Stromboli volcano (Italy): another massive explosion today
Wed, 28 Aug 2019, 10:41
10:41 AM | BY: T
Today's explosion at Stromboli; note the impacts of bombs on the upper slopes (image: Francesca Utano / VolcanoDiscovery)
Pyroclastic flow traveling down the Sciara into the sea (image: LGS webcam)
Seismic signal of the explosion (image: INGV Catania)
View from 400 m shortly after the explosion showing the pyroclastic flow (image: INGV Catania webcam at 400 m)
Thermal image of the eruption (image: INGV Catania thermal webcam at 400 m)
Rain of lapilli in Scari (image: Francesca Utano / VolcanoDiscovery)
Bush fires ignited by volcanic bombs above the village of Stromboli (image: Francesca Utano / VolcanoDiscovery)
Relatively strong eruption from one of the NE vent about 30 minutes before the paroxysm (image: INGV thermal webcam at 400 m)
Details are yet unclear, but from the image we received from Stromboli, it was another massive explosion from the summit vents, producing an ash plume that rose probably a few km, ejected bombs to the upper slopes of the volcano and caused a pyroclastic flow that traveled down the Sciara into the sea.
It is not clear whether any appreciable precursors could be detected. Activity had been very high during the past weeks and the summit area was already closed, which hopefully prevented any injuries or worse. From webcam images, nothing very unusual could be detected in the minutes before, just a relatively strong (but not unusual) eruption from a vent in the northeastern crater at 11:55 local time.
In the eastern shore area of the island (Scari), centimeter-sized lapilli are falling.
This time, the eastern and northeastern flanks of the mountain above the village of Stromboli have been hit more by bombs than during the 3 July paroxysm (which had mainly affected the southern and western slopes above Ginostra). Bush fires are visible in areas down to approx. 250-300 m.
We embed a video taken from a boat escaping the pyroclastic flow(s) that descended the Sciara and traveled over the sea. It shows that there were actually two flows next to each other, eventually merging towards the shore. Most likely, at least some if not all of the material forming the pyroclastic flows originated from collapsed portions of the crater terrace where lots of new materials had been deposited during the intense activity of the past weeks.
Impressive pictures of the ash plume rising approx. 4 km above the volcano can be found everywhere on social media:
Italy's Stromboli volcano erupts anew, spewing fiery lava https://t.co/PDSMFxGXDF pic.twitter.com/8iK65ScdjC
— CP24 (@CP24) August 28, 2019
This video shows the eruption as seen by the camera of INGV at 400 m:
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Previous news
Wed, 28 Aug 2019, 06:00
INGV reported that the paroxysmal eruption at Stromboli recorded at 1217 on 28 August produced an ash plume that rose 4 km above the summit. The eruption consisted of three explosions; the first two occurred at the Area C-S (South Central crater area), and the less intense third event occurred at Area N (north crater area) and ejected material onto the Sciara del Fuoco. Material from the collapse of the eruption plume contributed to the generation of a pyroclastic flow that traveled down the Sciara del Fuoco and several hundred meters out to sea. ... Read all
Sun, 25 Aug 2019, 06:45
The level of activity at the volcano remains very high, with little significant changes during the past days: ... Read all
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