Nyamuragira activity diminishes – report

Nyamuragira activity diminishes – report 12 January 2010

Posted by admin in activity reports, Africa, Congo (Dem. Rep.), eruptions, Nyamuragira.
Tags: Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nyamuragira, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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The latest information on the eruption of Nyamuragira volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo comes from Samantha Newport, director of communications for Virunga National Park, who reports in a comment at the gorilla.cd blog dated 11 January 2010 that lava fountains were reaching almost 300 metres in height on Saturday 9 January, but that volcanic activity had since diminished. The decline in activity appears to be confirmed by the fact that no thermal hotspots have been detected by MODIS at Nyamuragira since 8 January 2010 (although that doesn’t mean nothing has been happening).

Nyamuragira volcanic eruption, UNOSAT map 4 January 2010

The image above, from UNOSAT (original PDF document here), shows thermal anomalies on the eastern and southern flanks of Nyamuragira volcano detected by the Aqua satellite’s MODIS on 4 January 2010. Source: Reuters Alertnet.

News
Nyamuragira volcanic eruption – Reuters AlertNet, 8 January 2010

Information
Global Volcanism Program: Nyamuragira – summary information for Nyamuragira (0203-02=)

Comments

1. Gijs - 12 January 2010: It might be worth checking http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/OMI/OMISO2/index.html for SO2 emissions. Since the eruption started, the emission of SO2 has fluctuated. Yesterday there was a new large emission, so I don’t know if Nyamuragira is less active than it was before. Yesterday’s picture is currently still visible.
2. R Simmon - 12 January 2010: The recent lack of hotspots is likely due to heavy cloud cover. You can check the MODIS daytime imagery here (Nyamuragira is at the bottom):
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=Virunga