‘Strong’ Quake a Prelude to Major Seismotectonic Activity?

M5.4 quake strikes near Waiouru, New Zealand

Centered at 39.40S, 175.95E (about 60km S. of Lake Taupo), the quake occurred at a depth of 38km, said NZ’s geonet.

The event occurred about 60km S. of Lake Taupo, and 30km SW of Ruapehu at 05:42:11UTC on November 1 2015.

Lake Taupo lies in the caldera of the Taupo Super Volcano. With a surface area of 620 km, it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand.

Taupo has produced two of the world’s most violent eruptions in recent geological times including the most recent major explosion, the Hatepe eruption, which occurred about 1,800 years ago. It was the most violent eruption in the world over the last 5 millennia, and NZ’s worst in 27 millennia.

The explosion, a VEI-7 eruption, ejected more than 120 km³ of tephra, a quarter of which was ejected almost instantaneously. The ash from the eruption is said to have turned the sky red over China and Rome.

Hikurangi Trench, located east of the region where the quake occurred, is subject to high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates, making it as one of the most seismically active areas in the world.

Nearby Cities [USGS/EHP]

• 25km (16mi) ENE of Waiouru, New Zealand
• 79km (49mi) W of Napier [population: 65,000]
• 81km (50mi) WNW of Hastings [population: 92,000]
• 82km (51mi) S of Taupo [population: 24,000]
• 230km (143mi) NNE of Wellington [population: 400,000]

Angry Volcanoes Spewing Fire

GLOBAL VOLCANIC HAZARDS
SCENARIOS 989, 787, 786, 707, 703, 700, [500,] 08, 07, 02
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New/ongoing volcanic activity/unrest at 24 volcanoes across the globe

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano spews ash forcing closure of international airport

Fuego volcano [Volcán de Fuego, or “Volcano of Fire,”] located about 40 km southwest of Guatemalan capital, spewed ash into the air on Saturday, prompting the authorities to evacuate a nearby community and forcing the closure of the capital’s international airport.

At least a dozen flights were cancelled after the main airport in the capital Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, aka Guatemala City, was shut down.

On September 13, 2012 the 3,763-meter-high volcano erupted forcing the authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people from 20 or so villages near the mountain.

Latest Volcanic Activity/Unrest

• Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii
  Kīlauea continues to erupt at its summit and from its East Rift Zone. The June 27th lava flow remains about 500 m (~550 yd) from Highway 130 in the area west of the Pāhoa Fire and Police Stations. The flow has not advanced downslope in more than a week, but many breakouts are active upslope, said HVO. Code: ORANGE.

• Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska
  Elevated surface temperatures at the summit were observed in satellite data on Friday through Saturday. “Web camera images showed intermittent, minor steam emissions. Low-level eruptive activity confined to the summit crater of the volcano likely continues. Seismicity remains above background levels and tremor persists,” said AVO.  Code: ORANGE

• Piton de la Fournaise, island of La Reunion in Indian Ocean (France)
  “Peak of the Furnace” in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion erupted on February 4, 2015. The previous significant eruption, which lasted for two days, began on December 9, 2010.

Piton de la Fournaise volcano, aka,“Peak of the Furnace,” a shield volcano on the eastern side of (France-administered) Réunion island in the Indian Ocean erupts, February 5, 2015. (Photo Source: chinanews.com). More images…

• Colima Volcano, Mexico
  Eruptions and lava flow reported since January 29, 2015.

• Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy
  Latest eruptive episode began on 31 December, 2014.

• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka, Russia
  Explosive eruptions at Karymsky continued into late January/early February, with ash plumes rising  to heights of about 4 km above the crater.

• Klyuchevskoy, Central Kamchatka, Russia
  Strombolian and Vulcanian eruptions at Klyuchevskoy continued into late January/ early February with ash plumes rising to a height of about 8km a.s.l.

• Pacaya, Guatemala
  Ash emissions reported by INSIVUMEH starting late January.
  

• Ruapehu, North Island, NZ
  Water temperatures at Ruapehu’s summit Crater Lake have been increasing from about 15C to 40C since late December, said Geonet. The company also reported increased levels of volcanic gas emissions through the lake, which is changing color from blue-green to gray due to convection.

• Soputan, Sulawesi,  Indonesia
  The volcano spewed an ash plume to an altitude of more than 6 km (20,000 ft) on February 2, 2015.

For a list of the ongoing eruption/unrest at 13 other volcanoes see weekly reports HERE.