Volcanos

Global Volcanic Activity:

The eruption from Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka continues. Tolbachik has been erupting a record of 1,200 tonnes or about 400 cubic meters of basaltic lava per second. If this number if correct, the current effusion rate would be significantly larger than the during the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption in 1975, when the effusion rate was about 40 m3/s on average.

Marapi volcano in West Sumatra (Indonesia) produced small ash emissions on 11 Dec morning. The volcano has been emitting ash almost every day since Marapi had become active again on 3 Aug 2011.

White Island volcano has been raised to alert level 2 after GNS scientists discovered the existence of a new spiny lava dome in the small crater left by the August phreatic explosions. It is not clear yet when exactly the dome has formed or whether it is still growing, in which case more eruptions could be expected.

Pagan volcano in the Marianas continues to produce a significant steam plume visible on satellite images, and a hot spot above the volcano was detected by MODVOLC yesterday (for the 6tth time in 2012). There are no reports of other eruptive activity.

MODIS satellite data continues to show a hotspot at Australia's Heard Island volcano. Thermal anomalies at Heard Island have been occasionally been detected since September this year, when the often dense cloud cover did not prevent it. It is likely that some minor eruptive activity is going on at the volcano.

Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico has calmed down a bit, with only 34 weak emissions between 10-11 Dec.

Fuego volcano had a rather quiet day and the lava flow towards the Ceniza canyon had decreased to only 200 m length this morning.

Activity of Santiaguito has not changed. The lava dome is strongly degassing and glowing at night. The viscous flows, especially the new one in the southern side, remain quite active and produce constant avalanches causing ash plumes to rise and drift into westerly directions.