Posts Tagged ‘Montserrat’
Posted by feww on July 16, 2010
Manam Volcano Puffs Out a Small Plume

Manam Volcano released a small plume on June 16, 2010, which was captured by ALI on NASA’s EO-1 satellite. Source: NASA E/O.
The 1,807-m Manam, one of Papua New Guinea most active volcanoes, last erupted in 2009, is a basaltic-andesitic stratovolcano forming a 10-km wide island, located about 13km off the coast of mainland PNG.
“Frequent historical eruptions, typically of mild-to-moderate scale, have been recorded at Manam since 1616. Occasional larger eruptions have produced pyroclastic flows and lava flows that reached flat-lying coastal areas and entered the sea, sometimes impacting populated areas.” —GVP.
Summary of Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
[Source: SI/USGS]
New Activity/Unrest (7 July – 13 July 2010)
NOTE: Based on Fire-Earth Model, more volcanic activity/unrest may be expected in areas/groups shown in red.
Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.
Ongoing Activity:
- Bagana, Bougainville
- Dukono, Halmahera
- Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
- Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
- Kirishima, Kyushu
- Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Pacaya, Guatemala
- Sakura-jima, Kyushu
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Tungurahua, Ecuador
- Ulawun, New Britain
For additional information, see source.
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Posted in volcanism, volcano, Volcano Hazard, Volcano News, Volcano Watch | Tagged: Map of Volcanoes, Montserrat, Sakura-jima, Soufrière Hills, Stromboli | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 25, 2010
The Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat ejects a large plume of ash up to 12km into the air
Passengers on a 737 jet flying over the Caribbean had a close-up look at a massive volcanic eruption which ejected a plume of ash and smoke higher than the flight altitude. Early reports indicate that a partial collapse of the volcano’s lava dome may have caused the mushroom cloud. (Image: Mary Jo Penkala/Solent). Image may be subject to copyright.
A massive eruption of Montserrat’s Soufrière Hills Volcano triggered by a collapse of Soufrière Hills’ summit lava dome covered large portions of the island in debris on February 11, 2010. Pyroclastic flows raced down the northern flank of the volcano, leveling trees and destroying buildings in the village of Harris, already abandoned after Soufrière Hills activity in 1995. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory reported that some flows, about 15 meters (49 feet) thick, reached the sea at Trant’s Bay, extending the island’s coastline up to 650 meters (2,100 feet). These false-color satellite images show the southern half of Montserrat before and after the dome collapse. The top image was taken on February 21, 2010, 10 days after the event. The bottom image shows the same area on March 17, 2007. Red areas are vegetated, clouds are white, blue/black areas are ocean water, and gray areas are covered by flow deposits. Fresh deposits are lighter than older deposits. On February 21, the drainages leading down from Soufrière Hills, including the White River Valley, the Tar River Valley, and the Belham River Valley, were filled with fresh debris. Pyroclastic flows reached the sea through Aymers Ghaut on January 18, 2010, and flows entered the sea near Plymouth on February 5, 2010, Montserrat Volcano Observatory said.
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Note: Links to Montserrat Volcano Observatory have been removed because the site is used for commercial advertising and promotion of tourism.
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Posted in Soufriere Hills erupts, volcanism, volcano | Tagged: Montserrat, Soufrière Hills, Soufriere Hills Volcano, summit lava dome, summit lava dome collapse | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on December 13, 2009
Uncertain Future for Montserrat Island
Montserrat island could become completely uninhabitable by 2013 or earlier
Based on the pattern of volcanic activity at Soufriere Hills volcano since 1995, evidence of increased volcanism globally and a number of other factors, the FEWW EarthModel forecasts the probability of Montserrat island becoming completely uninhabitable as follows:
Probability of Montserrat Becoming Uninhabitable in the Near Future
- 2009 ≥ 50%
- 2010 ≥ 56%
- 2011 ≥ 60%
- 2012 ≥ 70%
- 2013 ≥ 80%
Montserrat Island Details:
- Capital:
- Plymouth (destroyed in 1997- see photo below)
- Brades (de facto)
- Location: Montserrat Island
- Coordinates: (16.72 N, 62.18 W)
- Height: 915 meters (3,010 feet)
- Official languages: English
- Ethnic groups: West African, Mulatto, British, Irish
- Government: British Overseas Territory
- Area: 102 km² (39 sq mi )

