Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): Lava effusion from the 650 m vent at the northern base of the NE crater has dropped strongly or even (almost) stopped during the past days. At the same time, weak explosions and ash emissions have become more frequent from the summit vents. Whether this is already the end of the effusive eruption that started a month ago (7 Aug) and a return to "normal" activity, i.e. intermittent strombolian explosions at the summit vents, is too early to say. According to INGV Catania, weak effusive activity still continued last evening.

Bardarbunga (Iceland): 2 new eruptive fissures have opened south of the existing one and feed additional lava flows. They are located approx. 1.5 km south of the fissure from last Sunday and only 2 km north of the glacier rim. Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson said to the national televion that the eruption is changing and seems to be spreading towards the glacier, where already a graben (depression bounded by 2 parallel extension faults) ahd been observed during the previous days. Part of this structure is under the glacier. The eruption continues with little changes. Earthquake and deformation activity also continue, but on a decreasing trend. Two earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 and 5.2 occurred on the rim of the Bárðarbunga caldera during the night. Civil Protection decided to lift the restrictions on traffic in the area for scientists and journalist with special permissions.

Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka, Russia): Sporadic ash emissions are still being observed. Yesterday morning, VAAC Tokyo reported a low-level ash plume extending SE from the volcano.

Slamet (Central Java): Strombolian explosions are continuing from the new cone inside the summit crater. Some of them produce small ash plumes spotted on satellite imagery by VAAC Darwin who monitor the (volcanically very busy) region for volcanic ash plumes.

Dukono (Halmahera): Ash eruptions continue. A volcanic ash plume was spotted this morning extending 50 km to the NE from the volcano by Darwin VAAC.