overflight of 19 October 2009 (Instituto Geofísico).
Activity at Reventador volcano ‘remains at a level considered to be high’, reports Ecuador’s Instituto Geofísico in the latest special bulletin, no. 6 of 19 October 2009 (PDF).
Swarms of long-period earthquakes interspersed by explosions have been recorded, with ‘the most energetic period beginning on 17 October at 23:26 (local time) and having a duration of approximately 10 hours’. The constant harmonic tremor signal during this period saturated Reventador’s seismic stations and was also recorded on the monitoring networks at Antisana volcano, which is approximately 50 km to the SSW, and Cayambe volcano, approximately 35 km to the NW.
Incandescence has been observed in the crater area and on the southern flank of the volcano, and local inhabitants have heard constant noises of roaring and explosions. A small grey-coloured eruption column (little ash content) was reported on the morning of 18 October. Thermal anomalies associated with the presence of lava and magmatic gases were registered on 19 October. Satellite ozone monitoring instruments registered a large quantity of sulphur dioxide emitted from the volcano during the end of last week.
On the morning of 19 October, Instituto Geofísico personnel undertook an overflight and were able to confirm that a lava dome is continuing to grow within the summit crater, and observed the presence of lava flows moving on both the south and the north flanks. The southern flow occupies the greater area and apparently divides into two branches. Small emissions columns were observed, without ash content but containing SO2 and of a blue colouring.
The Instituto Geofísico notes that the current activity ‘does not reach the high levels of energy released by the eruption of November 2002′.
For all our Reventador coverage: Reventador « The Volcanism Blog.
News
El volcán ecuatoriano Reventador mantiene una alta actividad y se redobla la vigilancia – EFE, 19 October 2009
La actividad del Reventador aumenta – El Comercio, 19 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Reventador – summary information for Reventador (1502-01=)
Instituto Geofísico – Geophysical Institute of Ecuador
