Volcano Alert: Indonesia's Most Dangerous Volcano Ready to Erupt , Say Local Authorities

That's weird, there doesn't seem to be any kind of light source other than "that"....

20 October-26 October 2010

New Activity/Unrest: | Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Merapi, Central Java (Indonesia) | Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island
Ongoing Activity: | Chaitén, Southern Chile | Fuego, Guatemala | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Pacaya, Guatemala | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Santa María, Guatemala | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan) | Villarrica, Central Chile
This page is updated on Wednesdays. Please see the GVP Home Page for news of the latest significant activity.

New Activity/Unrest

KLIUCHEVSKOI Central Kamchatka (Russia) 56.057°N, 160.638°E; summit elev. 4835 m

KVERT reported that during 15-22 October seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi was above background levels and two lava flows from the summit crater traveled down the SW and W flanks. Satellite imagery analyses showed a large and intense daily thermal anomaly over the volcano and ash plumes that drifted 420 km E and SE. Strombolian activity, observed every day, ejected material 250 m above the crater. Ash plumes rose to an altitude of 7.5 km (24,600 ft) a.s.l. during 20-21 October and to an altitude of 6.5 km (21,300 ft) a.s.l. on the other days during 15-22 October. The Aviation Color Code level remained at Orange.

On 23 October, KVERT reported increased seismicity, characterized by an abrupt change in volcanic tremor, and explosive activity. Ash plumes rose to altitudes of 8-9 km (26,200-29,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted more than 300 km N. The Aviation Color Code level was raised to Red. The next day the magnitude of tremor decreased and gas-and-steam plumes rose to an altitude of 6.5 km (21,300 ft) a.s.l. Gas-and-steam plumes possibly containing ash drifted SE. The Aviation Color Code level was lowered to Orange. On 25 October, the magnitude of volcanic tremor fluctuated. Ash plumes rose to altitudes of 8-8.5 km (26,200-27,900 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE. The Aviation Color Code level was again raised to Red. The VAAC reported on 26 October that ash was observed in satellite imagery.

Geologic Summary. Kliuchevskoi is Kamchatka's highest and most active volcano. Since its origin about 7,000 years ago, the beautifully symmetrical, 4,835-m-high basaltic stratovolcano has produced frequent moderate-volume explosive and effusive eruptions without major periods of inactivity. More than 100 flank eruptions, mostly on the NE and SE flanks of the conical volcano between 500 m and 3,600 m elevation, have occurred during the past 3,000 years. The morphology of its 700-m-wide summit crater has been frequently modified by historical eruptions, which have been recorded since the late-17th century. Historical eruptions have originated primarily from the summit crater, but have also included major explosive and effusive events from flank craters.

MERAPI Central Java (Indonesia) 7.542°S, 110.442°E; summit elev. 2968 m

CVGHM reported that from the end of September to 20 October the rate of inflation at Merapi was 0.6 cm per day. On 21 October the rate increased to 10.5 cm per day, and incidents of incandescence from the lava dome increased. CVGHM raised the Alert Level to 3 (on a scale of 1-4). The rate of inflation increased sharply on 24 October to a rate of 42 cm per day. The next day, CVGHM raised the Alert Level to 4, and recommended immediate evacuation for several communities (news reports estimated 11,000-19,000 people) within a 10-km radius.

An eruption began at about 1700 on 26 October that was characterized by explosions along with pyroclastic flows that traveled WSW and SE. CVGHM reported that multiple pyroclastic flows occurred until 1854, when the pyroclastic flow activity started to subside. Most of the pyroclastic flows lasted 2 to 9 minutes, except for two that lasted 33 minutes each. Booming noises were heard, and incandescence from the crater was seen from the Selo observation post to the N. An ash plume was also observed rising 1.5 km above the crater.

According to news articles, officials noted that about 15,000 people had not yet evacuated, even though several minor eruptions had already occurred prior to 26 October. Reports on 27 October noted that about 25 people died and several were injured.

Geologic Summary. Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, lies in one of the world's most densely populated areas and dominates the landscape immediately N of the major city of Yogyakarta. The steep-sided modern Merapi edifice, its upper part unvegetated due to frequent eruptive activity, was constructed to the SW of an arcuate scarp cutting the eroded older Batulawang volcano. Pyroclastic flows and lahars accompanying growth and collapse of the steep-sided active summit lava dome have devastated cultivated and inhabited lands on the volcano's western-to-southern flanks and caused many fatalities during historical time. The volcano is the object of extensive monitoring efforts by the Merapi Volcano Observatory (MVO).

