Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): For now, Etna has stayed quiet. It seems that - if the series continues - the intervals between paroxysms are getting again longer.

Kizimen (Kamchatka): Lava effusion and dome growth continue accompanied by moderate seismic activity.

Shiveluch (Kamchatka): KVERT reports only weak seismic activity today, indicating the volcano is in a phase of lower activity.

Tolbachik (Kamchatka): The eruption continues with little changes. Lava erupts with strombolian activity at the vent on the southern fissure at 1600 m altitude and continues to feed the vast lava flow field that sttreches until the cinder cone Belaya Gorka, 15 km to the west from the vent. Some lava flow fronts to the east were also visible on recent MODIS images. The process is accompanied by stable and still high, although somewhat decreasing levels of tremor.

White Island (New Zealand): Over the weekend, the active vent began producing ash. During a visit yesterday, the crater was found quiet again. Ash emissions had ceased and were replaced by steam and gas explosions from the active vent. Tremor has dropped again to low levels at the same time. Strong continuous volcanic tremor has returned and is now higher than ever, mixed with earthquakes. No unusual activity is visible at the surface.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): No significant changes in activity have occurred. The rate of steam-gas emissions has risen to almost 2 per hour, with some producing small puffs of ash. Incandescence from the crater remains visible at night.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Weak to moderate explosions generate light ash plumes that drifted to the east towards the las Aldeas Belén and Calaguache areas. The lava flows at the flanks of the dome produced constant avalanches, INSIVUMEH reports today.

Pacaya (Guatemala): The re-awakening of the volcano progresses: Today, INSIVUMEH reports some weak, perhaps strombolian explosions that ejected some material above the Mackenney crater. No further details about this activity were given.

Fuego (Guatemala): Mild strombolian activity continues, with incandescent pulses of about 100 m heigh and ash plumes rising up to about 700 m above the crater.

Sangay (Ecuador): (25 Feb) VAAC Washington reports pilot observations of ash emissions to 25,000 ft (7.5 km) altitude on 22 February. Since the volcano is very remote and one of Ecuador's most active, it is fair to assume that it might be in a state of elevated activity.

Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): (25 Feb) A MODIS hot spot was visible yesterday at the summit of the volcano, despite the usual dense cloud cover. This indicates that some sort of activity likely continues.