Tungurahua volcano news & eruption updates:
Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador): strong vulcanian explosion produces ash plume 5000 m tall
Saturday Feb 27, 2016 11:24 AM | BY: T
Eruption plume of Tungurahua volcano yesterday (image: J.L Espinosa-Naranjo @Ambalaser / twitter)
Two moderately large explosions occurred at the volcano yesterday noon from 12:12 local time. The first and larger explosion produced an ash plume that rose approx. 5000 meters above the summit.
The ash plume dispersed mainly to the west and northwest where ash fall occurred in areas including Choglontús, Pillate, Cahuaji and El Manzano.
According to IGEPN, the eruption - which came after a 3 months interval of quiet since last November - was most likely NOT the result of new magma, but instead of accumulated gas pressure in the upper conduit. Magmatic gasses (H2O, CO2 etc) still contained in older magma inside the conduit was being released quietly as the magma continued to cool and crystallize, but most of these gasses were being trapped beneath a solid plug. With time, the gas pressure increased to the critical point: the plug gave way in yesterday's explosions.
The explosion itself, a typical so-called "vulcanian"-type eruption, was preceded only by a short (lasting little more than an hour), but intense seismic swarm of shallow earthquakes caused by internal fluid movements and rock fracturing as pressurized gasses started to disintegrate the overlying plug.
- All news about: Tungurahua volcano
- Information about: Tungurahua volcano
Previous news
 |
|
Saturday, Nov 21, 2015
Today and yesterday, the activity at the volcano has been lower and emissions much reduced, after a phase of near continuous degassing and ash venting, producing columns of up to 3 km height during 18-19 Nov. ...
[more]
 |
|
Tuesday, Nov 17, 2015
The activity of the volcano has increased during the past days. Near-continuous explosive eruptions at the summit crater have been creating ash plumes that rose up to 3 km and drifted into westerly directions. Up to 2 mm of fresh ash fall occurred in areas up to 10-20 km west of the volcano. Incandescent bombs were seen ejected during the explosions as well. ...
[more]
 |
|
Wednesday, Nov 11, 2015
The volcano continues to produce intermittent mild explosions with ash emissions that produce columns that rise up to approx 1 km. ...
[more]
 |
|
Monday, Oct 26, 2015
Mild to moderate ash emissions, with ash plumes rising 1-2 km above the crater, have become more frequent over the past days, suggesting the volcano's activity has started to picking up. An explosion at 04:33 yesterday morning was seen ejecting incandescent material that rolled down the western flank to up to 1 km distance. ...
[more]
 |
|
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2015
Intermittent weak ash emissions from the volcano have been observed during the past days.
[more]
