Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): SO2 gas plumes continue to spread around the northern hemisphere
Thu, 27 Jun 2019, 05:54 05:54 AM | BY: T
SO2 plume from Raikoke's eruption on 21 June as of 27 June 2019 (image: SACS/BIRA-IASB)
The activity at the small island volcano itself seems to have decreased a lot or even ceased - there are no more new ash alerts issued that mention new emissions at the volcano itself, and no significant heat signals can be found.
However, VAAC Anchorage continues to alert about the possible remaining ash clouds from the main phase of the eruption during 21-22 June. On the other hand, most of this ash must by now have been dispersed sufficiently to fall below direct detection by satellite-based sensors.
What is still clearly being detected is the significant SO2 gas plume: in various branches, it hovers over parts of Siberia, the northern Pacific and Alaska mainly at altitudes between 9-13 km.
Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): incredible image of eruption column from space showing gravity waves
Tue, 25 Jun 2019, 15:03 15:03 PM | BY: T
View of the vertically rising and expanding plume head during the peak phase of the eruption of Raikoke volcano during 21-22 June, 5th or 6th explosive phase (image: NASA Earth))
NASA published an amazing photograph of the circular eruption column topping out at around 43,000 ft (13 km) altitude, during the peak phase of activity around noon of 22 June (local time).
It beautifully displays circular gravity waves in the plume head created by the overshooting and falling back of the ash-gas mixture of the plume at maximum height, where the plume's buoyancy has decreased to zero in the thinner atmosphere at altitude.
These waves are similar to the circular waves created on the water surface when an small object, e.g. a stone falls into it and causes a local displacement of the water that then spreads out in expanding circles..
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Raikoke volcano (Central Kuriles, Kuril Islands) activity update: First images of the eruption from the ground
Tue, 25 Jun 2019, 13:03 13:03 PM | BY: MJFLEGEND
The ash column rising above the summit.
Pre-eruption view of a rocky outcrop with sea lions in the foreground.
The same outcrop afterwards. The habitat is completely destroyed. Pyroclastic deposits have extended the shoreline.
We finally have information about the situation on the ground, courtesy of a ship that was passing in the area during the large eruption on Sunday. As expected, there is a lot of damage!
Meanwhile, the drifting plumes continue to disperse over the Aleutian Islands. Updates continue to be released by Anchorage VAAC. The Aviation Colour Code has been lowered to Yellow.
Credit for all images: Nik Pavlov via KVERT.
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Links / Sources:
- KVERT: Original report page (in Russian)
Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): ash and gas plumes continue to swirl above the northern Pacific, ash emissions at the volcano
Mon, 24 Jun 2019, 10:42 10:42 AM | BY: T
Today's model of the ash plume from Raikoke over the northern Pacific (image: ESA)
SO2 plume (image: ESA)
Ash plume from the volcano itself seen today via satellite
Activity at the volcano continues: ash emissions are visible on satellite imagery, but they are less intense than the explosions during 21-22 June.
The large ash and gas plume from this initial phase is still swirling around and hovering above the northern Pacific, in a vast area between Kamchatka and Alaska. Its maximum altitude is estimated at up to 40,000 ft (12 km) a.s.l. Distorted and dissected by winds from an important low-pressure system (cyclone), the ash and gas cloud now consists actually of several plumes, some with impressive spiral shapes hundreds of km long.
VAAC Anchorage regularly issues updates and corresponding warning to aircraft in the region.
Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): volcanic ash cloud warning for aircraft in the Aleutian area
Sun, 23 Jun 2019, 07:38 07:38 AM | BY: T
Currently affected area of the drifting ash cloud from Raikoke's eruption 21-22 June 2019 (imge: VAAC Anchorage)
Location of the ash and SO2 plumes at the moment (source: ESA)
While the eruptive activity at the volcano itself has calmed down to much smaller ash emissions, it is unclear whether it is a pause or the ending phase of the recent violent eruption.
In the meanwhile the high-level (up to 43,000 ft / 13 km altitude) ash plume continues to drift eastwards over the northern Pacific and has reached the Aleutian island chain. VAAC Anchorage which is monitoring this busy airspace (routes between N-America and Asia) issued a warning and shows the affected area in the graphic attached.
Raikoke volcano (Central Kuriles, Kuril Islands) activity update: Intense activity ends
Sat, 22 Jun 2019, 20:15 20:15 PM | BY: MJFLEGEND
Ash is now rising only to 4.5km (15,000ft), as reported by Tokyo VAAC. The large, high-altitude ash clouds produced earlier continue to drift over the Pacific. The eruption could still return to the previous level or could even develop into a full-scale sub-plinian eruption, as in this volcano's previous two eruptions.
Time-lapse of the eruption seen from space
Update Sat 22 Jun 2019 14:56
Conditions at sea near the volcano
Ash plume forecast for the northern Pacific on 22 June 2019
Update Sat 22 Jun 2019 14:35
This is the latest forecast of areas in the northern Pacific affected by the fast-moving ash plume from the (still ongoing) eruption. Aircraft are advised to avoid them at good distance.
