Tungurahua Eruopts, Baños Evacuated

VOLCANIC HAZARD
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City of Baños evacuated amid Tungurahua’s spectacular eruption

Tungurahua erupted on Friday, ejecting a massive plume of smoke and ash 10km into the air during a 5-minute episode.

The 5,023-m volcano has been active since 1999, and has shown signs of increased activity since February 1, 2014.

“Throat of Fire,” as it’s known in the in the local Quechua language, is one of nine or so active volcanoes in Ecuador, located about 140 km  south of the capital, Quito.

Photo showing Tungurahua volcano eruption associated with an explosion at 18:10 (local time) on April 4, 2014. Source F. Vásconez – OVT/IGEPN

Baños de Agua Santa

Baños de Agua Santa, or Baños, as it is commonly referred to, is located in central Ecuador on the northern foothills of the Tungurahua volcano. It is the second most populous city in Tungurahua Province with a population of about 10,000.

Volcano Location Map

Freeze frame from a local news video clip showing Friday’s eruption.

Related Links

• Hundreds Evacuated as Ecuador’s Tungurahua Erupts July 16, 2013
• State of Emergency‎ Declared in Ecuador March 9, 2012
• Volcano Ash Threatens Ecuador’s Ambato City January 29, 2010

Tungurahua volcano erupts

Ecuador declares ORANGE alert after ash eruption at Tungurahua

The 5,023m volcano ejected a plume of ash about 7-km asl, in one of its half dozen eruptions,  the Ecuadorean geophysics institute said.

The authorities  have issued evacuation orders for residents in the villages of Bilbao, Chacauco and Cusua and other communities near Tungurahua, which translates into “Throat of Fire.”

A Tungurahua eruption in 2006 killed at least six people in the Chimborazo province, according to records.

“According to our observations, damages to crops, pastures and small effects to the health of people are already evident,” the country’s geophysics institute said.

Tungurahua volcano near the city Banos south of Quito, Ecuador. A fountain of lava erupted, spewing molten rocks to about 2 km above the crater, the Geological Institute in Quito reported. Dec. 4, 2010. AFP Photo. Image may be subject to copyright. Click here for more images.

Snow-capped Tungurahua, photographed from near the town of Baños. Photo by Minard Hall, 1976 (Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito) via GVP.

Tungurahua is located about 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador  (Group D – see map).

Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Tungurahua volcano explodes, villages evacuated
• Volcano Ash Threatens Ecuador’s Ambato City

More Volcano Links

• A New Era of Intense Volcanic Unrest May Have Begun
• World’s Dormant Volcanoes Firing
• VolcanoWatch Weekly [16 September 2009]

Other Related Links:

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links