Volcano watch 2006

AUGUSTINE VOLCANO has been extremely active since January with several eruptions in 2005. I would assume that the 2006 eruptions are related with its activity last year, though it has been stated as new eruptions.

Credit: Volcano World.

The current level of Concern Color Code of the Volcano is ORANGE.

According to a recent news bulletin issued by the Alaska Volcano Obsevatory

Seismicity at Augustine remains at low-levels but is still above background.
Low-level ash plumes and occasional pyroclastic flows on the island's flanks continue. A white steam plume can be seen on the on-island web camera this morning, rising ~500 feet above the summit. Persistent thermal signal and occasional light ash emission. Further explosive activity producing ash clouds to altitudes over 25,000 feet may still occur with little or no warning. AVO is monitoring the situation closely and the observatory is staffed 24/7.

Augustine is not the only Volcano active in the world. We have many others showing more activity than usual, besides the increasing quakes everywhere and the solar and geomagnetic activity.

Some activity going on in Jakarta's Mount Merapi.



It may interest you to know that "merapi" means 'fiery', from the Malay root word for fire -- api.

Volcanoes in general seem to be very busy recently. Makes you wonder if this is the prelude to something bigger.

I've been watching the Yellowstone thing pretty closely. I'm going to try to get out there later this year to see the changes in person.

Landis, if you visit the Park, please let me know your comments about it.
I´ll be looking forward to it.

New activity:

Japan:
Minor eruption detected at volcano in Hokkaido

A volcano in Hokkaido erupted early Tuesday, spewing a small amount of ash into the air, the Meteorological Agency said.

Mount Meakandake on Hokkaido erupted about 6:28 a.m., the weather agency said in a news release.

A column of white smoke up to 400 meters high was observed moving toward the southeast.

New Zealand
Erupting NZ volcano 'still volatile'

A South Pacific volcano remained volatile, with observers reporting a significant rise in the water level of its crater lake - a phenomenon that occurred shortly before its last major eruption in 1964.

The crater on the remote Raoul Island exploded on Friday, probably burying a New Zealand conservation worker, who has been missing since, under five metres of mud and ash.

Phillippines:
Bulusan volcano remains unsettled, emits strong steam, More explosions expected

BULUSAN volcano emits a continuous jet of steam after belching ash high into the sky overnight, but scientists say there is no imminent danger of a violent eruption.
Mount Bulusan spewed 1.5-kilometer-high ash columns into the sky at 10:58 p.m. Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. No one was reported hurt.

Jaime Sincioco, in charge of monitoring volcanoes at the government institute, said the activity was followed by three more separate phreatic explosions -- ash puffs caused by magma coming into contact with water.

Looks like the ring of fire is quite active....




[edit on 3-23-2006 by worldwatcher]

There is many seismic activity at the Kermadec Islands, but let´s check the location of these quaks:
external image

On the world map of tectonic plates, one can see that an important subduction zone between the Indian-Australian plate and the Pacific plate, runs through the Kermadecs and through the main axis of NZ.

The melting plate causes volcanic activity in the area of the ridge, rising from about 100km depth, resulting in volcanoes rising up above the ridge. Such volcanoes formed the islands of the Kermadec Group

All the islands in the Kermadec Group have been formed by volcanic eruptions: Raoul is a stratovolcano - Macauley is quite a substantial volcano - The total land area of Curtis and Cheeseman - Previously known as French Rock, l'Esperance is but a pinnacle rising up steeply from the surrounding sea floor

Source of cientific information: Seafriends

From the above mentioned information and after the last quakes, I would say that something important is going to happen to a volcano or some volcanoes located at the Kermadec Islands (if it hasn´t already started). An eruption or eruptions is probably the reason for this seismological activity.

My previous post were my thoughts about it, now after checking around I have been able to find some interesting information I will share with you:

Raoul Volcano - Kermadec Islands - Last activity: March the 21st

An eruption began in the Green Lake area of Raoul Island volcano on 17 March around 0821. A strong sequence of earthquakes began during the evening of the 12th that declined in number and size a few days before the 17th. According to GNS, the eruption appeared to have occurred with no immediate warning. New Zealand Department of Conservation officials evacuated a dozen staff on the island. News articles reported that one person remained missing on the island as of 22 March. The last eruption from the Green Lake area occurred during November 1964-April 1965.

Source: VolcanoWorld

Scientists now believe the 17 March eruption at Raoul Island was caused by new magma rising to a shallow depth beneath the island, GNS Science said today.
Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited


Volcano status:
White Island is at alert level 1:
Signs of volcano unrest.
Mt Ruapehu is at alert level 1:
Signs of volcano unrest.
Raoul Island is at alert level 2:
Minor eruptive activity.

