Volcanic Activity Thread!

[summer blizzard]

Well, since the other thread was locked a few months ago, i thought that i would open a thread for us to discuss volcanic activity in 2010.

I will start of by saying that this is not going to be my sole thread because there are plenty of people with far more volcanic knowledge than me, though i will report to the moderators should peopel begin squabling like the last thread.

In regards to volcanic activity, it is pretty quite at the moment with five volcanoes on red alert, the usual suspects really...

KHARIMKOTAN Kuril Islands (Russia) 49.12°N, 154.508°E; summit elev. 1145 m

NYAMURAGIRA Democratic Republic of Congo 1.408°S, 29.20°E; summit elev. 3058 m

SOUFRIERE HILLS Montserrat 16.72°N, 62.18°W; summit elev. 915 m

TUNGURAHUA Ecuador 1.467°S, 78.442°W; summit elev. 5023 m

TURRIALBA Costa Rica 10.025°N, 83.767°W; summit elev. 3340 m

It is the Russian and Costa Rican Volcanoes which interest me most, as they hav'nt erupted since 1933 and 1866 respectively, leading to the possibilility of a pressure build. The Costa Rican volcano may just be blowing off steam, however the Russian volcanoe has a thermal anomoly.

Main Volcano i am interested in is Vesuvius and sadly that shows no activity.

Edited January 21, 2010 by summer blizzard

[CardiffStorm]

sounds very exciting. When you say on red alert does that mean possible eruption in the next few weeks or could be months? I really dont know much about volcanoes sorry.

[summer blizzard]

sounds very exciting. When you say on red alert does that mean possible eruption in the next few weeks or could be months? I really dont know much about volcanoes sorry.

Red alert in volcanic terms means that activity is well above normal levels, and the fact that a thermal anomomoly has been registered means that an eruption could well be immenant, as it has not erupted since 1933, i would expect the eruption to be fairly large also.

[snowray]

Well, since the other thread was locked a few months ago, i thought that i would open a thread for us to discuss volcanic activity in 2010.

I will start of by saying that this is not going to be my sole thread because there are plenty of people with far more volcanic knowledge than me, though i will report to the moderators should peopel begin squabling like the last thread.

In regards to volcanic activity, it is pretty quite at the moment with five volcanoes on red alert, the usual suspects really...

KHARIMKOTAN Kuril Islands (Russia) 49.12°N, 154.508°E; summit elev. 1145 m

NYAMURAGIRA Democratic Republic of Congo 1.408°S, 29.20°E; summit elev. 3058 m

SOUFRIERE HILLS Montserrat 16.72°N, 62.18°W; summit elev. 915 m

TUNGURAHUA Ecuador 1.467°S, 78.442°W; summit elev. 5023 m

TURRIALBA Costa Rica 10.025°N, 83.767°W; summit elev. 3340 m

It is the Russian and Costa Rican Volcanoes which interest me most, as they hav'nt erupted since 1933 and 1866 respectively, leading to the possibilility of a pressure build. The Costa Rican volcano may just be blowing off steam, however the Russian volcanoe has a thermal anomoly.

Main Volcano i am interested in is Vesuvius and sadly that shows no activity.

Why Vesuvius may I ask, poor old Naples is in Enough of a bad state already, last thing they need is that going off.

Was there not a major volcanic eruption due just after Christmas, far East Somewhere? Never heard anything more about that but it had been all over the news.

[The PIT]

Well Soufriere Hills is trembling away nicely at the moment http://www.mvo.ms/ Activity started again around October I think although I maybe wrong on that.

Yellowstone is enjoying another earthquake swarm http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2010/10swarm.php although this doesn't seem any different from swarms in the past. Of course if it gets stronger it could become very interesting.

No updates about Chaiten since December but we be fairly sure this is still going on.

