Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Fuego volcano (Guatemala): strong explosions, increase of activity. Activity at the volcano continues to be elevated and increased yesterday, prompting INSIVUMEH to issue a special bulletin yesterday, in which the agency warns that a possible new paroxysm could occur in the near future. The volcano observatory reported moderate to strong explosions with plumes up to 1 km height and drifting 12 km, causing ash falls ash on the villages Panimaché, Morelia, Santa Sofia and others. This activity was also accompanied by increased tremor. As of today, it has decreased again, but remains high, and the occurrence of another paroxysm is still a potential scenario. In this case, strong explosions and associated ash plum rising significantly more than 1-2 km above the summit, lava flows and potentially pyroclastic flows on the southern slopes could be expected.

Dukono volcano (Halmahera, Indonesia) activity update Explosions that are strong enough to leave ash plumes visible on satellite data continue to occur almost every day. This morning, VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume at 8,000 ft (2.4 km) altitude.

Merapi volcano (Central Java, Indonesia): powerful explosion yesterday morning A new explosion occurred at the volcano early yesterday morning (Sun, 20 April), at around 4:25 am local time. VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume rising to approx. 30-35,000 ft (9-11 km) altitude and drifting NWN, and raised the aviation alert level to red. VSI in turn has not changed the alert status (currently at 1, "normal", out of 4) of the volcano because it seems that scientists think that the explosion was phreatic in nature, i.e. not caused by fresh magma, but interaction of penetrating (rain) water into the hot rocks in the upper conduit system of the volcano. No unusual seismic activity is currently detected at Merapi. The explosion was not observed during the nighttime, but heard in several kilometres distance away, and ash falls occurred in villages around the volcano, prompting residents to wear dust masks and clean up roofs and streets from ash.