Hundreds Evacuated as Ecuador’s Tungurahua Erupts

The “Throat of Fire” Erupts

Hundreds of people were evacuated on Sunday as Tungurahua volcano [“Throat of Fire” in Quichua] in central of Ecuador erupted.

The volcano ejected “ashes and hot solids into the air,” said the National Risk Management Secretariat, as they raised the volcano alert level to “orange.”

“The explosion from the volcano could be heard from various cities such as Riobamba, Ambato, and Guayaquil [which is 250 km from the volcano] and the tremor was felt in volcano’s region, ” said the Ecuadorian Geophysics Institute.

The eruptions and smoke could be seen from the capital, Quito, some 140 km  north of the volcano.

The 5,023-m “Throat of Fire” has been active since 1999.

Tungurahua eruption viewed from the city of Banos in this AFP photo dated December 17, 2012. Image may be subject to copyright.

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Volcanic Activity Continues at Popocatépetl

Latest Activity at Popocatépetl. Image Credit: CENAPRED

Close-up of Popocatépetl Summit Crater – July 15,2013. Image Credit: CENAPRED – Mexico

Latest statement issued Mexico’s CENAPRED, as Popocatépetl continued to spee ash and volcanic matter Late Monday.

July 15 18:00 h (July 15 23:00 GMT)

During the last 7 hours the monitoring system at Popocatepetl volcano registered 6 low intensity exhalations, which were probably followed by emissions of gases and ash, although this could not be corroborated due to the prevailing cloud cover. Aditionally, two volcanotectonic microseisms of Mc 2.0 and 2.1 were detected at 12:03 and 15:32, respectively.

Today an overflight was made with the aid of the mexican Navy, in which it could be seen that the dome reported on the previous overflight was destroyed by the explosions which ocurred and were reported on the last few days. In its place a new crater 200 m in diameter and 20 to 30 m deep was seen (see image) (see image) (see image) (see image).

The Volcanic Alert Level is at Yellow, Phase 3.