Weekly Volcano Watch: 2 April 2009

Volcanic Activity Report: 25 March – 31 March 2009

Source: SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

New activity/unrest:

• Ambrym, Vanuatu (SW Pacific)
• Gorely, Southern Kamchatka
• Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska
• Reventador, Ecuador

VoW: Bandai

Country: Japan
Region: Honshu Is (Japan)
Volcano Type:  Stratovolcano
Last Known Eruption: 1888
Summit Elevation: 1819 m  (5,968 feet)
Latitude: 37.598°N  (37°35’53″N)
Longitude: 140.076°E  (140°4’32″E)

One of Japan’s most noted volcanoes, Bandai-san rises above the north shore of Lake Inawashiro. The Bandai complex is formed of several overlapping andesitic stratovolcanoes, the largest of which is O-Bandai. Ko-Bandai volcano, which collapsed in 1888, was formed about 50,000 years ago. O-Bandai volcano was constructed within a horseshoe-shaped caldera that formed about 40,000 years when an older volcano collapsed, forming the Okinajima debris avalanche, which traveled to the SW and was accompanied by a plinian explosive eruption. The last magmatic eruption at Bandai took place more than 25,000 years ago, but four major phreatic eruptions have occurred during the past 5,000 years, two of them in historical time, in 806 and 1888.  Seen from the south, Bandai presents a conical profile, but much of the north side of the volcano is missing as a result of the collapse of Ko-Bandai volcano during the 1888 eruption, in which a debris avalanche buried several villages and formed several large lakes. Akahani-yama (extreme right) is another Bandai stratovolcano. The forested ridge at the left foreground is part of an earlier Pleistocene debris-avalanche deposit. Photo by Lee Siebert, 1988 (Smithsonian Institution). Caption: GVP

FEWW Comment: Eastern Gemini Seamount or Mathew Island volcano may erupt by about June 2009.

Ongoing Volcanic Activity:

• Asama, Honshu (Jp.)
• Barren Island, Andaman Is.
• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Colima, México
• Fuego, Guatemala|
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Koryaksky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Krakatau, Indonesia
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
• Tungurahua, Ecuador

Elevated Volcanic Activity in the US [Source: USGS]

Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009 at 17:23:17 PDT.

• Cleveland Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Apr 1, 2009, 12:22 ADT – No activity reported. (Change to current status occurred on Jan 2, 2009 12:52 ADT from Alert Level UNASSIGNED and Aviation Color Code UNASSIGNED ).
  For more information see http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Cleveland.php
• Redoubt Alert Level=WARNING. Aviation Color Code=RED. As of Apr 1, 2009, 12:22 ADT – Continuous emissions of steam, volcanic gases, and minor amounts of ash continue at Mt. Redoubt. Altitudes typically below 15,000ft but as high as 25,000ft at times. (Change to current status occurred on Mar 26, 2009 09:43 ADT from Alert Level WATCH and Aviation Color Code ORANGE )
  For more information see http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php
• Kilauea Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=ORANGE. As of Apr 1, 2009, 08:29 HST- Elevated SO2 and some tephra from Halema`uma`u vent; elevated SO2 from Pu`u `O`o vent; lava in tubes to ocean. (Change to current status occurred on Jul 2, 2007 20:09 HST from Alert Level ADVISORY and Aviation Color Code YELLOW ).
  For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php
• Mauna Loa Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=YELLOW. As of Mar 27, 2009, 09:08 HST – Low level of unrest continues. (Mauna Loa has been at this Alert Level and Color Code since this system was implemented in 2005)
  For more information see http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/maunaloastatus.php

Volcano Alert Levels & Aviation Color Codes defined at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem.