Fire Earth

Earth is fighting to stay alive. Mass dieoffs, triggered by anthropogenic assault and fallout of planetary defense systems offsetting the impact, could begin anytime!

Archive for the ‘Colima’ Category

Weekly Volcano Watch: 2 April 2009

Posted by feww on April 2, 2009

Volcanic Activity Report: 25 March – 31 March 2009

Source: SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

New activity/unrest:

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:

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.

Posted in Bandai, Batu Tara, Colima, Redoubt, Reventador | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Volcano Watch: 10 February 2009

Posted by feww on February 12, 2009

Volcanic Activity Report: 4 February – 10 February 2009

Source: SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

Volcano of the Week: Popocatépetl

A plume of steam and ash rises above Popocatépetl, whose Aztec name means “Smoking Mountain.” This December 1994 aerial view is of the NE side of the massive stratovolcano, which towers more than 3200 m above the Valley of Mexico to the right.

Volcán Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City to form North America’s 2nd-highest volcano. The glacier-clad stratovolcano contains a steep-walled, 400 x 600 m wide crater. The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked Ventorrillo on the NW, a remnant of an earlier volcano. At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano. The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone. Three major plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 AD, have occurred from Popocatépetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano. Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since precolumbian time.  Photo courtesy of ENAPRED, Mexico City, 1994. Caption: GVP

Volcano Name: Volcán Popocatépetl

Country: México

Volcano Type: Stratovolcanoes

Last Known Eruption: 2008 (in or after)

Summit Elevation: 5426 m (17,802 feet)

Latitude:      19.023°N (19°1’24″N)

Longitude: 98.622°W (98°37’20″W)

“CENAPRED reported that emissions of steam and gas from Popocatépetl were visible during 4-10 February; the plumes occasionally contained slight amounts of ash. On 6 February, an ash plume rose 800 m above the crater at 0839, and was followed by 75 minutes of increased seismicity.” GVP said.

Ongoing Activity:

Posted in Chaiten, Colima, Kīlauea, Redoubt, Volcano Watch | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »