Posts Tagged ‘Chaiten’
Posted by feww on June 5, 2011
Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle erupted ejecting a 10-km high plume of ash into the air
“The Cordon Caulle has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometer-high gas column,” state emergency office ONEMI reported.
The authorities were forced to evacuate at least 3,500 people from areas near the volcano.
A large cloud of ash was reported over the Patagonian ski resort town of Bariloche in the neighboring Argentina, about 160 km east of the volcano, forcing the local airport to close.
“We’re trying to stop car traffic and ask that people stay at home and close their doors and windows to prevent the volcanic ash from coming in. The city’s airport was also closed,” an eyewitness told the local TV station.
“Ash was dumped like a snowstorm… The city is covered in grey ash.”
“Eyewitness Juli Kessler told the BBC she saw ‘big black clouds hanging over the Andes’ and ash dust lying on the road.”
Map of Chile’s volcanoes with the approximate location of Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano marked by FIRE-EARTH.
The governor of Chile’s Los Rios region was reported as saying that fire was seen in the volcano’s crater as a large plume of smoke billowed out.
“You can see the fire (in the volcano) and a plume of smoke, and there’s a strong smell of sulfur,” he told reporters.
The volcano is located about 840 km (522 miles) south of Santiago, the national capital. Its last major eruption occurred in 1960, after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Chile about 260km directly north of the volcano.
Chile is home to about 2,000 volcanoes (world’s 2nd largest volcanic chain after Indonesia), of which 500 of are classified as active, with about 55 of them having erupted historically. Llaima and Chaiten, two other Chilean volcanoes, have erupted in the past few years.
Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
Location: Central Chile
Last Known Eruption: 1990
Summit Elevation: 2,236m 7,336 feet
Latitude: 40.590°S
Longitude: 72.117°W
Source: GVP
The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC) is a large NW-SE-trending late-Pleistocene to Holocene basaltic-to-rhyolitic transverse volcanic chain SE of Lago Ranco. The 1799-m-high Pleistocene Cordillera Nevada caldera lies at the NW end, separated from Puyehue stratovolcano at the SE end by the Cordón Caulle fissure complex. The Pleistocene Mencheca volcano with Holocene flank cones lies NE of Puyehue. The basaltic-to-rhyolitic Puyehue volcano is the most geochemically diverse of the PCCVC. The flat-topped, 2236-m-high Puyehue volcano was constructed above a 5-km-wide caldera and is capped by a 2.4-km-wide summit caldera of Holocene age. Lava flows and domes of mostly rhyolitic composition are found on the eastern flank of Puyehue. Historical eruptions originally attributed to Puyehue, including major eruptions in 1921-22 and 1960, are now known to be from the Cordón Caulle rift zone. The Cordón Caulle geothermal area, occupying a 6 x 13 km wide volcano-tectonic depression, is the largest active geothermal area of the southern Andes volcanic zone. Photo by Klaus Dorsch, 2001 (University of Munich); caption: GVP
Inches of volcanic ash 100 miles away
Argentine resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, about 160 km (100 miles) east of Chile’s Puyehue, seen covered by volcanic ash from the June 4 eruption. Photo Credit: Reuters/Trilce Reyes. Image may be subject to copyright. More images…
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Posted in Chile volcano | Tagged: Chaiten, Cordón Caulle rift zone, Llaima, map of Chile volcanoes, Puyehue eruption, Puyehue volcano, Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle, San Carlos de Bariloche, southern Andes volcanic zone | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 10, 2010
Chaitén Volcano Natural Color Satellite Image
Chaitén: Natural-color image of the volcano taken at about 10:30 am local time on March 3, 2010 by ALI on EO-1 satellite. Credit NASA.
An Earlier Image of Chaitén
Chaitén: Natural-color satellite image, acquired by MODIS on Aqua satellite, February 25, 2010. Credit NASA.
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Posted in Chaitén caldera, Chaitén eruption, Chaitén satellite image, Chaitén Volcano image, volcano | Tagged: Chaiten, Chaiten volcano, Chile volcano, cone collapse, dome collapse, Río Blanco, Rio Rayas O Blanco | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on December 10, 2009
SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(2 December – 8 December 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
- Region: Central Chile
- Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
- Last Known Eruption: 2009
- Summit Elevation: 3,125 m (10,253 feet)
- Latitude: 38.692°S (38°41’30″S)
- Longitude: 71.729°W (71°43’43″W)
Llaima, one of Chile’s largest and most active volcanoes, has a symmetrical profile when seen from the north. The massive, 3125-m-high, glacier-covered stratovolcano is constructed primarily of accumulated lava flows and has a volume of 400 cu km. Volcán Llaima contains two historically active craters, one at the summit and the other to the SE. More than 40 scoria cones dot the volcano’s flanks. Frequent moderate explosive eruptions, a few of which were accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded since the 17th century. Photo by Norm Banks, 1990 (U.S. Geological Survey). Caption: GVP.