Information in relation with the other volcanoes in the Kermadec Islands are welcome.



[edit on 1-4-2006 by Ptolomeo]

Another volcano has erupted. The gods have awoken.

Tanzanian volcano erupts

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) -- A volcano in northern Tanzania known to locals as "the mountain of God" has erupted, forcing about 3,000 people to flee clouds of ash, a conservation official said Tuesday.

"Luckily there are no injuries or deaths," he told AP Tuesday, adding that both eruptions took place at night.

Another Alaskan volcano becomes active:

Volcano erupts

Mt. Veniaminof on the Alaska Peninsula began to emit ash in the morning. The weather service issued an ashfall advisory for areas to the east of the volcano including the community of Chignik.

and in related news....sulphur smell over the South Pacific was thought to be related to the Anatahan volcano, but experts say it's smog and pollution from Asia that is lingering over the area.

Haze No threat to Health

And all this keeping an eye on the Kermadec Islands, I am still worried about the increase of seismic activity...

On 24 March, small phreatic eruptions began at Poas.
The eruptions originated from the bottom of the volcano's Caliente Lake.
On the 25the of March it was confirmed that water, blocks, and sediments from the bottom of the lake had been ejected. Several dozens of impact craters were seen with diameters between 15 and 60 cm, extending E as far as 700 m.

(Reports provided courtesy of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program.)

Source: Volcano World

This volcano might erupt soon.





Zoomable map here:
encarta.msn.com...

Lascar Volcano in Chile erupts.


click image to enlarge

The Lascar volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the central Andes, located 1,600 km (994 miles) north of Santiago, begins erupting on Tuesday morning with a column of smoke and ashes rising some 3,000 meters (1,864 miles) above the crater floor April 18, 2006. more images

[edit on 19-4-2006 by Regenmacher]

i think alot of the 'something is definately happening' posters need to remember that yes, something is happening, but its not new, unsually active or (unless you live next to one on alert 3) something to worry about. there are volcanoes erupting EVERY DAY and have since before life was here on earth...............the gods havent awoken, the sky isnt falling and elvis has not come back from the dead.........its just the planet recycling itself

Ubinas volcano in Peru is spewing, ash, smoke and toxic gas. Local people are finally starting to leave after being recommended to leave earlier in the week.

Ubinas, which had been inactive for almost 40 years, has been spitting out ash, smoke and toxic gases for most of the month, alarming thousands of people living in nearby rural areas, killing livestock and polluting water sources.

The government recommended evacuation early in the week, but it was not until Friday that dozens of people began reluctantly to leave farming towns in the area covered in a thick carpet of ash.

link

link

There seems to be a change in Mt. St. Helens.
Been seeing smoke from the dome and an increase in the size of the dome.

Recent observations: The volcano rim and crater are intermittently visible from Johnston Ridge despite the deck of clouds enveloping most of western Washington this morning. Eruptive behavior remains unchanged, and the extruding new dome continues its steady westward march at a rate of about one meter per day. Very small earthquakes continue to occur roughly once each several minutes.

Rock Slab Growing at Mount St. Helens

If the skies are clear as forecast, volcano watchers who turn out for the reopening of the Johnston Ridge Observatory on Friday will get a spectacular view of a hulking slab of rock that's rapidly growing in Mount St. Helens' crater.

It's jutting up from one of seven lobes of fresh volcanic rock that have been pushing their way through the surface of the crater since October 2004.

The fin-shaped mass is about 300 feet tall and growing 4 feet to 5 feet a day, though it occasionally loses height from rockfalls off its tip, said Dan Dzurisin, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey.

4 or 5 feet a day!

Originally posted by loam

It looks like the Sydney Opera House The fat lady is preparing to sing! Watch out!

[edit on 2006/5/7 by Hellmutt]

Update on Mount St. Helens

May 6, 2006 - 1500 UTC

Current Status: Volcano Advisory Alert Level 2
Aviation Color Code: Orange

Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases and minor production of ash.

The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind.

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from NOAA, coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift principally to the east or southeast.

According to recent observations, the eruption continues.
Views from Johnston Ridge Observatory and cameras on the crater rim and floor, obscured due to clouds.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington continue to monitor the situation closely and will issue additional updates and changes in alert level as warranted.

Source: US Geological Survey

I was watching the BBC´s excellent "Mount St. Helens´eruption" and all the figures (these day) are very similar to the data they managed in 1980.
Mount St. Helens seems to behave the same way. Don´t you think so?