View E across ash-covered Plymouth, the former capital city and major port of Montserrat, toward Soufriere Hills volcano. Before the volcano became active in July 1995, about 5,000 people lived in Plymouth, located 4 km west of English’s Crater. During the first two years of the eruption, ash and noxious gas from explosions and pyroclastic flows frequently settled on Plymouth. On August 3, about 3 weeks after this image was taken, the first significant pyroclastic flow swept through the evacuated town. The flow triggered many fires and caused extensive damage to buildings and community facilities by direct impact and burial. Date: 12 July 1997. Credit: R.P. Hoblitt/ USGS.


Political map of Caribbean islands.
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Posted in FEWW Volcanic Forecast, HUMAN EHANCED NATURAL DISASTERS, Pyroclastic flow, volcanic activity | Tagged: Brades, Montserrat, Soufriere Hills Volcano, Volcano Hazard | 5 Comments »
Posted by feww on November 6, 2009
VOW: Kilauea

Click image to enlarge.
[Top] Activity at the west Waikupanaha ocean entry, where lava reached the ocean this past weekend, continues. The entry spans about 200 yards, with many small lava streams entering the water. [Above] On the east margin of the entry, lobes were advancing over a small black sand beach. USGS/ HVO [Dated 4 Nov 2009] Click image to enlarge.
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HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7:48 AM HST (Thursday, November 5, 2009 17:48 UTC)
KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Activity Summary for past 24 hours:
Growth and partial collapses of the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent cavity floor continued periodically obscuring and revealing the circulating lava pond surface. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents remain elevated. Lava flows are active on the coastal plain. Lava is also flowing through tubes to the coast and entering the ocean at two locations west of Kalapana.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit:
The Overlook vent webcam images again showed fluctuating glow and spattering from a single elongated hole deep within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity; the rim of this hole was built progressively inward by spatter making the hole smaller until two more partial collapses occurred early this morning again revealing the circulating and spattering lava pond below. Glow from the vent was visible from Jaggar Museum overnight. This morning, a near white plume is moving southwestward and low over the Ka`u Desert. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 500 tonnes/day on November 3, which is elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Small amounts of ash-sized tephra continued to be dropped from the plume near the vent.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continued to degas through Pu`u `O`o crater before erupting from the TEB vent, located 2 km to the east. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 1,400 tonnes/day on November 4, which is close to the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day. More …
Kilauea Spews More Lava

The rift zone on the eastern slopes of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano has been erupting since January 1983, the longest eruption in recorded history. Pu‘u ‘O‘o and the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout vent—two centers of volcanic activity—emit steam and other gases in this natural-color satellite image. Lava currently reaches the surface at the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout vent and flows southeast (towards the lower right) through a lave tube to the ocean. Small plumes of gas reveal the path of the lava. In general, the youngest lava flows are black, and older, weathered, flows are gray or brown. Surviving vegetation is bright green. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s EO-1 satellite acquired this image on November 2, 2009. NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided by the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Robert Simmon. Click image to enlarge.
SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(28October – 3 November 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
Ebeko, Paramushir Island | Galeras, Colombia | Karangetang [Api Siau], Siau I | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Nevado del Huila, Colombia | Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
GVP Volcano News:
INGEOMINAS reported that on 28 October a pulse of tremor from Nevado del Huila was followed by an ash plume that rose to an altitude of 8.3 km (27,200 ft) a.s.l. On 3 November, residents of Mosoco (20 km SSW) saw collapses from the W side of the dome generate small pyroclastic flows and incandescence at night.
MVO reported that during 23-30 October seismic activity from the Soufrière Hills lava dome was at a slightly lower level that the previous week. Numerous pyroclastic flows occurred in most of the major drainage valleys and rockfalls were concentrated in the S. On 29 October, a 40-m-high spine was seen protruding from the summit. —GVP
Ongoing Activity:
Barren Island, Andaman Is | Chaitén, Southern Chile | Dukono, Halmahera | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Krakatau, Indonesia | Popocatépetl, México | Rabaul, New Britain | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)
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FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast
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Recent Posts on Chaitén:
Posted in FEWW Volcanic Forecast, volcanic activity, volcanism, Volcano Watch, volcanoes, VolcanoWatch Weekly | Tagged: Barren Island, Chaiten volcano, Dukono, Ebeko, Galeras, Karangetang, Karymsky, Krakatau, Manam, Montserrat, Nevado del Huila, Sakura-jima, Soufrière Hills, Suwanose-jima | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on October 9, 2009
VOW: Ambrym
Destructive acid rain caused by eruption
According to press reports, an eruption from Benbow Crater occurred on 10 February [1979.] Gases from the eruption caused acid rainfall on the SW portion of Ambrym Island, destroying most vegetation within 24 hours, contaminating water supplies, and burning some inhabitants. Jean-Luc Saos, Director of Mineral Resources for the New Hebrides government, reported a high concentration of HCl and sulfur compounds in the volcanic gases. Although heavy ashfalls have occurred in the area in the past, this is the first report of acid rains. More …