Volcano News (Source: GVP)
KVERT reported that during 27 November-4 December seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi was above background levels and lava continued to flow down the ESE flank. Strombolian activity ejected tephra 300 m above the crater.
Cameras operated by OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN showed steam-and-gas plumes rising from Llaima’s main crater and E flank during 14 November-1 December. Although seismicity generally decreased, a new type of long-period, low-frequency earthquake was detected. (Source: GVP)
Ongoing Activity
Ambrym, Vanuatu (SW Pacific); Chaitén, Southern Chile; Colima, México; Dukono, Halmahera; Fuego, Guatemala; Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka; Kilauea, Hawaii (USA); Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Rabaul, New Britain; Sakura-jima, Kyushu; San Cristóbal, Nicaragua; Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Soufrière Hills, Montserrat; Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan).
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Recent Posts on Chaitén:
Posted in volcanic eruption, volcanic hazard, volcanism, volcano, volcano alert | Tagged: Chaiten, Karymsky, Kliuchevskoi, Kīlauea, Llaima, Suwanose-jima | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on December 3, 2009
SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(25 November – 1 December 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
FEWW JUNE 2009 FORECAST:
Volcano News (Source: GVP)
The Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory reported that a large explosion from Gaua’s Mount Garat on 18 November was followed by high dense ash plumes. An explosion that caused ashfall in inhabited areas on 26 November prompted the evacuation of more than 300 people.
MVO reported that during 20-27 November activity from the Soufrière Hills lava dome continued at a high level; lava extrusion shifted from the W side of the lava dome to the summit region. On 24 November there was a period of 120 minutes of continuous pyroclastic flow activity, followed by 90 minutes of semi-continuous activity. On 26 November, a pyroclastic flow that descended the Tar River valley was caused by collapse of part of the old, pre-2009 lava dome.
Ongoing Activity:
Chaitén, Southern Chile; Dukono, Halmahera (Indonesia); Fuego, Guatemala; Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia); Kilauea, Hawaii; Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Nevado del Huila, Colombia; Rabaul, New Britain; Sakura-jima, Kyushu (Japan); Sangay, Ecuador; Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Soufrière Hills, Montserrat; Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan).
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Recent Posts on Chaitén:
Posted in volcanic eruption, volcanic hazard, volcanism, volcano, volcano alert | Tagged: Chaiten, Galeras, Gaua, Karkar, Sarychev Peak, VolcanoWatch | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on November 26, 2009
VOW: to be announced…
SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(18 November – 24 November 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
Volcano News (Source: GVP)
An explosive eruption from detected by the seismic network on 20 November prompted INGEOMINAS to raise the Alert Level. Residents reported five explosions, sound waves, and incandescence from multiple areas in the crater.
During 18-24 November, HVO reported that lava flowed SE from beneath Kilauea’s Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) and rootless shield complex through a lava tube system, reaching the ocean. On 21 November, a sliver of the rim collapsed and was followed by an explosion that produced a dense brown plume that dissipated after a few minutes. Watch the video here. Source: GVP [Note: The video has .mov format and cannot be run on Windows Media Player.]
Ongoing Activity:
Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia); Chaitén, Southern Chile; Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka; Kilauea, Hawaii; Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Pacaya, Guatemala; Popocatépetl, México; Rabaul, New Britain; Reventador, Ecuador; Sakura-jima, Kyushu; Santa María, Guatemala; Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Soufrière Hills, Montserrat; Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
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. Tagged: Arenal, Bagana, Chaiten, Fuego, Galeras, Karymsky, Mayon
Posted in volcanic activity, volcanic hazard, volcanic unrest, volcanism, volcanoes | Tagged: Chaiten, Galeras, Karymsky, Kīlauea, Reventador, volcano | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on November 19, 2009
VOW: Mayon
Mayon volcano spews smoke and ash for the second time in a day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 at Legazpi, Albay province, about 340 kilometers southeast of Manila, Philippines. AP Photo/Nelson Salting. Image may be subject to copyright.
Related News and Posts:
SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(11 November – 17 November 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
Volcano News (Source: GVP)
CENAPRED reported that on 14 November an ash plume from Popocatépetl rose to an altitude of 7.4 km (24,300 ft) a.s.l. During 14-17 November, steam-and-gas plumes sometimes contained ash.
INGEOMINAS reported that an overflight of Galeras on 14 November revealed thermal anomalies in the main crater measuring 110 degrees Celsius and very low rates of gas discharge.