Ash plume forcast for today 22 June 2019 (image: VAAC Tokyo))
Ash plume forecast and current aricraft in the area
Update Sat 22 Jun 2019 14:47
Ash plume forecast for 17:00 UTC (VAAC Tokyo) and currently flying aircraft (source: flightradar24.com) as of 14:30 UTC
The above picture shows aircraft currently flying over the northern Pacific, with the forecasted ash-plume area for 17:00 UTC (in 2 hours from now) of the previous charts overlaid.
It seems indeed that most aircraft either have chosen a more northerly or more southerly route.
The aircraft IN the area is a smaller probably private jet at 41,000 ft, hopefully above any ash.
Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): ash and gas plume from eruption has already crossed half of Pacific
Sat, 22 Jun 2019, 10:50 10:50 AM | BY: T
SO2 plume from Raikoke's eruption yesterday as measured by satellite (image: ESA)
The SO2-rich plume of the eruption has already crossed half of the northern Pacific.
Altitudes range between 7-13 km approximately, the higher levels having advanced most (due to strongest winds).
Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): amazing satellite images from the ongoing eruption
Sat, 22 Jun 2019, 10:24 10:24 AM | BY: T
Satellite image of Raikoke's rising eruption column from the second pulse with the plume head seen from almost vertically above
Same view with larger field
View of the combined plume (1)
View of the combined plume (2)
Some of the ash is dispersing to the NW
Same view in larger field
View of the combined plume (1)
View of the combined plume (2)
A large area around the small island is now under an ash plume
Layers of ash also dispersed into other directions
View of the ash cloud with the eruption column from the second pulse
NASA's Terra, Aqua and Suomi satellites captured the impressive ash plume of the eruption of the volcano at various times and from different angles beautifully.
The images show amazing details of the rising column, the main mass of the plume drifting east and ash in other atmospheric layers being transported northwest.
The images are not only illustrating the size of the eruption, but also display an aesthetic beauty that makes it worth to save them with this post.
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Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): eruption continues, second explosive pulse with ash to high altitude (43,000 ft / 13 km)
Sat, 22 Jun 2019, 07:48 07:48 AM | BY: T
The second pulse of the eruption earlier this morning seen from Himawari-8 satellite (image: VAAC Tokyo)
SO2 plume of SO2-rich plume from the eruption (image: Simon Carn @simoncarn / Twitter)
The new eruption at the volcano continues. The first explosion which began yesterday evening seems to have lasted several hours and it's ash plume is extending approx. 1000 km towards the east of the volcano.
A short pause or drop in ash emissions occurred around 03:00 UTC, followed by a second explosion starting around 03:30, producing a second but slightly smaller (although still very significant) plume also estimated to have reached 43,000 ft (13 km) altitude as Tokyo VAAC reported. This phase is likely still going on.
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Raikoke volcano (Kurile Islands): ash plume dangerous to N-America to Asia (or vice versa) flight routes
Sat, 22 Jun 2019, 00:13 00:13 AM | BY: T
Map of the relevant portion of the NW Pacific area with the Raikoke ash plume shown and airplanes currently in the air
Unexpected large eruptions like this are extremely dangerous for aviation when the volcanic ash reaches flight levels of commercial airplanes where it could damage jet engines.
Minutes after the eruption occurred and the ash plume was spotted, VAAC Tokyo issued warnings to world-wide aviation for this reason. As the area is used for routes between N-America and eastern, in particular NE Asia (e.g. USA-Japan), airlines now should avoid the area of the ash plume drifting rapidly eastward.
The attached image suggests that this seems to be the case: the live-updated airplane map of flightradar24 shows that indeed no planes are currently near the volcano.
Raikoki volcano (Kurile Islands, Russia): major explosive eruption, ash to approx. 43,000 ft altitude
Fri, 21 Jun 2019, 23:37 23:37 PM | BY: T
The dark brown ash plume from Raikoki's eruption earlier this evening (image: Himawari-8 satellite)
Crop of previous picture to better show the ash plume
A very significant explosive eruption occurred - without any warning - at Raikoki volcano on the evening of 21 June 2019, at or shortly before around 18:10 UTC (or 06:10 local time on 22 June).
A dense dark-brown ash plume rising to estimated 43,000 ft (13 km) altitude was spotted clearly on Japan's Himawari 8 satellite, high above the dense lower cloud decks. As of the time of this post, about 6 hours after the start of the (presumably still ongoing) eruption, the ash plume has reached a length of approx. 500 km and drifting eastwards.
Raikoki is a stratovolcano forming a small island in the central part of the Kuriles, about 16 km across the Golovnin Strait from Matua Island. It rises to an elevation of 700 m.
Being one of the most remote of the Kurils Islands chain and not monitored, so there are no known precursors nor any details from ground observations available. A few eruptions have been known from sporadic historic records during the past centuries.
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