Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Klyuchevskoy (Kamchatka): The effusive and sometimes mildly explosive eruption of the volcano continues with little changes. Bright glow at night and strong thermal signals detected on satellite show that the lava flow through the Apakhonchich drainage on the SE flank of the volcano continues to be well fed.

Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): After about a week of relative calm, the volcano's activity - probably strombolian explosions from Ontake crater - has again picked since last night. Bright glow is visible at the main crater from neighbouring islands and Tokyo VAAC reported several low-level ash plumes today.

Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): The volcano's activity seems to have been very low recently although there are no available direct observations. The heat signal from the volcano has been only intermittent and low and no significant ash emissions have been detected on satellite imagery during the past months (since about Dec 2015). Only a gas plume is visible on clear weather satellite imagery on most days. This indicates that the volcano is no longer producing the violent explosions we used to see during our regular expeditions in past years, usually in November each year as the best time weather-wise.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The volcano has been producing a series of glowing avalanches and pyroclastic flows on the ESE and SE sides during the past 24 hours, reaching lengths of 1500-3500 m. The cause of the current violent phase is likely that the prominent viscous lava lobe that has been spilling over from the summit dome into a steep ravine of the upper flank has now become too unstable and is crumbling apart. During this process, rockfalls can turn into highly mobile and destructive glowing avalanches of disintegrating hot lava rock fragments, gasses released from these and ambient air (so-called pyroclastic density currents / flows).

Fuego (Guatemala): The activity at the volcano has again started to increase - while it continues with intermittent explosions, satellite-based measured heat emission from the summit is becoming more intense, typically a sign that the magma column is rising inside the conduit.  This could herald a new paroxysm in the near future (coming few days?).

Cotopaxi (Ecuador): Yesterday's ash plume from the volcano was the result of strong winds remobilizing older ash deposits (from the recent eruptive activity during 2015-16), NOT cause by a new eruptive phase. The volcano is currently calm both at the surface and internally (seismic activity, deformation etc) and only emits a steam plume.