General Volcanic Activity Thread!

[stormforce 10]

As was thought When "that" Icelandic volcano erupted last year, it's often followed after a period of time by an eruption at the much bigger and scarier Katla.

As per http://www.bbc.co.uk...europe-15995845 is seems as if this is getting close now, with frequently earthquake swarms, evidence that Magma is rising rapidly upwards and lots of extra monitoring going on.

It doesn't mean that an eruption is going to happen this month, but the signs of it erupting at some point in the near future are getting much stronger.

iceberg, that link doesn't work.

[yamkin]

Bigger Icelandic volcano eruption could be imminent, warns scientists

Icelandic volcano eruption: Seismic activity around the caldera of the massive Katla volcano in southern Iceland has scientists concerned that the rumblings could be the warning that a major eruption is possible.

Ford Cochran, National Geographic’s volcano expert on the island, explained: “There have been more than 500 tremors in and around the caldera of Katla in the last month, which suggests the motion of magma.

“That certainly suggests an eruption may be imminent.†http://tucone.com/2011/12/02/bigger-icelandic-volcano-eruption-could-be-imminent-warns-scientists/

Edited December 2, 2011 by yamkin

[Iceberg]

iceberg, that link doesn't work.

Try this, don't know what happened to the previous link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15995845

[Jan_Bromley]

Wow, i hope it's not a massive eruption. reading about the pevious big eruption in the 1700's the consequences would be awful.

Jan

[Andy_]

Could the 'billions of gallons of frozen glacier water' possibly interfere with the North Atlantic Current?

Or would it be circulated by Transpolar Currents, and perhaps then later affect the Gulf Stream nearer North America as what would happen in a similar situation if the Greenland glaciers melted?

Or not at all? Just a thought http://hw.nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.png

[Paranoid]

Not sure if the volume high enough, i think Katla can manage floods with discharges of around 400,000 cubic metres a second which is pretty massive, but not enough to have an effect on ocean circulations (at least i can't remember there being any climatic disruption during the 1750s). Floods need to have discharges on the order of millions of cubic metres per second to affect the circulation in any big way i think.

[Snow Queen one]

It can't erupt before 22nd December I am flying to prague on 18th for 4 days lol

I do not want to be stranded there at christmas

[yamkin]

Mount Gamalama In Indonesia's Maluku Erupts

Mount Gamalama in Indonesia's North Maluku province erupted at 23:00 local time on Sunday 4th December 2011 (1400 GMT), releasing volcanic ashes.

There is no death or material loss due to the eruption.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of the Center of Data, Information and Public Relation at the National Agency of Disaster Management (BNPB), said in a statement that people living around the foot of the volcano have took refuge to safer places.

However, some of them chose to stay at their houses. "The Regional Agency of Disaster Mitigation (BPBD) of North Maluku province keeps coordinating with related institutions for emergency handling. It keeps monitoring and recording (the situation)," said Nugroho.

Some parts of the provincial capital city of Ternate were covered by ash rain and blackout was occurred at the foot of the volcano.

People were urged to stay calm.

"Yes it erupted but we asked people to stay calm," Surono, head of the Center of Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation ( PVMBG) told the country's largest news portal detikcom.

[yamkin]

Rise Of Underground Water Temperature Causes Volcano Mud Eruptions

An earthquake in Rakhine State has caused underground water temperatures to rise, setting off volcano eruptions of mud and small amounts of lava.

Retired geologist Soe Thein said volcanos in the Kyaukphyu Township area on Ramree Island were set off along a fault line. More volcano mud eruptions might occur, he said, but there is no danger or need for mass evacuations.

“When there is earth crust movement in these fault lines, there will be underground water circulation and more water will move up to the surface as hot springs, but they are not like real volcanoes. They do not pose a danger to people,†Soe Thein said...........http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6260-rise-of-underground-water-temperature-causes-mud-volcano-eruptions.html

[yamkin]

Volcano Eruption In USA

A lava flow has reached the old Royal Gardens subdivision and is burning forest in a kipuka. Lava is also advancing across the coastal plain towards the ocean. At the summit of Kilauea volcano there is a lava lake in a vent 75 m below the floor of Halemaumau crater. On the east rift zone lava periodically appears in Pu’u O’o crater............http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=VE-20111211-33359-USA

[Crepuscular Ray]

Interesting post Yamkin

How high is the level of activity against background levels, given that it's in several locations?

