Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Shiveluch (Kamchatka): The effusive and explosive activity at the volcano continue at currently relatively low levels. Occasional small avalanches occur from the active dome, but little or no glow can be seen on night-time webcam imagery, suggesting that the effusion rate is at the lower end at the moment.

Chirpoi (Kurile Islands, Russia): SVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Snow, a volcano of Chirpoi, was detected in satellite images during 18 and 20-24 July. Steam-and-gas emissions were visible drifting SW on 16 July and may have contained minor amounts of ash. Steam-and-gas emissions during 22-24 July drifted as far as 90 km N. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): A small ash emission from the volcano was reported yesterday evening. According to Darwin VAAC, a plume at approx. 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude extended 35 km west from the volcano.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Explosive and effusive activity continue with no significant changes at relatively low level. Almost every day, the lava dome produces small to moderate ash explosions at the summit.

Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): During an ongoing tour in East Java, our small group observed glow and mild explosive (strombolian) activity from Semeru volcano's summit crater. The lava flow in the southern ravine was inactive.

Kilauea (Hawai'i): As of yesterday evening (morning in Hawai'i), the new sea entry of the "61G" lava flow near the Kamokuna area continued to be active with and was at least 20 meters wide, spilling over the older sea cliff. It can be expected that the sea entry will widen over time. Another lobe of the main flow has been advancing along the west margin and might hit the ocean soon as well. At the summit and Pu'u 'O'o crater on the eastern rift zone, no significant changes have occurred. Halema'uma'u lava lake has risen a bit again to approx. 23 m below the crater floor rim and the lava pond inside Pu'u 'O'o is active as well.

Pavlof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Weak eruptive activity has been observed at the volcano in the form of intense steaming and small ash emissions and the aviation color code was raised to orange yesterday. Most likely, the summit crater vent is currently producing strombolian-type activity, possibly along with the effusion of lava flows. Seismic activity has been elevated.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Mild strombolian activity continues from the Mackenney crater. According to a recent report, this activity ejected glowing material to 75 m above the crater and weak incandescence could be observed from the crater at night.

Fuego (Guatemala): Another intense eruptive phase with strong explosions, lava fountaining and abundant lava flow activity is in progress at the volcano. After increasing gradually over the past week, the new so-called paroxysm (the 12th such phase in 2016 according to INSIVUMEH) started yesterday morning and seems now to be at its peak. Strombolian-type explosions and/or pulsating lava fountains eject glowing lava to 400 m or more, generating abundant glowing avalanches on the upper cone, and are accompanied by shock waves that can be felt in up to 15 km distance. Two lava flows of each about 2000 m length are descending the Las Lajas and Santa Teresa gullies on the southeastern flank.