Ongoing Activity:
Arenal, Costa Rica; Bagana, Bougainville; Chaitén, Southern Chile; Fuego, Guatemala; Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia); Kilauea, Hawaii; Kizimen, Eastern Kamchatka; Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Nevado del Huila, Colombia; Popocatépetl, México; Rabaul, New Britain; Reventador, Ecuador; Sakura-jima, Kyushu; Sangay, Ecuador; Santa María, Guatemala; Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia); Soufrière Hills, Montserrat; Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
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Recent Posts on Chaitén:
Posted in volcanoes | Tagged: Arenal, Bagana, Chaiten, Fuego, Galeras, Karymsky, Mayon | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on October 9, 2009
VOW: Ambrym
Destructive acid rain caused by eruption
According to press reports, an eruption from Benbow Crater occurred on 10 February [1979.] Gases from the eruption caused acid rainfall on the SW portion of Ambrym Island, destroying most vegetation within 24 hours, contaminating water supplies, and burning some inhabitants. Jean-Luc Saos, Director of Mineral Resources for the New Hebrides government, reported a high concentration of HCl and sulfur compounds in the volcanic gases. Although heavy ashfalls have occurred in the area in the past, this is the first report of acid rains. More …
View of the Marum cone at Ambrym looking SW, 7 June 2007. Incandescence from the active lava lakes can be seen reflected in the clouds (left). Courtesy of Steven Clegg.
Lava lake inside Mbwelesu crater within Marum cone at Ambrym, 7 June 2007. Courtesy of Steven Clegg.
A hazy layer of vog—volcanic fog—overlies Malekula and a few other islands of the Vanuatu archipelago in this natural-color satellite image. The source of the vog is Ambrym, a volcano in the southeast (lower right) corner of this scene. The haze extends over the Coral Sea several hundred kilometers to the northwest. Ambrym emits sulfur dioxide—the gas responsible for the formation of vog— intermittently. (Kilauea Volcano has recently affected the residents of Hawaii with similar vog emissions.) The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color image on October 6, 2009. [Large earthquake measuring up to 8.2 Mw struck Vanuatu region on October 7, 2009 at 22:03 UTC. FEWW] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of this region. Caption by Robert Simmon.
Ash plume from Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu October 4, 2004, 23:00 UTC. Source: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response System.
View into the Mbwelesu crater on the Marum cone at Ambrym, captured 7 September 2008. Lava can be seen through two gaps in the crusted-over lava lake (enlarged insets). Courtesy of Arnold Binas.
Ambrym, a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera, is one of the most active volcanoes of the New Hebrides arc. A thick, almost exclusively pyroclastic sequence, initially dacitic, then basaltic, overlies lava flows of a pre-caldera shield volcano. The caldera was formed during a major plinian eruption with dacitic pyroclastic flows about 1900 years ago. Post-caldera eruptions, primarily from Marum and Benbow cones, have partially filled the caldera floor and produced lava flows that ponded on the caldera floor or overflowed through gaps in the caldera rim. Post-caldera eruptions have also formed a series of scoria cones and maars along a fissure system oriented ENE-WSW. Eruptions have apparently occurred almost yearly during historical time from cones within the caldera or from flank vents. However, from 1850 to 1950, reporting was mostly limited to extra-caldera eruptions that would have affected local populations. Caption: GVP
Ambtym
Country: Vanuatu
Subregion Name: Vanuatu
Volcano Number: 0507-04=
Volcano Type: Pyroclastic shield
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 2009
Summit Elevation: 1334 m 4,377 feet
Latitude: 16.25°S 16°15’0″S
Longitude: 168.12°E 168°7’0″E
SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(30 September – 6 October 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
News From GVP:
On 29 September, people living in Chaitén town, 10 km SW of Chaitén’s Domo Nuevo 1 (Phase I) and Domo Nuevo 2 (Phase II) lava-dome complex, noticed that the eruption column was larger. Scientists conducted an overflight and saw a third lava dome (Phase III) in the SW area of the complex, which had filled up a depression left by a collapse on 19 February.
According to news articles from 2 October, increased seismicity at Gaua was detected during the previous two weeks. Villagers living nearby reported ashfall and sulfur odors.
An explosive eruption from Galeras on 30 September prompted INGEOMINAS to raise the Alert Level. An ash plume rose to an approximate altitude of 12.3 km (40,400 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E, then N. —GVP
Ongoing Activity:
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
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Recent Posts on Chaitén:
Posted in California volcanoes, ecuador, FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast, Hawaii, island of Java, Kīlauea, Langila, Mexico, New Britain, Popocatépetl, Rabaul, Reventador, Sangay, volcanic hazard, volcanism, volcano services, volcanoes | Tagged: acid rain, Ambrym, Banks Islands, Central Kamchatka, Chaiten, Chuginadak Island, Cleveland, colombia, Eastern Kamchatka, Galeras, Gaua, Karymsky, Kliuchevskoi, Kyushu, Montserrat, Sakura-jima, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, southern Chile | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on October 2, 2009
VOW: Golden Trout Creek
A cluster of 66 shocks have rocked a a 15 square km area centered about 36.392°N, 117.861°W, some 41 km east of the Golden Trout Creek volcano field in central California, in the past few days. Although most of the quakes were tremors measuring less than M 3.0, the largest shock measured 5.2.