[yamkin]

Interesting post Yamkin

How high is the level of activity against background levels, given that it's in several locations?

Hi CR, Here's recent Kilauea volcano status reports, updates, and information releases.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php

[Flipflop]

Check out El Hierro webcams,, Bobs got lights ooooh maybe a Surtsey event soon.

[yamkin]

Ijen Volcano (East Java, Indonesia): Alert Raised To Yellow

The alert level of Ijen volcano in East Java has been raised to alert/unrest (2 out of 4) due to increased seismic activity and increased temperatures and fumaroles inside the crater, famous for its turquoise acid lake and the sulfur deposits, which are being quarried by workers. An exclusion zone of 1 km around the crater has been established. Workers and tourists are currently not allowed to go inside the crater.

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/view_news/4207/Ijen-volcano-East-Java-Indonesia-alert-raised-to-yellow.html

[yamkin]

Anak Krakatau Still Belching Thick Smoke

Though seismic activity at Anak Krakatau has dropped markedly, the "Son of Krakatau" volcano in the Sunda Strait is still belching thick smoke.

The smoke reaches heights of between 50 and 100 metres, according to Andi Suardi, a member of the team monitoring the volcano in Lampung Selatan, Sumatera.

He was quoted by the local media Friday as saying tremors at it now had dropped to just in the hundreds daily as compared to thousands before.

However, Indonesia's Vulcanology Mitigation and Geological Disasters Centre is still maintaining the alert level at the highest, which it issued on Sept 30 when vulcanic activity at Anak Krakatau was at its peak.

The warning reminds fisherman and tourists not to be within a two-kilometre radius of the volcano for fear of a sudden rise in vulcanic activity..............http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=634638

[yamkin]

Cold Lava Flow Risk From Indonesia's Mount Gamalama Rises Due To Heavy Rain

Cold lava flow risk from Mount Gamalama in Indonesia's North Maluku province rises following heavy rainfall on the top of the volcano, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

The volcano that erupted on Dec 5, till emits small eruptions as of Thursday, and the danger status stays at level III, says Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of Center of Data Information and Public Relation at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB).

People were urged to stay away from the second and third danger zones (of 2.5 kilometers and 3.5 kilometers from the top) as lava flow and hot cloud threaten.

"Meanwhile, cold lava threatens the first danger zone (of 1 kilometer from the top)," Nugroho said in a press statement.

The latest data showed that 2,731 people are taking refuge in nine refugee posts namely at former governor's office, mosques and community halls, and no casualty reported.........http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=634653

[yamkin]

NASA's Landsat Finds Problems Under Yellowstone's Old Faithful

NASA's Landsat satellites have been tracking Yellowstone's underground geothermal activity, a deep heat that is stored 4,000 miles into the earth's core. But there are areas where these energy levels are becoming erratic. Old Faithful could be in trouble...............http://www.digitaljo...3#ixzz1gWCxMYqk

Edited December 17, 2011 by yamkin

[yamkin]

Volcanic Eruption West Of Yemen

A volcano erupted near Saba Island in the Red Sea on Monday, said fishermen from Salif port city in the west of Yemen.

The fishermen confirmed that the volcano erupted near Saba Island one of the Al-Zubair archipelago small Islands located 30 nautical miles away if Salif city.

The fishermen said that the volcano can be seen 3 hours away from its center and that it has been popping up red lava that reached 20-30 meters high.

The fishermen said this was the first volcano they ever seen in the region

http://www.yobserver.com/local-news/10021711.html

[karyo]

This has got it me really interested!

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/view_news/4206/Kolumbos-submarine-volcano-Santorini-Greece-32-magnitude-earthquake.html

I think the Kolumbos volcano is separate to the one in Santorini but too close for comfort! It produced an explosive eruption in 1650 and a tsunami. Ashfall reached as far as Turkey!

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about the current activity and little is known about previous eruptions (apart from the most recent one in 1650).

Karyo

[karyo]

Following my last post, this link shows the seismicity in the area since September 2011.

The red star is where Kolumbo volcano is (and where the 3.2 earthquake took place). What's very interesting is the number of earthquakes in Santorini itself!

