Eruption Continues at Mt. Asama

Asama spewing smoke and ash

About 90 tremors were recorded on June 7, and the volcano released an estimated 1,700 tons of sulfur dioxide (20 times more than the amount released last month), said officials.

Japan’s weather agency raised the alert level for the volcano to Level 2 [“Do not approach the crater”] last week.

Ashfall from the eruption was also reported around the mountain as far as 4 km from the volcano, said officials. Aashfall  from a September 2004 eruption covered a large area.

Recent Volcanic Activity on the Planet of the Abes

Mt. Ontake
In September, a series of volcanic tremors was followed by a powerful eruption at Mt. Ontake in central Japan, which left at least 57 people dead and 6 others missing.

The country’s worst volcanic disaster in 70 years would have been easily prevented had the authorities not failed to heed the warning signs.

Mt Shindake (Kuchinoerabujima)
A powerful eruption ejected an ash cloud to a height of about 9,000 meters in the air, forcing the authorities to evacuate the 140 or so residents from Kuchinoerabujima island on May 29, 2015.

Latest Warnings for Japan’s Volcanoes [Sourced from Japan’s weather agency]

• Warning Level 5 (Evacuate) Shindake (Kuchinoerabujima), 29 May 2015
• Near-crater warning Level 3 (Do not approach the volcano) Ontake, 31 March 2015
• Near-crater warning Warning in non-residential areas near the crater Nishinoshima, 24 February 2015

 

Week 33 Volcano Watch

13 August-19 August 2008

New Activity/Unrest:

• Asama, Honshu
• Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Kasatochi, Andreanof Islands
• Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island
• Soufrière Hills, Montserrat

Piton de la Fournaise. The massive Piton de la Fournaise on the island of Réunion is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It is seen here in 1977 with a fresh black lava flow descending the outer NE flank of the shield volcano to the sea. An unvegetated summit lava shield (upper left) was constructed within an 8-km-wide caldera that is breached to the sea. Its sloping northern rim is marked by the diagonal vegetation line at the left. More than 150 eruptions have occurred since the 17th century, mostly from vents within the caldera. (Caption:Global Volcanism Program ). Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1977 (published in SEAN Bulletin, 1977).

Ongoing Activity:

• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Chikurachki, Paramushir Island
• Cleveland, Chuginadak Island
• Colima, México
• Dukono, Halmahera
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Krakatau, Indonesia
• Llaima, Central Chile
• Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific)
• Masaya, Nicaragua
• Okmok, Fox Islands
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Ubinas, Perú

The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program. This page is updated on Wednesdays, please see the GVP Home Page for news of the latest significant activity.

Week 32 Volcano Watch

6 August-12 August 2008

New Activity/Unrest:

• Asama, Honshu, Japan
• Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Kasatochi, Andreanof Islands
• Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Mayon, Luzon , Philippines

Plume from Kasatochi Volcano, Aleutian Islands
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: Aug 9, 2008

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team,
NASA GSFC

Kasatochi Volcano is one of many mostly submarine volcanoes whose summit emerges from the waters of the Bering Sea off the southwest coast of Alaska. After earthquakes and other seismic activities starting on or around August 7, Kasatochi began erupting large plumes of ash and gases. On August 8, 2008, skies were cloudy when the MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead and captured this natural-color image. The bright clouds provided good contrast for the volcanic plume, which is dark brown.

The ash plume spread southeastward from the volcano over the Pacific Ocean. Weather patterns caused the plume to diffuse as it swirled counterclockwise. Beneath the plume, which is dark brown, a few breaks in the clouds reveal that the normally deep blue waters of the Pacific are turquoise-colored. This brightness may be the result of ash or rocks debris settling on the water’s surface. According to an article in an Anchorage newspaper, the ash cloud forced cancellation of scores of flights into and out of Alaska, stranding as many as 6,000 passengers. (Caption NASA)

Ongoing Activity:

• Anatahan, Mariana Islands (Central Pacific)
• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Chikurachki, Paramushir Island
• Cleveland, Chuginadak Island |
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Krakatau, Indonesia
• Okmok, Fox Islands
• Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Reventador, Ecuador
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu
• Semeru, Eastern Java (Indonesia)
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
• Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
• Tungurahua, Ecuador

The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program. This page is updated on Wednesdays, please see the GVP Home Page for news of the latest significant activity.