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Latest news:Soufrière Hills volcano () activity update: small incandscent spots at lava dome
Thursday, Feb 02, 2012
20-27 January activity at the Soufrière Hills lava dome was at a low level. Small areas of incandescence emanated from the lava dome at night, similar to observations noted in recent months. On 27 January a small lahar descended from the W side of the lava dome. [more]
Friday, Jul 09, 2010
Montserrat's volcano Soufriére Hills has entered a new eruptive phase. Starting on 25 June 2010, mild ash venting has been observed from Soufriere Hil...
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Background:Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano is a typical subduction volcano. Its existence is due to the subduction of the Atlantic under the Caribbean plate. Its first historic eruption started in 1995 and is still ongoing. During this eruption, the former capital of the island, Plymouth, as well as a large sector of the southern part of the island including its former airport have been devastated by pyroclastic flows and much of it is now buried beneath a thick layer of ash and mud. The long-term eruption consists in small-to-moderate ash eruptions accompanied by lava-dome growth and pyroclastic flows. Failed eruptions (non eruptive seismic events) had occurred at Soufriere Hills volcano in the 1890's, 1930's, and 1960's. The complex dominantly andesitic Soufrière Hills volcano occupies the southern half of the island of Montserrat. The summit area consists primarily of a series of lava domes emplaced along an ESE-trending zone. English's Crater, a 1-km-wide crater breached widely to the east, was formed during an eruption about 4000 years ago in which the summit collapsed, producing a large submarine debris avalanche. Block-and-ash flow and surge deposits associated with dome growth predominate in flank deposits at Soufrière Hills. With the exception of a 17th-century eruption around 1630 AD that produced the Castle Peak lava dome, no historical eruptions were recorded on Montserrat until 1995. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
