Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, West Indies (UK): news & activity updates

Volcanic and seismic activity at Soufrière Hills were at low levels during 16-23 April. Seismicity was characterized by periods of continuous and spasmodic tremor punctuated by long-period hybrid earthquakes. Continuous low-level tremor occurred on 16 April with a second episode during 18-19 April. Read allDuring 10-16 April, activity at Soufrière Hills remained low with only one long-period earthquake recorded. Nearly continuous low-level tremor and moderate sulfur-dioxide emissions occurred throughout the reporting week. Read all During 2-9 April, seismic and volcanic activity at Soufrière Hills was at low-to-moderate levels. Seismicity was dominated by near-continuous low-to-moderate level tremor. The sulfur-dioxide flux was low during most of the report period. Read allSeismic and volcanic activity were at moderate levels at Soufrière Hills during 26 March to 2 April. Seismicity was dominated by near-continuous low-to-moderate tremor. Vigorous steam venting was visible from several areas of the crater, but no new lava-dome growth occurred. Read all During 19-26 March, activity remained elevated at Soufrière Hills. The seismic network recorded four long-period and seven hybrid earthquakes. Continuous low-level tremor was interrupted by several periods of moderate-level tremor lasting from less than 1 hour to 12 hours. Read allSeismic and volcanic activity at Soufrière Hills during 12-19 March increased in comparison to the previous week. Seismicity was dominated by moderate-to-strong tremor beginning around 0300 on 15 March, with five episodes of moderate tremor. The tremor was accompanied by gas-and-ash venting. Read all Following a lava-dome collapse at Soufrière Hills on 3 March, activity was relatively lower during 5-12 March. Around 0330 on 10 March a short period of elevated seismic activity lasting around 10-20 minutes occurred. Later that day fresh pyroclastic-flow deposits were observed toward the NE in the upper reaches of the Tar River Valley. Read allVolcanic and seismic activity increased significantly at Soufrière Hills during 27 February to 5 March, with a lava-dome collapse on 3 March. Low-level tremor occurred from around 1900 on 2 March until 1444 on 3 March when seismicity increased significantly and an explosion and lava-dome collapse event lasting about 10 minutes occurred. According to the Washington VAAC, the ash cloud produced by the explosion reached a height of ~6 km a.s.l. Read all Volcanic and seismic activity remained at low levels at Soufrière Hills during 20-27 February. A period of low-level tremor began on 21 February around 0600 that continued for ~36 hours and consisted of many small long-period earthquakes. On 24 February around 0915 mudflows swept down the Belham valley (NW of the volcano) for ~40 minutes during intense rainfall. Read allDuring 13-20 February, volcanic and seismic activity remained low at Soufrière Hills. The seismic network recorded one rockfall and three hybrid earthquakes. Sulfur-dioxide flux was at moderate levels, reaching between 350 and 650 metric tons per day. Read all