Worldwide Volcano News and Updates
Popocatepetl volcano, near Mexico City, continues to be active. After its last eruption that had ended in 1927, the volcano woke up from his slumber in 1994 and has since then been active, with changing intensity. At present, it seems to be rather quiet, with an average of 10-20 minor strombolian events per day, that produce nice ash and steam plumes that rise severl 100s of meters. No recent growth of a lava dome has been observed by CENAPRED, the ufficial monitoring organ hosted at the university of Mexico. Although much more violent activity in the near future is unlikely, a safety exclusion zone of 12km around the volcano is maintained.
After a slight decrease in activity towards the beginning of March, (visual) lava effusion rates have again increased drastically during the past 10 days. About three times the average volume of lava from Kilauea volcano has been flowing into the ocean, forming a new ocean entry cluster at Kamoamoa. At the time of writing, lava is flowing into the sea at about 10 different points distributed over 3 ocean entry clusters.
Eruptive and seismic activity at Klyuchevsky volcano, neighbour of Sheveluch (also active at the time of writing) has decreased but remains. According to press reports, strong strombolian explosions from the summit crater eject ash and blocks to up to 1000 m above the crater and lava flows are travelling down the upper flanks, interacting with ice and snow, that produce secondary ash clouds.
It cannot be excluded that stronger explosions from the summit crater occurr with no or little warning; they could produce ash plumes that reach as high as 7-8 km or 23,000-26,200 ft above sea level and travel many tens or hundreds of kilometers downwind.
Klyuchi settlement is situated between Shiveluch and Klyuchevsky and receives periodically light ash fall, but the settlement is still being regarded "safe".
As the Russian agency Novosti and the Alaska Volcano Observatory report, Sheveluch volcano, Kamchatka (Russia), is remains highly active. After the violent eruption on February 27, 2005, that destroyed the upper parts of the lava dome, thus lowering the total height of the mountain by 200 m, the lava dome has re-grown by more than 50 m during the past 20 days and keeps increasing. The rapid growth, caused by continuing influx rate of fresh magma, triggers frequent hot rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows.
- More about Anatahan volcano
- More about Canlaon volcano
- More about Villarrica volcano
- More about Chikurachki volcano
- More about Colima volcano
- More about Karymsky volcano
- More about Kilauea volcano
- More about Klyuchevskoy volcano
- More about Shiveluch volcano
- More about Mount St. Helens volcano
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On the 26th of March, the Civil Protection authorities have partially re-openend access to Stromboli's summit area, which had formally been off-limits since the eruption and landslide in late December 2002. Access is free until 400m elevation without an authorized guide, and above that it is permitted to visit the summit area if accompanied by an authorized mountain guide, but the stay in the summit area is limited to 1 hour total duration and only until 11pm.
The Russian news agency Novosti reports a strong eruption by Sheveluch volcano on March 23, 2005, that destroyed a camp of vulcanologists and the seismic station at Baidarnaya, located eight kilometers from the volcano.
According to this report, a significant part of the lava dome at the summit has collapsed, and generated a massive flow (probably a pyroclastic flow, not a lava flow as stated ?) that travelled down the slope more than 20 kilometers long. There were no people in the area during the event. According to the news agency, this eruption would be the largest since Sheveluch's disastrous eruption of 1964.
As KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team) reports, the eruption at Klyuchevkoy volcano in Kamtchatka has increased dramatically:
"Continuous explosions from the summitcrater could produce ash plumes that reach as high as 10 km or 32,800 ft above sea level and travel many tens or hundreds of kilometers downwind. The current activity of the volcano is very dangerous to aviation. <...>Seismic activity of the volcano has increased. <...> According to visual and video data, agas-steam plume containing some amounts of ash rose up to ~7500 m (24600ft) ASL on March 22 and up to ~ 8500 m (27,800 ft) ASL on March 23, extending to the north-west. There was ash fall at Kluchi from 18:45 till present time on March 23. According to data from AMC Yelizovo, an ash plume rising up to 7,000 m (23, 000 ft.) ASL and extending 70-80 km (44 -50 mi) to the north-west was observed by pilots of aircraft AN-72 N 71602 at 23:05UTC on March 23."
- More about Chikurachki volcano
- More about Klyuchevskoy volcano
- More about Ulawun volcano
- More about Anatahan volcano
- More about Colima volcano
- More about Ebeko volcano
- More about Kilauea volcano
- More about Manam volcano
- More about Rabaul (Tavurvur) volcano
- More about Shiveluch volcano
- More about Mount St. Helens volcano
- More about Tungurahua volcano