Map

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM), Associated Press, Associated Press, The Jakarta Globe, BBC News

Merapi Information from the Global Volcanism Program

PITON DE LA FOURNAISE Reunion Island 21.231°S, 55.713°E; summit elev. 2632 m

OVPDLF reported that an eruption from Piton de la Fournaise that began on 14 October from a fissure near the Château Fort crater, about 1.5 km SE of the Dolomieu crater rim, continued during 19-25 October. On 19 October, explosive and degassing activity from vents along the fissure increased, but was still below the intensity noted at the beginning of the eruption. During 20-21 October small lava fountains fed lava flows that traveled as far as 2 km E and SE. Decreased gas emissions were concentrated to the S and W of the fissure. During 22-24 October fountains and gas emissions originated from one vent, and lava traveled ESE. Gas emissions decreased significantly.

Geologic Summary. Massive Piton de la Fournaise shield volcano on the island of Réunion is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Most historical eruptions have originated from the summit and flanks of a 400-m-high lava shield, Dolomieu, that has grown within the youngest of three large calderas. This depression is 8 km wide and is breached to below sea level on the eastern side. More than 150 eruptions, most of which have produced fluid basaltic lava flows within the caldera, have been documented since the 17th century. The volcano is monitored by the Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Observatory, one of several operated by the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris.

Map

Source: Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise (OVPDLF)

Piton de la Fournaise Information from the Global Volcanism Program

the source ...
www.volcano.si.edu...

Originally posted by riverbank
i live in yogyakarta, i can see merapi from my house and that's right, the mountain now erupt...

most of the street now covered by the ash form the mountain... we all now evacuate, its just like watching an disaster movie, really horrible...

now we have a new problem like
- 13 people on the hospital, 1 people die
- lack of gas mask, i can smell sulfur now if i open my mask
- the government says it's just the beginning, the eruption will getting bigger

photo of the ash rain coming form te mountain... in front of the rescue post

edit on 26-10-2010 by riverbank because: (no reason given)

According to Eruptions blog, bigthink.com...
the ash has reached Yogyakarta

Ash from this latest eruption, as James mentioned, has made it all the way to Yogjakarta (40 km away), reducing visible in the city to only about 50 meters. Ash was also reported as far as 65 km away in Klanten (Central Java). Supplies of masks to protect from breathing in the air are in short supply as well. However, there is no intention right now to evacuate anyone in Yogjakarta, whose population is over 400,000.

This is for Riverbank -
I hope you and your family are safe. Hope to hear from you soon.

Stay safe riverbank, taking photos is not a priority. I wish you the best. Have courage and prosper through this possibly life changing event.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


From the last Papakilohoku in Hawaii: Michael Kumukauoha Lee

On Saturday November 20, 2010 between 4:30 pm to 6:35 pm Halemaumau crater will erupt sending out a massive lava fountain.These will be the signs of the impending eruption:

1. First sign will take place on the Big Island of Hawaii on Wednesday November 17, 2010 a violent storm will hit the regions of Puna and Kau heavy rain fall.

2. The second sign will take place at Kilauea crater Halemaumau section small earthquake swarms will increase as magma moves into position on Thursday November 18, 2010 at noon towards evening.

3. The third sign will be witnesses by Hawaii Volcano's Nation Park rangers and staff on Friday November 19, 2010 six rainbows on the Eastern Rim of Halemaumau Crater.

4. THE EVENT will take place late in the afternoon towards evening as a orange yellow glowing fountain of lava pours forth on Saturday November 20, 2010.

5. Lava will fill up Halemaumau crater by the second week of December 2010 and cross the road eastward towards the Big Island of Hawaii's capital city Hilo.

6. By Christmas time in December 2010 the lava from Halemaumau will be in striking distance of Hilo town. There is only one way to stop the lava at this point which has been done twice before in Hawaii's history.
Once in 1801 at the lava flow of Hualalae stopped by King Kamehameha I and the second in 1880's with the lava flow of a Kilauea moving towards Hilo once before and it was stopped by Princess Ruth.

