Image of the Day: Soufriere Hills undergoes three vigorous ‘ash venting’ episodes
Soufriere Hills Volcano has remained at an increased activity level, after undergoing three vigorous ‘ash venting’ events, with the third event lasting 10 minutes, at 10:00am local time on October 5, 2009. Photo: Montserrat Volcano Observatory. Image may be subject to copyright.
MVO reported a small swarm of VT earthquakes, followed by “a period of tremor associated with vigorous ash venting” that resulted in large ash plumes drifting WNW over the island and out to sea. “Only a very light dusting of ash fell in Old Towne and Olveston as the plumes moved to the south of the inhabited areas.”
MVO observed no explosive activity or pyroclastic flows associated with the ash venting, which ceased at about 12:00am local time. “Two rockfall signals followed the vigorous ash venting,” followed by continual ash venting, however, no further seismicity occurred.
After 10 months of relative quiet, Soufriere Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat blasted ash into the sky in early October 2009. This natural-color satellite image shows a plume of ash extending westward from Soufriere Hills on October 6, 2009, a day after eruptive activity resumed on October 5th. A pilot reported ash extending 280 kilometers (170 miles) at an elevation of approximately 3,600 meters (12,000 feet). In 1995, a series of major eruptions forced the evacuation of the Montserrat’s former capital city, Plymouth. 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. [Edited by FEWW]
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