February 04, 2013 - WORLDWIDE VOLCANOES - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing report from the Volcano Discovery Group.
Tolbachik (Kamchatka): The eruption continues with well-fed lava flows from the southern fissure. Tremor has decreased a bit compared to yesterday, but remains strong, KVERT reports. None of the other volcanoes in Kamchatka has showed significant changes in activity.
For an incredible panorama of Plosky Tolbachik Volcano erupting in Kamchatka, click HERE.
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): After a phase of several relatively strong explosions with ash plumes often reaching 10,000 ft (3 km) during 31 Jan - 2 Feb, the volcano seems to have taken a short rest, with only two small eruptions recorded during the past 48 hours.
Tavurvur (Papua New Guinea): More ash emissions and explosions have occurred during the past days.
Batu Tara (Indonesia) is back more often on this list: A moderately strong explosion this morning produced an ash plume rising to 7,000 ft (2.1 km) which drifted 60 nautical miles to the west.
White Island (New Zealand): Unchanged strong continuous tremor but with a bit less earthquakes than yesterday accompany strong degassing.
In Mexico, Colima volcano continues with small explosions, rockfalls and volcanic tremor. Popocatépetl has slowed down its rate of emissions to only 1 per 2 hours during yesterday, but there is still glow at the summit and an important (but decreased compared to last week) gas (SO2) plume emitted. A shallow magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred yesterday under the western flank.
San Cristobal (Nicaragua): A shallow magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred this morning about 20 km NW of the volcano. Pulses of tremor and numerous aftershocks are visible on the current seismogram. There are no reports about other unusual activity at the volcano.
Masaya (Nicaragua): Tremor has eased a bit today and is close to background levels.
San Miguel (El Salvador): Tremor has remained at unchanged, weak levels today.
Reventador (Ecuador): Seismic activity with continuous strong tremor continues, but cloud cover prevented direct observations of the ongoing activity (likely lava dome grown with lava flow extrusion as well as ash emissions).
Tungurahua (Ecuador): The volcano's seismic activity remains stable, but elevated with the occurrence of numerous long period events related to fluid movement within the edifice. Bad weather prevented direct observation of surface activity.
Copahue (Chile/Argentina): Activity has increased again. Sernageomin reported 92 seismic events during 2-3 Jan and the occurrence of a seismic swarm on the evening of 2 Jan. A degassing plume was observed rising up to 1350 m, whose intensity was without apparent correlation to seismicity.
Ambrym (Vanuatu): A prominent SO2 plume emanating from Ambrym is visible on today's NOAA satellite data image.
Mt Fuji (Honshu): The volcano remains calm. However, an increased number of small quakes near and under Mt Fuji are visible on our latest data plot of nearby earthquakes (within 30 km radius). While all of these are very small and the number is certainly not alarming, the volcano remains interesting to watch.
According to a the Japan Times, a new eruption of Mount Fuji could force some 567,000 people to evacuate their homes (in the worst case scenario). The Shizuoka Prefectural Government ha worked on a new evacuation plan, which assumes that more than 130,000 people from approx. 50,000 households would have to relocate if "lava" were to reach residential districts in the city of Fuji located just south of the 3,776-meter mountain... [read more]
Taal (Luzon, Philippines): Earthquake activity remains slightly elevated, but nothing else points toward a possible reawakening of the volcano in a near future. PHILVOLCS reported 10 quakes during the past 48 hours.
Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has remained the same. Some moderate explosions with plumes rising 800 m were observed during yesterday-today, as well as avalanches from the still active flows on the flanks of the dome.
Fuego (Guatemala): Effusive activity has increased in favor of explosive again. The lava flow towards Ceniza canyon was 800 m long this morning, the second one towards Taniluyá canyon 400 m. No explosions were mentioned in the latest bulletin of the observatory.- Volcano Discovery.
Tolbachik (Kamchatka): The eruption continues with well-fed lava flows from the southern fissure. Tremor has decreased a bit compared to yesterday, but remains strong, KVERT reports. None of the other volcanoes in Kamchatka has showed significant changes in activity.
For an incredible panorama of Plosky Tolbachik Volcano erupting in Kamchatka, click HERE.
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): After a phase of several relatively strong explosions with ash plumes often reaching 10,000 ft (3 km) during 31 Jan - 2 Feb, the volcano seems to have taken a short rest, with only two small eruptions recorded during the past 48 hours.
Tavurvur (Papua New Guinea): More ash emissions and explosions have occurred during the past days.
Batu Tara (Indonesia) is back more often on this list: A moderately strong explosion this morning produced an ash plume rising to 7,000 ft (2.1 km) which drifted 60 nautical miles to the west.
White Island (New Zealand): Unchanged strong continuous tremor but with a bit less earthquakes than yesterday accompany strong degassing.
In Mexico, Colima volcano continues with small explosions, rockfalls and volcanic tremor. Popocatépetl has slowed down its rate of emissions to only 1 per 2 hours during yesterday, but there is still glow at the summit and an important (but decreased compared to last week) gas (SO2) plume emitted. A shallow magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred yesterday under the western flank.
San Cristobal (Nicaragua): A shallow magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred this morning about 20 km NW of the volcano. Pulses of tremor and numerous aftershocks are visible on the current seismogram. There are no reports about other unusual activity at the volcano.
Masaya (Nicaragua): Tremor has eased a bit today and is close to background levels.
San Miguel (El Salvador): Tremor has remained at unchanged, weak levels today.
Reventador (Ecuador): Seismic activity with continuous strong tremor continues, but cloud cover prevented direct observations of the ongoing activity (likely lava dome grown with lava flow extrusion as well as ash emissions).
Tungurahua (Ecuador): The volcano's seismic activity remains stable, but elevated with the occurrence of numerous long period events related to fluid movement within the edifice. Bad weather prevented direct observation of surface activity.
Copahue (Chile/Argentina): Activity has increased again. Sernageomin reported 92 seismic events during 2-3 Jan and the occurrence of a seismic swarm on the evening of 2 Jan. A degassing plume was observed rising up to 1350 m, whose intensity was without apparent correlation to seismicity.
Ambrym (Vanuatu): A prominent SO2 plume emanating from Ambrym is visible on today's NOAA satellite data image.
Mt Fuji (Honshu): The volcano remains calm. However, an increased number of small quakes near and under Mt Fuji are visible on our latest data plot of nearby earthquakes (within 30 km radius). While all of these are very small and the number is certainly not alarming, the volcano remains interesting to watch.
According to a the Japan Times, a new eruption of Mount Fuji could force some 567,000 people to evacuate their homes (in the worst case scenario). The Shizuoka Prefectural Government ha worked on a new evacuation plan, which assumes that more than 130,000 people from approx. 50,000 households would have to relocate if "lava" were to reach residential districts in the city of Fuji located just south of the 3,776-meter mountain... [read more]
Taal (Luzon, Philippines): Earthquake activity remains slightly elevated, but nothing else points toward a possible reawakening of the volcano in a near future. PHILVOLCS reported 10 quakes during the past 48 hours.
Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has remained the same. Some moderate explosions with plumes rising 800 m were observed during yesterday-today, as well as avalanches from the still active flows on the flanks of the dome.
Fuego (Guatemala): Effusive activity has increased in favor of explosive again. The lava flow towards Ceniza canyon was 800 m long this morning, the second one towards Taniluyá canyon 400 m. No explosions were mentioned in the latest bulletin of the observatory.- Volcano Discovery.