Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Santiaguito (Guatemala): A stronger than usual explosion occurred yesterday morning at 08:43 local time, producing a plume that rose approx. 2 km above the lava dome and generated small pyroclastic flows. INSIVUMEH reported that the lava flow to the east side of the dome remains weakly active, generating small avalanches.

Cotopaxi (Ecuador): The eruption continues with similar activity as during the past days, with a gradually increasing trend. Accompanied by near-continuous tremor, the volcano now produces almost constant, dense ash plumes rising up to 2 km and drifting into westerly directions, reaching the Pacific Ocean. The current phase of near-continuous emissions started during the night 22-23 Aug, when volcanic tremor appeared suddenly at 21:41 local time. The next day, after 18 hours, 2 mm of new brown ash fall had accumulated on the western side in the Cotopaxi National Park.

Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion): The eruption that started yesterday continues, but only one of several fissures (east of the Rivals crater), that opened last night remains active over a length of 100 m. A small cone has been built at its upper end, approx. 140 m east of Rivals crater. Strombolian activity occurs from this vent, while 3 other vents lower on the fissure continue to produce lava fountains and feed a lava flow that slowly advances towards the Grandes Pentes. The volcano observatory reports that both tremor and lava effusion rates have been dropping, first rapidly after the first, most intense two hours last night and more slowly since.