Volcano Details:
Country: United States
Region: California (USA)
Volcano Type: Volcanic field
Volcano Status: Tephrochronology
Last Known Eruption: 5550 BC ± 1000 years
Summit Elevation: 2,886 m (9,468 feet)
Latitude: 36.358°N (36°21’30″N)
Source: Global Volcanism Program (GVP)
The Golden Trout Creek volcanic field consists of a group of Quaternary alkali olivine basaltic cinder cones and lava flows in the Toowa valley of the Sierra Nevada about 25 km south of Mount Whitney. Lava flows from the Golden Trout Creek volcanic field erupted through Mesozoic granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada batholith during several episodes dating back to about 743,000 years ago, when the Little Whitney cinder cone and lava flows were erupted. The South Fork cone was erupted about 176,000 years ago and produced the largest lava flow of the volcanic field, which traveled 10 km to the west, possibly as far as the floor of Kern Canyon. Tunnel cone to the north of South Fork (Red Hill) cone is undated, but its lava flow is overlain by glacial deposits and it is thought to be only slightly younger than South Fork cone. The youngest lava flow, from Groundhog cone, is unglaciated and thought to be about 5-10,000 years old (Moore and Lanphere 1983). The lava flow from Groundhog cone traveled 6 km west down Golden Trout Creek on top of the older flow from South Fork cone.—GVP. Photo: Rick Howard, 2002 (courtesy of Del Hubbs, U S Forest Service).
SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(23 September – 29 September 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
News From GVP:
CVGHM reported that on 26 September a “thunderous” noise from Dieng was heard from 2 km away. The next day, a phreatic eruption from an unspecified crater ejected mud as far away as 140 m S.
KVERT reported that on 17 and 22 September a weak thermal anomaly over Karymsky was detected in satellite imagery. Scientists flying near Karymsky in a helicopter on 22 September saw ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 1.7 km (5,600 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E. —GVP
Ongoing Activity:
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
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Posted in Central Kamchatka, Chaiten, FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast, island of Java, Karymsky, Kliuchevskoi, Mayon, Sakar, Shiveluch, Socorro, Sumatra, volcanism, volcanoes | Tagged: California volcanoes, Chaiten, Dieng Volcanic Complex, Golden Trout Creek, Groundhog Crater, Karymsky, Kern Canyon, Kīlauea, Mount Whitney, Redoubt, Shiveluch, Sierra Nevada, Tephrochronology, Toowa valley, Turrialba | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 29, 2009
On June 29, 2009, after a magnitude 5.3 quake struck off coast of Isen, Chile, at a depth of 10km, the Moderators forecast:
FEWW believes that the quake could be followed by more shocks, a number of which could be larger in magnitude, along the Chile Ridge, near the coast of Chile and about the subducting Nazca Plate. Additional seismic activity in the region could result in a new, more intense phase of activity in Chaitén, or prime other regional volcanoes for eruption.
Well, Chaitén is still awake, doing what volcanoes do best: Spewing ash, steam, sulfur…
Ash and Steam Plume from Chaitén
The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard the NASA/USGS Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite acquired this natural color image of Chaitén on September 27, 2009, at roughly 10:30 am local time. According to a report, there was an ash plume extending 56 km (35 miles) northwest of the summit at the time the image was taken.
NASA image by Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Robert Simmon. [Edited by FEWW]
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Posted in Chaiten, Chaiten volcano, obduction, oceanic tectonic plate, orogeny. Tagged: block rotation, Plate Tectonics | Tagged: Chaitén Activity, Chaitén satellite image, Chaiten, Chaiten volcano, Chile Ridge, Nazca Plate, volcanism | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 24, 2009
FEWW Comments: The strong earthquake may have primed for eruption either one or both of two volcanoes Bárcena, which forms the island of San Benedicto, and Socorro, located on island of the same name, about 380 km to the west of the EQ location.
VOW1: Bárcena
Bárcena volcano forms the elongated island of San Benedicto, seen here from the SW in March 1955. The tuff cone with the circular summit crater at the center and the lava delta to the right were formed during an eruption in 1952-53, the only eruption known from this volcano in historical time. Pleistocene trachytic lava domes are located at the far NE tip of the island. Dark-colored lava domes from the 1952-53 eruption can be seen in the summit crater. Photo by Adrian Richards, 1955. Caption: GVP
VOW2: Socorro
Cerro Evermann, the high point of Socorro Island, rises above a Mexican Naval camp near the southern tip of the island. Socorro lies in the Revillagigedo Islands south of Baja California. Cerro Evermann is a large tephra cone and lava dome complex that forms the 1050-m-high summit of the volcano. Rhyolitic lava domes have been constructed along flank rifts, and silicic lava flows erupted from summit and flank vents have created an extremely irregular shoreline. Only minor explosive activity has occurred in historical time. Photo by Martha Marin, 1998 (Mexican Navy). Caption: GVP
Bárcena and Socorro are shown to the lower left of the map.
SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(16 September – 22 September 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
News From GVP:
- KVERT reported that although seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi did not exceed background levels during 11-18 September, weak tremor was detected. Strombolian activity that ejected tephra 70 m above the crater was seen at night on 16 and 17 September.
- KVERT reported that during 11-18 September seismic activity from Shiveluch was above background levels. On 13 September, pyroclastic flow deposits 5 km long were seen on the S part of the lava dome. —GVP
Ongoing Activity:
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
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Posted in Supervolcanoes, Volcanic Activity Report, VolcanoWatch, VolcanoWatch Weekly | Tagged: Bárcena, Central Kamchatka, Chaiten, FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast, island of Java, Karymsky, Kliuchevskoi, Mayon, Sakar, Shiveluch, Socorro, Sumatra, volcanism, volcanoes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 11, 2009
VOW: Toba the Sleeping Colossus
Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia – Landsat photo – Source: NASA
Lake Toba is a supervolcano, 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres (1,666 ft) at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft), the lake stretches from 2.88°N 98.52°E to 2.35°N 99.1°E. It is the largest volcanic lake in the world. It’s also the site of a supervolcanic eruption that occurred about 74,000 years ago, a massive climate-changing event. The eruption is believed to have had a VEI intensity of 8. This eruption, believed to have been the largest anywhere on Earth in the last 25 million years, may have had catastrophic consequences globally; some anthropologists and archeologists believe that it killed most humans then alive, creating a population bottleneck in Central Eastern Africa and India that affected the genetic inheritance of all humans today. (Source: Wikipedia).
Lake Toba Topography. Source: Andaman Org.
Toba catastrophe theory
The Toba catastrophe theory holds that 70,000 to 75,000 years ago, a supervolcanic event at Lake Toba, on Sumatra, plunged the Earth into a mini-ice-age lasting several thousand years, reducing the world’s human population to 10,000 or even a mere 1,000 breeding pairs, creating a bottleneck in human evolution. The theory was proposed in 1998 by Stanley H. Ambrose of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Toba eruption (the Toba event) occurred at what is now Lake Toba about 67,500 to 75,500 years ago. It had an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8 (described as “mega-colossal”), making it possibly the largest explosive volcanic eruption within the last twenty-five million years. It had a volume 300 cubic km greater than the Island Park Caldera supereruption (2500 cubic km) of 2.1 million years BP.
The total amount of erupted material was estimated at about 2,800 km³ — about 2,000 km³ of ignimbrite that flowed over the ground, and some 800 km³ that fell as ash, with the wind blowing most of it to the west. The pyroclastic flows of the eruption destroyed an area of 20,000 square kilometers, with ash deposits as thick as 600 metres near the main vent [ cf, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens ejected about 1.2 km³; of material, whilst the largest volcanic eruption in historic times, at Mount Tambora in 1815, emitted the equivalent of 100 km3 of dense rock.] The eruption was also about three times the size of the latest Yellowstone eruption of Lava Creek 630,000 years ago. (Source: Wikipedia).
The eruption of 73,000 years ago left the Sibandung caldera. Lake Toba is surrounded by two small, active volcanos as well as several updomed areas and hot springs. These features indicate that there is activity below the surface today and that pressure is rising. Samosir island, too, is evidence for upthrust from below. From the record it seems that Toba produces major eruptions every 300-400,000 years. Source: Andaman Org.
Volcanic features in and around Lake Toba:
Grey area: Present-day topographic depression
green area: Updomed areas
Area # 1. Sibandung caldera: made 73,000 years ago by the Toba YTT event (Young Toba Ash)
Area # 2. Haranggaol caldera: made 500,000 years ago by the Toba MTT event (Middle Toba Ash)
Area # 3. Sibandung caldera: made 800,000 years ago by the Toba OTT event (Old Toba Ash)
The MTT and OTT events were not as large as the YTT event of 73,000 years ago
but were still major eruptions of at least VEI 7.
V1 Tandukbenua (Sipisopiso) – young dacit-andesite volcano
V2 Pusubukit volcano – young dacit-andesite volcano
D1 Pardepur dacite domes
D2 Tuk-tuk rhyolite dome
HS Hot springs
Source: Andaman Org.
Recent Activity
Large earthquakes have occurred in the vicinity of the volcano more recently, notably in 1987. Other earthquakes have occurred in the area in 1892, 1916, and 1920-1922.
Lake Toba lies near the Great Sumatran fault which runs along the centre of Sumatra called the Sumatra Fracture Zone. The volcanoes of Sumatra and Java are part of the Sunda Arc, a result of the northeasterly movement of the Indo-Australian Plate which is sliding under the eastward-moving Eurasian Plate. The subduction zone in this area is very active: the seabed near the west coast of Sumatra has had several major earthquakes since 1995, including the 9.3 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake [followed by the deadly tsunami] and the 8.7 2005 Sumatra earthquake, the epicenters of which were around 300 km from Toba Lake. (Source: Wikipedia).
SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(26 August-1 September 2009)
New activity/unrest:
Notes [Source: GVP]
RVO reported that during 28 August-3 September white and gray ash plumes from Rabaul caldera’s Tavurvur cone rose 1.5 km above the crater and produced ashfall in Rabaul town (3-5 km NW) and surrounding areas.
The Washington VAAC reported that on 6 September an explosion from San Cristóbal produced an ash plume that rose to an altitude no higher than 8.5 km (28,000 ft) a.s.l. The plume drifted 75 km W.
Ongoing Activity:
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
Posted in Sumbawa Island, Supervolcanoes, toba, Toba catastrophe theory, toba lake, toba volcano, Volcanic Activity Report, VolcanoWatch, VolcanoWatch Weekly | Tagged: Chaiten, FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast, Kanlaon, Koryaksky, Kīlauea, Nicaragua, Popocatépetl, San Cristóbal, Shiveluch, volcanism, volcanoes | Comments Off
Posted by feww on August 22, 2009
Volcanic Activity Report: 12 August-18 August 2009
VoW: Talang
The Indonesian volcano Talang on the island of Sumatra had been dormant for centuries when, in April 2005, it suddenly rumbled to life. A plume of smoke rose 1000 meters high and nearby villages were covered in ash. Fearing a major eruption, local authorities began evacuating 40,000 people. Caption: James A. Phillips, NASA.
And just to confuse the readers a little, the following caption is by volcano.oregonstate.edu
Talang is a stratovolcano with 8 confirmed eruptions between 1833 and 1968. The volcano may have had a phreatic eruption in 1986 but the activity has not been confirmed. Most of the eruptions are moderate in size (VEI=2) and explosive. Eruptions in 1833, 1843, 1845, and 1876 were from flank vents. An eruption in 1967 and two different eruptions in 1968 were from radial fissures. The distance from the city of Padang to Talang is about 35 km. Image courtesy of the Landsat Pathfinder Project.
TALANG
Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra
Last Known Eruption: 2007
Summit Elevation: 2,597 m (8,520 feet)
Latitude: 0.978°S (0°58’42″S)
Longitude: 100.679°E (100°40’46″E)
Source: GVP
Talang, which forms a twin volcano with the extinct Pasar Arbaa volcano, lies ESE of the major city of Padang and rises NW of Dibawah Lake. Talang has two crater lakes on its flanks; the largest of these is 1 x 2 km wide Danau Talang. Most historical eruptions have not occurred from the summit of the volcano, which lacks a crater. Historical eruptions from Gunung Talang volcano have mostly involved small-to-moderate explosive activity first documented in the 19th century that originated from a series of small craters in a valley on the upper NE flank. Photo by Ruska Hadian, 1986 (Volcanological Survey of Indonesia). Caption: GVP.
Authorities raise Mt. Talang alert level to highest
The vulcanology and disaster mitigation office in West Sumatra has raised the alert status for Mt. Talang to the highest level following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake and a series of aftershocks that struck the province.
Vulcanologist Dalipa Marjusi said Tuesday the tremors had sparked a volcanic earthquake and temblors, although eruption of the volcano remained undetected.
“Since Sunday’s earthquake we have recorded 1,600 volcanic quakes and 700 tectonic quakes, but only 23 of them were felt,” Dalipa said.
Fog has blanketed the summit of the 2,597-meter volcano for the last two days, making it difficult to see ash or lava that might be erupting from its crater.
The volcano last spewed hot ash last April.
A seven-strong team from the directorate general of vulcanology and disaster mitigation have arrived in Padang from Bandung to monitor the volcano’s activities.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/18/authorities-raise-mt-talang-alert-level-highest.html
Talang is the 6th listed volcano from top left.
New activity/unrest:
Source: Global Volcanism Program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
Notes:
IG reported that on 4 August seismicity from Reventador increased and periods of tremor frequently saturated the seismic stations. On 6 August, incandescent blocks were ejected from the crater. Thermal images revealed a linear area of higher temperatures, confirming the presence of a new lava flow on the S flank.
Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Washington VAAC reported that on 14 August a 2-hour-long thermal anomaly detected over Pagan was followed by a small emission. The emission, hotter than its surroundings, drifted NW and quickly dissipated. [Source: GVP]
Ongoing Activity:
- Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
- Chaitén, Southern Chile
- Dukono, Halmahera
- Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
- Popocatépetl, México
- Rabaul, New Britain
- Sakura-jima, Kyushu
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
- Ubinas, Perú
Related Links:
FEWW Links:
Posted in Volcanic Activity Report, volcanism, Volcano Hazard, volcanoes, VolcanoWatch | Tagged: Chaiten, Kliuchevskoi, Koryaksky, Kīlauea, Pagan, Reventador, Sumatra, talang | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 3, 2009
VoW: Yellowstone Volcano
Location: 44.43°N 110.67°W
Summit Elevation: 2,805 m
Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Aviation Color Code: GREEN
Remote sensor imagery of Yellowstone Caldera. Source: a frame-freeze picture from Yellowstone Volcano Due To Erupt
The rim of the Yellowstone Caldera. Source ESA (mirrored from http://www.yellowstonegis.utah.edu/home/home.html)
What’s brewing under the old rocks?