Karyo

[yamkin]

Phivolcs Records Volcanic Activity In Mt. Bulusan

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday warned the residents living near Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon not to enter the implemented 4-kilometer radius permanent danger zone. In an interview with radio dzMM, Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said the residents should remain vigilant because Mt. Bulusan showed volcanic activities in the last 2 weeks. Solidum said the volcanic activities were above normal and there were 10 seismic earthquakes recorded. In a ground survey that was conducted, Solidum said the authorities detected a change in land form surrounding the volcano. Solidum said that because of this, it is possible that there will be an ash explosion. Phivolcs also requested the Civil Aviation Authority to remind the pilots to avoid flying near the crater of the volcano...http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/12/24/11/phivolcs-records-volcanic-activity-mt-bulusan

[yamkin]

Mount Lokon In Indonesia's N Sumatra Erupts

Mount Lokon in Tomohon city of Indonesia's North Sulawesi erupted at 03:07 a.m. local time on Tuesday (2207 GMT on Monday).

The eruption and its tremor were heard and felt in the post of Mount Lokon about 5 kilometers from the top.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of Center of Data Information and Public Relation at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), said in a statement that smoke from the eruption was not monitored as the volcano was covered by haze.

Nugroho said that the Regional Agency for Disaster Management ( BDPB) of North Sulawesi keeps coordinating with the Center for Volcanology and Geologic Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) and government apparatus to anticipate things related to increasing activities of the volcano.

Up till now, he said, Mount Lokon's danger status still at level III.

"No need to take refuge. But, people are urged to stay alert," said Nugroho.

http://english.eastd...u1a6278487.html

Edited December 27, 2011 by yamkin

[yamkin]

A New Island Appears In Red Sea

The Red Sea has a new inhabitant: a smoking island. The island was created by a wild eruption that occurred in the Red Sea earlier this month. It is made of loose volcanic debris from the eruption, so it may not stick around long.......http://www.mnn.com/e...ears-in-red-sea

[yamkin]

Three Volcanoes In Danger Of Erupting In East Java

People living the vicinity of three volcanoes in East Java have been warned to be on the alert as they were showing signs of increased vulcanic activity.

The three volcanoes are Mt Ijen, Mt Semeru and Mt Bromo.

East Java district disaster management head Timur Siswanto said the authorities were in a state of readiness to handle any vulcanic disasters and had established command posts for relief work should any of the volcanoes erupt.

He was reported as saying by the local media that Mt Ijen was showing the most activity and that people living in its vicinity had been warned not to come within a 1.5 kilometre raidus of the mountain.

Besides the above three, five other volcanoes - Mt Gamalama (Ternate Island, Moluccas), Mt Papandayan (Garut, West Java), Gunung Karangetang (northern Sulawesi ), Gunung Lokon (northern Sulawesi) and Anak Krakatau (Sunda Strait) - were also reported to have started "rumbling"...............http://www.mysinchew.com/node/68275

[yamkin]

Alaska Volcano Launches Ash Cloud To 15,000 Feet

An ash cloud erupted some 15,000 feet into the air from Alaska's Cleveland Volcano, according to satellite images and the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The volcano, located in the Aleutian Islands about 45 miles west of the community of Nikolski, has been upgraded and downgraded several times over the last few months, flaring up in July and erupting in the form of a growing lava dome in August. Following several weeks of activity, the volcano was downgraded before being upgraded again to an alert level of "watch" and an aviation hazard color-code of "orange" in early September. Two months later, the alert level was again lowered after the volcano seemed to quiet down.

This latest activity comes six days after the most recent update on the AVO website. The AVO said that satellite imagery from about 5 a.m. Thursday confirmed the presence of a detached ash cloud, about 50 miles away from the volcano and moving southeast.

The last significant eruption of Cleveland occurred in February 2001 and resulted in three ash plumes that reached up to 39,000 feet above sea level and "a rubbly lava flow and hot avalanche that reached the sea."

Aviators in the area are encouraged to exercise caution, but the AVO said that the eruption may be an isolated event.

"Satellite data indicate that this is a single explosion event," the AVO said, "however, more sudden explosions producing ash could occur with plumes exceeding 20,000 feet above sea level. Such explosions and their associated ash clouds may go undetected in satellite imagery for hours." http://www.alaskadis...loud-15000-feet

Edited December 29, 2011 by yamkin