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The crater of Benbow in the Ambrym caldera
The crater of Benbow in the Ambrym caldera

Latest news from Ambrym:

SO2 from Ambrym today (NOAA)
Thursday, May 02, 2013
A SO2 plume is howering over Ambrym island, suggesting that the lava lakes continue to be active. Our next group going there next week will hopefully be able to confirm this by direct observation. [more]
SO2 from Ambrym today (NOAA)
Friday, Mar 22, 2013
Elevated SO2 emissions remain elevated, suggesting that the lava lakes remain active. [more]

Ambrym volcano

shield volcano 1334 m (4,377 ft)
Vanuatu, -16.25°S / 168.12°E
Current status: erupting (4 out of 5)
Ambrym webcams / live data
Last update: 2 May 2013
Typical eruption style: Effusive, formation of lava lakes
Ambrym volcano eruptions: 1774, 1820(?), 1863, 1870(?), 1871, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1888, 1894, 1898, 1908, 1909(?), 1910, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1929, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977 (2x), 1979 (2x), 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2009 -ongoing
Ambrym Volcano Photos

Last earthquakes nearby: No recent earthquakes
TimeMag. / DepthDistanceLocation
Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera. It is not only one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu, but in the world. Its most active craters often contain small lava lakes.

Background:

Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera. It is not only one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu, but also in the world.
Ambrym's caldera is a wide, impressive moon-like landscape containing an ash plain, cut by innumerable erosion gullies and containing several active craters and recent lava flows.
The caldera is believed to have formed during a major plinian eruption with dacitic pyroclastic flows about 1900 years ago. Activity after the caldera formation was concentrated around two vents that have become large complex craters called Marum and Benbow. Often, both Marum and Benbow (as well as other craters) contain small lava lakes, which occasionally erupt lava flows onto the caldera floor, or even exit the caldera through erosion gaps.
The 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.
Occasionally, explosive eruptions occur from the craters, mostly because of water-magma interaction. Such eruptions produce tall clouds of ash, and can cause serious health problems in the local population because the ash contaminates ground water.

Ambrym Photos:




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