Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Shiveluch (Kamchatka): An eruption today produced an ash plume that rose to estimated 25,000 ft (7.5 km) altitude, detected on infrared satellite imagery (VAAC Tokyo). This could have been an explosion at the dome or an ash plume from a pyroclastic flow due to a partial collapse event, but visible webcam images are not clear to distinguish this.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): A high-level eruption at 15:22 UTC (22:22 local time) with an ash plume rising to 45,000 ft (15 km) altitude was reported by Darwin VAAC short time ago. If this report turns out to be true (so far, no other evidence available), it would mean that a major vulcanian to sub-plinian explosion is occurring or has occurred as a surprise. Pyroclastic flows continue to occur, as a new lobe of viscous lava is growing in the summit crater. The collapses during the past 2 weeks and their associated flows have strongly changed the morphology of the crater, removing most of the existing dome, while this is now being replaced by fresh material. A larger flow on Wednesday night reached 4 km distance, further than all of the previous ones in recent months. It reached the evacuated villages of Suka Meriah where it burnt houses. Fortunately, no victims were reported as people from the place had been relocated permanently. Ash fall occurred in Berastagi town 30 km away.