- Earthquake swarms are common at Yellowstone.
- Increased seismic activity at Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in late December 2008 decreasing since January 8, 2009.
- Seismic activity could continue.
- The recent swarm is well above typical activity at Yellowstone, but not unprecedented.
- Earthquake swarms within the Yellowstone caldera typically occur with magnitudes of about 4.0.
- A swarm with about 3,000 events occurred in 1985 on the northwest rim of the caldera, lasting for three months, with largest earthquakes up to M4.9 recorded. (Source: Volcanoes USGS )
Yellowstone Lake showing location and times of the recent earthquakes from Dec. 27, 2008 (blue) to Jan. 8, 2009 (red). The M 3.0 and greater earthquakes are shown as stars, the smaller earthquakes are shown as circles. During the swarm, the earthquake locations appear to have moved north. For more information on the depths of the earthquakes, see the cross section from X to X’ below. (Source: Volcanoes USGS/ YVO )
The depth versus location of the Yellowstone Lake earthquake swarm from X to X’ on the Yellowstone Lake map. Earthquakes are shown from Dec. 27, 2008 (blue) to
Jan. 8, 2009 (red). The M 3.0 and greater earthquakes are shown as stars, the smaller earthquakes are shown as circles. (Source: Volcanoes USGS/ YVO )
Number of reviewed Yellowstone Lake earthquakes in six-hour and three-hour intervals from 12/27/08 to 01/06/09. The green line on the left figure gives the cumulative
number of earthquakes; the steep slopes correspond to increase in earthquake number. The red line in the figure on the right gives the cumulative moment, or energy; its sharp increase in the first few days is due to a greater number of large earthquakes with their greater energy release. The total cumulative moment is equivalent in energy to about one M 4.5 earthquake. Click on the image for a full-size version. (Source: Volcanoes USGS/ YVO )
What causes earthquakes at Yellowstone?
USGS / YVO cite a combination of geological factors including:
- Regional stress associated with normal faults such as the nearby Teton and Hebgen Lake faults
- Magmatic movements at depth (>7 kms)
- Hydrothermal fluid activity caused by boiling groundwater which is heated by magma.
However, YVO has not reported any anomalous changes in hot springs discharges, gas emissions …
In 2004 the Yellowstone caldera underwent period of accelerated uplift, clocking 7 cm/yr, or three times faster than in the recorded history; however the movement has now slowed down to a maximum rate of 4 cm/yr (or about 175 % of the pre-2004 records.)
The uplift is most noticeable at the White Lake GPS station, as has been discussed in our monthly YVO updates during the past year. As of late October 2007, the total uplift since 2004 at that location is about 17 cm. Chang and his colleagues credit the relatively rapid rise to recharge of magma into the giant magma chamber that underlies the Yellowstone Caldera. They also used numerical modeling to infer that the magma intruded about 10 km (6 miles) beneath the surface.
This interferogram provides a map view of ground movements at Yellowstone. Each color contour represents a line of equal uplift relative to the ENVISAT satellite between Sept. 2004 and Aug. 2006. The center of the uplift is an elliptical region stretching from the northeastern part of the Yellowstone Caldera (the dashed black line) to the southwest. This area of maximum uplift encompasses both Yellowstone’s resurgent domes, features long known for similar movements. During this time period, the north-rim uplift anomaly subsided (bullseye in the upper left part of the interferogram). The yellow lines are roads. The yellow triangles are locations of GPS stations with continuous data. The light blue lake within the caldera is Yellowstone Lake. Thin black lines are mapped faults. Figure courtesy of C. Wicks, USGS. Caption: USGS / YVO
Yellowstone caldera Map. USGS Click Image to Enlarge.
Source: USGS
Source: Yellowstone National Park.
Conclusion:
USGS / YVO: “At this time, there is no reason to believe that magma has risen to a shallow level within the crust or that a volcanic eruption is likely. “
FEWW: Perhaps, a new mindset is needed to help understand the true nature, “utility function” and full range of all possible scenarios that might occur at the super volcano site. Let’s start looking at Yellowstone in the Big Picture frame. There may be a few sobering “surprises” in store!
