December - Volcanoes 2006:   BEIJING,  (Xinhuanet) -- Imagine a volcano avalanche generated tsunami 10 stories high containing enough sediment and rock to cover the entire island of Manhattan with a layer of debris thicker than the height of Empire State Building. According to a computer simulation, that's what happened 8,000 years ago in Sicily when Mt. Etna erupted and produced an avalanche that hurled six cubic miles of dirt and rock into the water, creating a tsunami that spread across the entire Mediterranean Sea and onto the shore of three continents in only a few hours. The mountain of rubble swept into the sea at more than 200 mph, pulverized the seabed and changed thick layers of soft marine sediment into jelly. It also started an underwater mudslide that flowed for hundreds of miles. Researchers at the National Institute of Geology and Volcanolgy in Italy have also linked the tsunami with the mysterious abandonment of Atlit-Yam, a Neolithic village located along the coast of present-day Israel. When archeologists discovered the village about 20 years ago, they found evidence of a sudden evacuation, including a pile of fish that had been gutted and sorted but then left to rot. "A tsunami was not suspected before," said lead researcher Maria Pareschi. To create their computer simulation, researchers used sonar-equipped boats to survey seafloor sediment displaced by the Mt. Etna avalanche. Their recreation suggests the tsunami's waves reached heights of up to 130 feet and maximum speeds of up to 450 mph, making it more powerful than the Indonesian tsunami that killed more than 180,000 people in 2004. According to Pareschi, if the same tsunami struck today, Southern Italy would be covered with water within the first 15 minutes. An hour later the waves would reach Greece's western coasts. After an hour and a half, the city of Benghazi in Northern Africa would be hit. At the three and a half hour mark, the waves would have traversed the entire Mediterranean to reach the coasts of Israel, Lebanon and Syria. "Should the Neolithic Etna tsunami have occurred today, the impact is tremendous because the Eastern Mediterranean coasts are much inhabited ones," Pereschi said. Avalanches and minor eruptions still occur on Mt. Etna today, but so far, nothing approaching the magnitude of the ancient event.

Mudslide of Volcanic Debris Kills 19 People in Albay: The stricken village of Padang, on the outskirts of Legazpi City southeast of Manila, is on the foothills of the Mayon Volcano, which erupted in July, depositing millions of tons of rocks and ash on its slopes, Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal said.

Volcano Erupts on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula: KAMCHATSKY - The Karymsky volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East has increased its activity, spewing ash up to an altitude of 22,637 feet.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a second volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s Far East has erupted, spewing ash up to an altitude of 26,500 feet.

A team of Thai and German marine geologists has found four submarine mud volcanoes about 200 kilometers from Phuket. The first and biggest volcano about 200km from Phuket, about 650 meters under the sea. Its base is about 800 meters in diameter and it is 100 meters high. The second volcano is located 50km west of the first volcano at a depth of about 1,000 meters. The third and fourth volcanoes have bases about 500 meters in diameter and are 60-70 meters high. They are located about 60km northeast of the second volcano and are at a depth of 700 to 800 meters. These are the first submarine mud volcanoes discovered in Southeast Asia. But an aboveground mud volcano exists at Baratang Island, in India's Andaman Islands, about 200 to 300km away. The team of marine geologists suspected the mud volcanoes they had found were like submarine mud volcanoes off Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.

Another active volcano has been discovered on Kamchatka Peninsula - the Ichinskaya Sopka volcano, which was thought to be the only active volcano of the Sredinny (Middle) Range of Kamchatka, has a companion – the Khangar volcano. The Khangar volcano appears to have had two active periods in the recent geologic period. Scientists have classified the volcano as a potentially active volcano, which now is relatively dormant.

Iwojima may be headed for eruption - Japan's Geographical Survey Institute is watching Iwojima carefully for a possible volcanic eruption as it has recorded a 12-cm elevation in the land on the southeastern region of the island in the last month, the BIGGEST INCREASE SINCE 1997 when it began taking measurements. The land is rising faster than the speed of the elevation observed just before an eruption on the island in September 2001. "It is unclear whether the move will immediately lead to an eruption, but careful observation is needed." The total elevation has surpassed 20 cm since the land began rising in August.

Volcano Alert in Sulawesi Indonesia has raised the alert level at a volcano on the northeastern Sulawesi Island after it belched hot ash, fearing a possible eruption within two weeks.

Yellowstone Lava Domes Swelling Fast

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - A geologist says some parts of the continually shifting, collapsed volcano at the center of the park are swelling unusually fast.