Live seismograph of Vesuvius, Etna, Stromboli, Ischa and Pozzuoli http://www.ov.ingv.it/seismogroup-file/segnali_rt.asp?loc=Pozzuoli&IdMap=3&sta=STH&comp=V&A=2.82&B=0&C=-2.46&t=GMT&id=5

Finally a english version of Vesuvius Observatory http://www.ov.ingv.it/index_en.html

[ukweathergirl]

Montserrat is active again? I haven't heard anything on this volcano since I studied it at school!!

Summer blizzard - although Vesuvius shows no activity, I was fortunate enough to climb it in the summer of 2008 and it was releasing little bursts of sulphur dioxide from inside the summit (which i can tell you is quite daunting especially when its the day before the last date it erupted some hundreds of years later!!)

[toggerob]

Mt.Mayon was "Imminent" to erupt just in the week between Christmas and Boxing Day. However its all gone quiet on this front, Harmonic Tremors and ground deformation led to some serious concerns. A month later its all quiet again but obviously still on watch.

Naples would have more to worry about than Vesuvius if Campi Flegri ever erupts one day. The entire caldera has (and will in the future) erupted in VEI8 eruptions, Vesuvius being on the 3-5 VEI scale, goes to show how the significant threat of Campi Flegri is overlooked by the Stratovolcano.

[The PIT]

Montserrat is active again? I haven't heard anything on this volcano since I studied it at school!!

It's been rumbling away for years. I think they did briefly think the eruption was coming to an end earlier last year when the activity was very low. It clearly had a little surprise for them.

Edited January 27, 2010 by The PIT

[The PIT]

Latest reports from MOnserrat

Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano remained at a variable level this week.

Periods of increased activity have occurred every 5 to 7 hours. The increased activity, which typically lasts less than an hour, involved ash venting, rockfalls and pyroclastic flows. Sporadic rockfalls and pyroclastic flows also occurred between the periods of increased activity, but at a reduced frequency.

Pyroclastic flows have occurred down several valleys draining the volcano. However there has been a notable increase in pyroclastic flows in the Tar River valley to the east, several of which have reached the sea. These are being sourced from new dome growth in the southeastern part of the summit of the lava dome. Numerous moderate sized pyroclastic flows also occurred to the northeast down Whites Ghaut, to the west down Gages and into Spring Ghaut. Pyroclastic flows also occurred to the northwest approx 2 km down Tyers Ghaut on 25 January.

source http://www.mvo.ms/

Tungurahua meanwhile continues to erupt.

http://feww.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/volcano-ash-threatens-ecuadors-ambato-city/

Edited January 30, 2010 by The PIT

[The PIT]

Montserrat continues it's eruption.

29 January to 5 February 2010

Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano remained at a variable level this week.

Cycles of increased activity have occurred every 7 to 12 hours. The increased activity has mainly involved ash venting, rockfalls and pyroclastic flows. Sporadic rockfalls and moderate sized pyroclastic flows have also occurred between the cycles of increased activity. The intensity of the cycles has varied through the week.

The dominant direction of pyroclastic flows has been to the west down Gages and into Spring Ghaut. The maximum runout of pyroclastic flows was about 3 km, although more typically around 2 km. Helicopter observations have shown that the head of Spring Ghaut is now nearly full of pyroclastic flows deposits. Pyroclastic flows have also occurred to the northeast in the Whites Ghaut direction and rockfall activity has been abundant across the northern flank of the volcano.

Full link here http://www.mvo.ms/

Yellowstone continues with it's swarm http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/

[MR EXTREMES]

Montserrat continues it's eruption.

29 January to 5 February 2010

Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano remained at a variable level this week.

Cycles of increased activity have occurred every 7 to 12 hours. The increased activity has mainly involved ash venting, rockfalls and pyroclastic flows. Sporadic rockfalls and moderate sized pyroclastic flows have also occurred between the cycles of increased activity. The intensity of the cycles has varied through the week.

The dominant direction of pyroclastic flows has been to the west down Gages and into Spring Ghaut. The maximum runout of pyroclastic flows was about 3 km, although more typically around 2 km. Helicopter observations have shown that the head of Spring Ghaut is now nearly full of pyroclastic flows deposits. Pyroclastic flows have also occurred to the northeast in the Whites Ghaut direction and rockfall activity has been abundant across the northern flank of the volcano.