Volcanic Activity Report: 24 June-30 June 2009
Source: Global Volcanism program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
New activity/unrest:
NOTE: A small explosive eruption of Cleveland on 25 June prompted AVO to raise the Volcano Alert Level to Watch and the Aviation Color Code to Orange. An ash cloud that detached from the volcano was seen on satellite imagery moving S at an estimated altitude of 4.6 km (15,000 ft) a.s.l. No further activity was reported. On 27 June, AVO lowered the Volcano Alert Level to Advisory and the Aviation Color Code to Yellow. (Source: GVP)
Ongoing Activity:
- Arenal, Costa Rica
- Bagana, Bougainville
- Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
- Chaitén, Southern Chile
- Dukono, Halmahera
- Galeras, Colombia
- Kilauea, Hawaii
- Rabaul, New Britain
- Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska
- Sakura-jima, Kyushu
- Sangay, Ecuador
- Santa María, Guatemala
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Slamet, Central Java (Indonesia)
- Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
- Tungurahua, Ecuador
Latest U.S. Volcano Alerts and Updates for July 03, 2009 0040 UTC
-
Redoubt Activity – Color Code YELLOW : Alert Level ADVISORY
-
Kilauea Activity - Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH
-
Cleveland Activity – Color Code – YELLOW : Alert Level – ADVISORY
-
Mauna Loa Activity – Color Code YELLOW : Alert Level ADVISORY
Redoubt Volcano Latest Observations: Local time: June 24, 2009 1705 AKDT (June 25, 2009 0105 UTC)
The eruption of Redoubt continues. Seismic activity remains low but above background levels.
Related Links:
Posted in Kīlauea, volcanism, Volcano Hazards, Volcano Status, volcanoes | Tagged: Chaiten, Cleveland, Sarychev Peak, Shiveluch, Volcano Watch | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on June 29, 2009
Magnitude 5.3 quake strikes off the coast of Isen, Chile
A magnitude 5.3 quake struck off coast of Isen, Chile, at a depth of 10km on Monday. FEWW believes that the quake could be followed by more shocks, a number of which could be larger in magnitude, along the Chile Ridge, near the coast of Chile and about the subducting Nazca Plate. Additional seismic activity in the region could result in a new, more intense phase of activity in Chaitén, or prime other regional volcanoes for eruption.
Chaitén volcano as seen from the city of Chaitén (May 5, 2008)
Chaitén volcano ejects a plume of ash as seen from the city of Chaitén, 1,200km south from Santiago, Chile, on May 5, 2008. (ALVARO VIDAL/AFP/Getty Images). Image may be subject to copyright.
Earth’s Tectonic Plates with their movement vectors.
Detailed world map in English showing the tectonic plates with their movement vectors. For licensing details see: Attribution and Share-Alike
World geologic provinces
Source: USGS
Magnitude 5.3 OFF COAST OF AISEN, CHILE
Magnitude: 5.3
Date-Time: Monday, June 29, 2009 at 03:07:32 UTC
Location: 45.619°S, 76.605°W
Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region: OFF THE COAST OF AISEN, CHILE
Distances:
- 355 km (220 miles) W of Coihaique, Chile
- 385 km (240 miles) SW of Castro, Chile
- 1440 km (900 miles) SSW of SANTIAGO, Chile
Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters: NST= 40, Nph= 40, Dmin=733.6 km, Rmss=1.54 sec, Gp=133°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: us2009ilah
Earthquake Location
Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green. Source: USGS.
Related Links:
Posted in COAST OF ISEN, Nazca Plate, oceanic tectonic plate, orogeny, Plate Tectonics | Tagged: block rotation, Chaiten, Chaiten volcano, Chile Ridge, obduction | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on May 28, 2009
Volcanic Activity Report: 20 May – 26 May 2009
Source: Global Volcanism program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
New activity/unrest:
Redoubt Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH
Redoubt Volcano lava dome viewed from the southeast. This dome has been slowly growing since April 4, 2009. [Picture Date: May 26, 2009 16:12:26 AKDT - Image Creator: Rick Wessels; Image courtesy of AVO/USGS.
Ongoing Activity:
- Barren Island, Andaman Is
- Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
- Chaitén, Southern Chile
- Colima, México
- Dukono, Halmahera
- Ebeko, Paramushir Island
- Fuego, Guatemala
- Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
- Llaima, Central Chile
- Rabaul, New Britain
- Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska
- Sakura-jima, Kyushu
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
- Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
- Tungurahua, Ecuador
- Ubinas, Perú
- Veniaminof, Alaska Peninsula
Latest U.S. Volcano Alerts and Updates for Wednesday, May 27, 2009 7:32 AM HST (Wednesday, May 27, 2009 17:32 UTC)
-
Redoubt Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH
-
Kilauea Activity - Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH
-
Veniaminof Activity – Color Code GREEN : Alert Level NORMAL
-
Mauna Loa Activity – Color Code YELLOW : Alert Level ADVISORY
Related Links:
Posted in Kīlauea, Redoubt, volcanic activity, volcanism, VolcanoWatch | Tagged: Chaiten, Karangetang, Reventador, Slamet, volcanoes | Leave a Comment »