Visitors Kept Away from Hawaii Volcano VOLCANO, Hawaii - Visitors to one of the world's most active volcanoes are being kept hundreds of feet away from a 55-acre lava delta that authorities believe may soon collapse into the Pacific Ocean.
Red Alert for Indonesian Volcano

Jakarta authorities raised the Cebeles Isles to red code, top-alert Monday, due to possible eruption of the Soputan Volcano, which has spewed hot volcanic ash. Experts believe Soputan may be about to erupt in the next two weeks after it expelled volcanic dust for nearly two miles down its eastern slope. When it last erupted in December 2004, Soputan spewed streams of lava 24 miles.
Mount St. Helens Lets Off Huge Plume of Steam

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Like a giant smokestack, percolating Mount St. Helens let loose a billowing steam plume easily seen Tuesday in downtown Portland, Ore., about 80 kilometers away.
PHILIPPINES-Bulusan volcano spewed ash onto several villages along its slopes early today, but scientists said a major eruption was unlikely. Breaking two months of silence, Mount Bulusan, one of the country's 22 active volcanoes, belched ash for about 20 minutes accompanied by rumbles and lightning flashes. Scientists said they found ash deposits of up to 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) in several villages on Bulusan's foothills. The latest activity may signal another bout of ash explosions in the coming days and weeks, the institute said in a statement, adding it was maintaining the lowest alert level for the volcano. A dangerous combination of rains and mud that could trigger landslides has put authorities on alert.

Seismic activity has intensified on the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. About 200 seismic events have been registered in the area since Monday. Earthquakes were registered at a depth of 30 kilometers under the central crater. Thermal anomaly has also been observed on the volcano. According to scientists, there is no reason to say that the volcano will intensify activity in the coming weeks, but it is not ruled out that it will grow. The giant mount erupts once in five or six years. The most recent eruption was observed in winter-spring 2005.

High Alert for Montserrat Volcano: 27-Montserrat was put on high alert this past weekend as large plumes of ash were seen leaving the Langs Soufriere volcano climbing at times to an estimated 10 thousand feet into the air.

RUSSIA - Second Volcano Erupts in Russia’s Far East in Two Days - a second volcano has erupted on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, spewing out ash up to an altitude of 6 miles. A village 31 miles away from the Shiveluch volcano was covered with ash, and volcanic tremors were registered in the area. Officials have instructed local residents to avoid leaving their houses as particles of volcanic ash hanging in the air could cause poisoning and serious diseases. Shiveluch, the northernmost active volcano on Kamchatka, is the second to erupt on the Pacific peninsula in two days. The other volcano, which has erupted, recently is Bezymyanny, which is about 62 miles from Shiveluch. Experts said the outbursts are not linked as the volcanoes belong to different magma chambers and their almost simultaneous eruptions are a coincidence. About 450 minor quakes were registered daily near a third volcano, Karymsky. Experts from the Moscow International Institute for Earthquake Prediction and Computing Geophysics earlier said there was a 30% probability that an earthquake of more than 7.2 will hit Kamchatka in December.

Preparing for the Wrath of Vesuvius: By Johann Grolle-Vesuvius has been quiet for the last 62 years -- and that's cause for concern. Italian authorities are preparing for the next eruption of the most dangerous volcano in the world. The ground south of Mt. Vesuvius has been shaken by tremors 52 times during the last 24 hours, Italy's leading volcanologist explains. Three hundred tons of sulfur dioxide has spewed out of the crater. Other ominous signs of an impending catastrophe are mounting: The coast guard has sighted gaseous bubbles in the sea, and dead fish are floating on the waves. The water in the boroughs of Ercolano and Torre del Greco tastes sourer and sourer. And, as if that weren't enough, GPS stations have observed that the ground in the region is rising -- by no less than 20 centimeters (8 inches) in a single day. Geologists found evidence for eight mighty "Plinian eruptions" in the rock layers of Vesuvius -- all within the past 25,000 years. 

 

November - Volcanoes 2006:   Fissures have opened in the Earth's surface in Afar as the Arabian and Nubian tectonic plates pull apart. Scientists say the process is the same as that which created the Atlantic.

Pacific Ocean Gives Birth to New Volcanic Island: The Pacific Ocean has given birth to a new volcanic island near Tonga, according to ocean-going eyewitnesses.

The city of Clearlake is home to an active volcano that may erupt violently within the next 10,000 years. Clearlake is a location that the United States Geology Survey recently named as a "high threat" location that should be monitored more closely. The next eruption in Clearlake, a city about 80 miles west of Sacramento, would probably be a violent explosion of magma, not a small lava flow. The volcano in Clearlake may be "actively recharging" for a future eruption for several reasons. The Earth's crust around the volcano is giving off an UNUSUAL amount of heat, and is emitting gases that are chemically similar to magma. Geologists have observed earthquakes below the Earth's surface in Clearlake, and they "have a fluid signature," which points to the existence of magma below the Earth's surface.

