Tungurahua volcano news & eruption updates:
Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador): large explosion this morning, ash to 36,000 ft (11 km altitude)
Tuesday Mar 08, 2016 16:31 PM | BY: T

Explosion at Tungurahua yesterday morning (image: EDUfoto / facebook.com/edufoto.org)

Steam and ash plume rising 3-4 km above Tunguarhua on 5 March (image: OVT-IGEPN

Damages corn fields (image: P. Espín Bedón OVT-IGEPN)
Similar explosive activity, with increasing tendency, had already been occurring during the previous days, in particular since Sunday. Very strong explosions also occurred yesterday afternoon at 16:28 local time, two around noon (also yesterday), as well as at 19:35 and 05:35 local time on Sunday (6 March). All of them produced pyroclastic flows into various directions towards the western (Romero and Achupashal) and northern sectors (Mandur).
Violent shock waves that rattled windows and doors and ground rumblings accompanied the explosions and most of the time, a steam and ash column was rising 3-4 km from the volcano. At night, explosions could be seen ejecting incandescent material to great height (many 100 meters) and distances over the volcano's cone, generating spectacular avalanches.
Considerable ash fall has been affecting various areas around the volcano. In particular, the western sectors have suffered most. A team of IGEPN scientists measured a load of 7700 g/m2 of ash had accumulated since the end of February in the areas of Manzano and Choglontus. The area is rich in corn fields which have been severely damaged by the ongoing eruption.
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Previous news
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Friday, Mar 04, 2016
The volcano is in a phase of mild to moderate strombolian activity. Incandescent bombs are ejected to the upper slopes of the volcano, generating avalanches. Ash plumes rise up to a few km above the crater and drift mostly in westerly directions. ... [more]
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Tuesday, Mar 01, 2016
Ash emissions have continued after the powerful vent-clearing explosion on Sunday (27 Feb). During brief periods when cloud cover lifted, a steam-and ash column was seen rising 1,500 meters above the crater and heading west. ... [more]
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Saturday, Feb 27, 2016
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. ... [more]
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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]
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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]
