Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Etna (Sicily, Italy): After a more vigorous phase yesterday, the effusion of the lava flow into the Valle del Bove and explosive (strombolian) activity at the New SE crater still continued this morning but have decreased in intensity. Last night the mild strombolian activity picked up to become intense. The lava flow from the fissure vent at the eastern base of the New SE crater is still alimented and descend towards Valle del Bove.

Nishino-Shima volcano (Izu Islands, Japan): The volcano continues to enlarge the island with lava flows, but seems to have increasingly explosive activity as well. Ash plumes to altitudes of 4,000 ft (1.2 km) were reported during the past days. These could have originated from more violent water-magma interaction (phreatomagmatic activity) or simply stronger strombolian explosions. As recent imagery by the Japanese Coast guard shows, new lava flows continued to effuse at low rate and slowly increase the size of what started as a new island, now merged and surpassed in size the older Nishino-Shima island. On the new land, 2 vents remain active, one of which was observed to produce mild strombolian explosions and spattering of liquid lava.

Santa María / Santiaguito volcano (Guatemala): Activity has remained essentially unchanged. The lava dome produces intermittent weak to moderate explosions (with ash plumes up to 500-700 m height) and abundant avalanches at the active block lava flow fronts, especially on the eastern and southeastern side of the dome. Collapses at these fronts can produce small pyroclastic flows.

Fuego volcano (Guatemala): Activity at the volcano was characterized by weak to moderate strombolian explosions occurring at rates of 2-3 per hour. Abundant incandescent material is ejected and forms avalanches on the upper slopes. Sometimes strong shock waves accompany the explosions and rattle windows and roofs of houses in the areas of Panimache, Morelia and others. Ash plumes rise to up to 700 m above the crater. The recent lava flow seems to have stopped.

Pacaya volcano (Guatemala): The lava flow emission from the southern fissure vent has gradually decreased or even stopped during the past days. The seismic signal suggests ongoing deep-seated strombolian explosions inside the new crater at the summit of the Mackenney cone.