View of the Marum cone at Ambrym looking SW, 7 June 2007. Incandescence from the active lava lakes can be seen reflected in the clouds (left). Courtesy of Steven Clegg.

Lava lake inside Mbwelesu crater within Marum cone at Ambrym, 7 June 2007. Courtesy of Steven Clegg.

A hazy layer of vog—volcanic fog—overlies Malekula and a few other islands of the Vanuatu archipelago in this natural-color satellite image. The source of the vog is Ambrym, a volcano in the southeast (lower right) corner of this scene. The haze extends over the Coral Sea several hundred kilometers to the northwest. Ambrym emits sulfur dioxide—the gas responsible for the formation of vog— intermittently. (Kilauea Volcano has recently affected the residents of Hawaii with similar vog emissions.) The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color image on October 6, 2009. [Large earthquake measuring up to 8.2 Mw struck Vanuatu region on October 7, 2009 at 22:03 UTC. FEWW] 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.

Ash plume from Ambrym Volcano, Vanuatu October 4, 2004, 23:00 UTC. Source: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response System.

View into the Mbwelesu crater on the Marum cone at Ambrym, captured 7 September 2008. Lava can be seen through two gaps in the crusted-over lava lake (enlarged insets). Courtesy of Arnold Binas.

Ambrym, a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera, is one of the most active volcanoes of the New Hebrides arc. A thick, almost exclusively pyroclastic sequence, initially dacitic, then basaltic, overlies lava flows of a pre-caldera shield volcano. The caldera was formed during a major plinian eruption with dacitic pyroclastic flows about 1900 years ago. Post-caldera eruptions, primarily from Marum and Benbow cones, have partially filled the caldera floor and produced lava flows that ponded on the caldera floor or overflowed through gaps in the caldera rim. Post-caldera eruptions have also formed a series of scoria cones and maars along a fissure system oriented ENE-WSW. Eruptions have apparently occurred almost yearly during historical time from cones within the caldera or from flank vents. However, from 1850 to 1950, reporting was mostly limited to extra-caldera eruptions that would have affected local populations. Caption: GVP
Ambtym
Country: Vanuatu
Subregion Name: Vanuatu
Volcano Number: 0507-04=
Volcano Type: Pyroclastic shield
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 2009
Summit Elevation: 1334 m 4,377 feet
Latitude: 16.25°S 16°15’0″S
Longitude: 168.12°E 168°7’0″E
SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(30 September – 6 October 2009)
New activity/Unrest:
News From GVP:
On 29 September, people living in Chaitén town, 10 km SW of Chaitén’s Domo Nuevo 1 (Phase I) and Domo Nuevo 2 (Phase II) lava-dome complex, noticed that the eruption column was larger. Scientists conducted an overflight and saw a third lava dome (Phase III) in the SW area of the complex, which had filled up a depression left by a collapse on 19 February.
According to news articles from 2 October, increased seismicity at Gaua was detected during the previous two weeks. Villagers living nearby reported ashfall and sulfur odors.
An explosive eruption from Galeras on 30 September prompted INGEOMINAS to raise the Alert Level. An ash plume rose to an approximate altitude of 12.3 km (40,400 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E, then N. —GVP
Ongoing Activity:
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Posted in California volcanoes, ecuador, FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast, Hawaii, island of Java, Kīlauea, Langila, Mexico, New Britain, Popocatépetl, Rabaul, Reventador, Sangay, volcanic hazard, volcanism, volcano services, volcanoes | Tagged: acid rain, Ambrym, Banks Islands, Central Kamchatka, Chaiten, Chuginadak Island, Cleveland, colombia, Eastern Kamchatka, Galeras, Gaua, Karymsky, Kliuchevskoi, Kyushu, Montserrat, Sakura-jima, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, southern Chile | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on September 6, 2008
27 August-2 September 2008
New Activity/Unrest:

Deposits from the pyroclastic flow on 25 August 2008. Inset shows image from thermal camera. Source: Montserrat Volcano Observatory’s photostream. Image may be subject to copyright.
Ongoing Activity:
- Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
- Chaitén, Southern Chile |
- Chikurachki, Paramushir Island
- Dukono, Halmahera
- Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
- Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
- Llaima, Central Chile
- Nevado del Huila, Colombia
- Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Okmok, Fox Islands
- Rabaul, New Britain
- Semeru, Eastern Java (Indonesia)
- Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
- Taal, Luzon
- Ubinas, Perú
See the GVP Home Page for news of the latest significant activity.
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.
Posted in chile, colombia, environment, food, Fox Islands, health, Llaima, Luzon, Nevado del Huila, Okmok, Taal | Tagged: Andreanof Islands, Kasatochi, Montserrat, Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island, Soufrière Hills, volcanic activity, Volcano Hazards | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 21, 2008
13 August-19 August 2008
New Activity/Unrest:
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.
Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: Andreanof Islands, Asama, Batu Tara, Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka, Chaiten, Chikurachki, chile, Chuginadak Island, Cleveland, Colima, Dukono, Eastern Kamchatka, Fox Islands, Halmahera, Hawaii, Honshu, Indonesia, Karymsky, Kasatochi, Komba Island, Krakatau, Kīlauea, Llaima, Manam, Masaya, Mexico, Montserrat, New Britain, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Okmok, Paramushir Island, peru, Piton de la Fournaise, Rabaul, Reunion Island, Russia, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, SW Pacific, Ubinas, USA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 2, 2008
For New Volcanic Activity/Unrest See
23 July-29 July 2008
New Activity/Unrest:
Anatahan, Mariana Islands (Central Pacific) | Chaitén, Southern Chile | Chikurachki, Paramushir Island | Cleveland, Chuginadak Island | Dukono, Halmahera | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka | Llaima, Central Chile | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Okmok, Fox Islands | Reventador, Ecuador | Soufrière Hills, Montserrat

“Garden of the Fugitives.” Plaster casts of some of the victims of Mount Vesuvius eruption [AD79] are still in the ruins of Pompeii. A few hours after Mount Vesuvius exploded Pompeii and its residents were buried under 3 meters of volcanic ash. Photo copyright: Aschwin Prein. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
Ongoing Activity:
Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia) | Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Krakatau, Indonesia | Rabaul, New Britain | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Santa María, Guatemala | Semeru, Eastern Java (Indonesia) | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan) | Tungurahua, Ecuador | Ubinas, Perú

The skeletal remains of a young woman killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The skeleton, unearthed from the ruins of Herculaneum in 1982, was named the “Ring Lady” because of the emerald and ruby rings found on the woman’s left hand. Two gold bracelets and gold earrings were also found by the woman’s side. (Source: Wikipedia)
Posted in Chikurachki, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, Reventador, Ring Lady, volcanic eruptions | Tagged: Chaiten, Cleveland, Dukono, Giuseppe Fiorelli, Karymsky, Llaima, Manam, Montserrat, Okmok, Soufrière Hills, volcanic unrest | Leave a Comment »