7. Answer to stop the lava flow kuliana.

Originally posted by Mr. Lee
On Saturday November 20, 2010 between 4:30 pm to 6:35 pm Halemaumau crater will erupt sending out a massive lava fountain.These will be the signs of the impending eruption:

1. First sign will take place on the Big Island of Hawaii on Wednesday November 17, 2010 a violent storm will hit the regions of Puna and Kau heavy rain fall.

And so on Thursday November 18th, when this does not happen, I suppose you will change your prediction for the 20th?

Uh- huh... And then by December you will realize that the skeptical here have every reason to be so skeptical of predictions like yours when we have watched a million of them come and go?

So Mr. Lee, what makes your predictions stand out from the rest of the garbage that gets posted daily on this and other sites? Do tell- cause ignorance-denying minds wanna know!

reply to post by Mr. Lee


Mr Lee, this is the second time you have posted this prediction.
How do you know this? What are you basing this on?
Where does your information come from?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


Merapi cam has cleared, finally, its still dark there, but will be light in a few hours from now. Check it out, it's showing eruption on camera.

www.merapi.bgl.esdm.go.id...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5c0285b91943.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/041d709ecbfb.jpg[/atsimg]


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/471a0f3f50af.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5017121d345f.jpg[/atsimg]

I made a movie for ya'll



About 100 stills. Took me a few hours.

edit to add I am a dunce, misspelled Merapi. sheesh

reply to post by berkeleygal


Cool!

You have some good, clear shots picked out from that cam! I haven't been able to catch much of anything from it myself- always seem to check it at the wrong times.

But hey, I got a zillion channels of GEE to monitor, another zillion websites to check on, dinner to cook, a house to clean, and and.... etc. You know the drill....

I happened to catch that at just the right time. Was a busy next half hour or so saving images and refreshing the page.

She is still smoking as I write this. White smoke/steam/ash not black at the moment.

www.merapi.bgl.esdm.go.id...

reply to post by berkeleygal


Ah cool, it went!
Yeah, TL movie making is a lot of work. I have 700 frames of stills still to be made into one. Unfortunately it`s footage from Merapi before it goes (0500 - 0800). The prequel to your movie, so to speak.

It's bound to hit this theater tomorrow.

Thanx for making the action movie! great stuff!

Just hit the AP...

Booming new eruption unleased by Indonesia volcano

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia (AP) -- Evacuees cringed and fled for cover Monday as an erupting volcano - one of 22 showing increased activity in Indonesia - let loose booming explosions of hot gas and debris in its most powerful blast in a deadly week. No new casualties were reported.

The new blast came as Indonesia also struggles to respond to a tsunami that devastated a remote chain of islands. The twin disasters, unfolding simultaneously on opposite ends of the seismically active country, have killed nearly 500 people and severely tested the government's emergency response network. In both events, the military has been called in to help.

Source

~Heff

reply to post by berkeleygal


I have nothing to contribute to this thread, but i watch this and other threads in the Fragile Earth forum and i wanted to take a moment to say "thank you" to each of you.

There must be many, many more ATSers and lurkers who benefit from all the work you good folks do on the Fragile Earth forum. I commend you for your dedication.

If the U.S. had journalists as thorough and dedicated to bringing information to the public as ya'll are, we'd be much better off.

So, a whopping "thank you" and a round of applause to all of you.

reply to post by Mr. Lee

UPDATE from Mr. Lee

Maunal Loa eruption likely in the Puu Ulaula region of the eastern flank of Mauna Loa during the week of
November 20, 2010 and December 20, 2010.

Signed;

Michael Kumukauoha Lee
Ewa Beach Oahu, Hawaii

reply to post by Mr. Lee

UPDATE from: Mr. Lee

Mauna Loa likely to erupt in the Puu Ulaula region of its Eastern flank on the week of November 20, 2010
and the week of December 20, 2011.

signed:

Michael Kumukauoha Lee
Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

reply to post by Mr. Lee


UPDATE from Mr. Lee

Mauna Loa's Eastern flank near the Puu Ulaula region likely to erupt on the week of November 20, 2010 and the week of December 20, 2010.

signed,
Michael Kumukauoha Lee
Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

There are some amazing Merapi pics here: www.dailymail.co.uk...
It puts into perspective how terrifying it would be to have that ash cloud travelling towards you. Then the pic of the dead animal....the harsh reality of it.