Full link here http://www.mvo.ms/

Yellowstone continues with it's swarm http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/

forget this one how about yellowstone omg

there getting concerned with more activity today.

[Crepuscular Ray]

I'm not sure they're not just scaremongering. Such earthquake storms aren't unusual in the area and the caption at the end of the clip about the storm continuing "under the Obama administration" smacks of right-wing stupidity. Do they seriously think that even the thickest of the American right will think he causes earthquakes?

[Dartmoor_Matt]

I'm not sure they're not just scaremongering. Such earthquake storms aren't unusual in the area and the caption at the end of the clip about the storm continuing "under the Obama administration" smacks of right-wing stupidity. Do they seriously think that even the thickest of the American right will think he causes earthquakes?

The caption eludes to the gagging order put on by the previous administration which is being carried on by the new one. Nothing to do with causing earthquakes.

[The PIT]

Montserrat continues at a high level of activity

Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano has increased significantly this week with two vulcanian explosions and a partial dome collapse.

The two explosions occurred at 1:49 pm on Friday 5 February and 7:57 pm on Monday 8 February, lasted 7 and 6 minutes and ash plumes reached 25,000 and 15,000 ft respectively. There was no ashfall from either explosion in inhabited regions of Montserrat. Pyroclastic flows associated with the explosion on 5 February reached the sea at Aymers Ghaut and smaller pyroclastic flows (maximum run out 2 km) also occurred in several other valleys including Tyers ghaut. The 8 February explosion generated pyroclastic flows only in the Gages valley and these did not reach the sea.

Full report here http://www.mvo.ms/

meanwhile the swarm at Yellowstone is slowing http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2010/10swarm.php

[Jane Louise]

Hi all,

I have found a live streaming webcam of the Yellowstone volcano. Not sure if it has been posted before.Here it is anyway

http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/stream/stream.htm?parkcode=yell

[summer blizzard]

http://www.ov.ingv.it/vesuvio.html#a

Great site for information about Vesuius, and a reent upswing in actiity over recent years, though i doubt the eruption will occur soon with slight subsidence taking place..

[Typhoon John]

Eyjafjallajökull has finally erupted. Some details below. Could be worth keeping an eye on this one as Iceland volcanoes can often end up effect the UK.

http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/134092

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8578576.stm

[MR EXTREMES]

Eyjafjallajökull has finally erupted. Some details below. Could be worth keeping an eye on this one as Iceland volcanoes can often end up effect the UK.

http://scienceblogs....mt/pings/134092

http://news.bbc.co.u...ope/8578576.stm

volcanic activity has been pretty busy the last couple of years what with alaska and now iceland.

intresting add yellowstone rumbling away.

[Typhoon John]

BTW posted the wrong link before to Eruptions. Right one: http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/

It's an interesting eruption, I suspect it'll get bigger before it ends but always hard to tell.

[jethro]

intresting add yellowstone rumbling away.:ph34r:

Now that's a seriously scary prospect, hope that one stays dormant.

[The PIT]

I did post yesterday but it seems to have got lost.

Yellowstone isn't rumbling away it's now back at normal levels. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/

Lot of speculation that the icelandic eruption will set off Katla which lies along the same fault. Of course some eruptions of Katla have followed Eyjafjallajökull and some haven't. Time will tell.

[Eugene]

Lot of speculation that the icelandic eruption will set off Katla which lies along the same fault. Of course some eruptions of Katla have followed Eyjafjallajökull and some haven't. Time will tell.

Yes Summer 2010 heat fans must be biting their nails furiously whether the final nail in the coffin for this summer will be come if Katla erupts :lol:

[The PIT]

Lot of alarmist talk over this eruption. Anyway some web cams too look at http://reykjavik.mydestinationinfo.com/en/hekla-volcano-webcam

Brilliant video on the page as well.

Edited March 27, 2010 by The PIT

[The PIT]

Good view on the web cam today http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/

[The PIT]

Going great guns at the moment.