California Volcano Showing Signs of Life: The city of Clearlake, Calif., is home to an active volcano that may erupt violently sometime in the future, said Lisa Hammersley, professor of geology. "It would probably be a violent explosion of magma, not a small lava flow."

Activity continues at Ulawun volcano in Papua New Guinea. Satellite images show a low level plume on Friday 17th November. Ulawun is the highest volcano in the 1000 km long Bismarck volcanic arc, which stretches from Rabaul to Wewak. Pumice from the August eruption of Home Reef in Tonga has reached Tanna Island in southern Vanuatu. This is 1600 km distant from the eruption site.

Activity has increased at Yasur volcano in Vanuatu. Projectiles are regularly being ejected beyond the crater rim and reach a height of 400 m above the crater. Yasur is one of the world's most active volcanoes.

Indonesian 'Merapi' Volcano Calms Down After Spewing Hot Clouds

JAKARTA -- Mt. 'Merapi' in Indonesia's Java Island calmed down Tuesday morning after spewing hot clouds up to three kilometers.
Philippine Taal Volcano Spews Muddy Water PHILIPPINES - 'Taal' Volcano's main crater has been spewing three to five-meter-high geysers of muddy water since Friday morning: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Killer Gas Blast at Mud Volcano: JAVA - Eight people were killed and perhaps dozens thought to be missing Thursday after an underground gas pipeline exploded near a gas well spewing mud in Indonesia - Java's "mud volcano." The blast shot flames 500 meters into the night sky and burst a dyke built to contain hot mud that has inundated East Java's Sidoarjo district, sweeping away vehicles and forcing the closure of a nearby highway.

CATANIA, Sicily -- Volcanic ash spewed from simmering Mount Etna on Friday, forcing authorities to close a nearby airport, officials said.

MOUNT ST. HELENS -- Mt. St. Helens isn't happy. It's moving and shaking, trying to get a huge plug of rock out of its craw.

Seismolgists Get Handle on Heat Flow Deep in Earth The latest evidence of this dynamic inner Earth is revealed in a recent series of measurements that peered deep within Earth, halfway to its center. The new experiments have yielded important results that help determine temperature halfway to the center of Earth. It also has implications for the age of Earth's solid inner core and how its magnetic field may be generated.

Taal Crater Lake is Off Limits: Volcanologists warned yesterday local residents and tourists to stay away from the main crater area of the Taal volcano, saying the sudden steam and gas explosions at its mouth could endanger their lives. An increase in seismicity has been recorded at Taal Volcano in Philippines. Twenty-nine earthquakes were recorded in a 24-hour period from 6am Saturday. The earthquakes were accompanied by rumbling sounds. The main crater has been placed off limits because of the possibility of explosions or gas emissions.

Volcano in Eastern Congo Spews Lava: KINSHASA, Congo — A volcano erupted late Monday near the city of Goma in eastern Congo, spewing lava in an area devastated by a major eruption four years ago. Volcanic Ash Forces Closing of Airport: ROME Clouds of volcanic ash billowing from Mount Etna forced authorities Monday to shut down the airport near the Sicilian city of Catania for a fourth straight night.  

 

Fourpeaked volcano is rumbling again. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says a seismometer indicates activity has been ongoing all week. Clouds are impeding closer observations. The volcano has been spewing high quantities of sulfur dioxide. Fourpeaked volcano is not known to have erupted historically and the age of the last eruption is not known. Geological investigations have been limited and ice covers much of the area. However, the composition of the volcano indicates that eruptions of Fourpeaked can be explosive, possibly producing plumes that reach in excess of 33,000 ft. above sea level and local ashfall.

Volcano Erupts on NZ's North Island. Scientists say an eruption of Mount Ruapehu last week sent 6m-high waves across the crater lake. A team of scientists made it to the top of Mount Ruapehu on Saturday, and confirmed the mountain definitely did erupt. The scientists say the blast caused waves 6m high to lash the side of the crater lake and raised the temperature of the water by at least seven degrees. They say the eruption was contained within the lake. Although seismic activity at Ruapehu is now at normal levels, crevasses are opening up in the basin, and avalanche conditions may develop as the spring sun softens the new snow.

Mt Tavurvur - the erupting volcano on the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain is forcing people to evacuate their homes, as large volumes of ash fall on the town of Rabaul. There are reports of doors slamming, windows rattling and ash falling as far away as Kokopo across the harbor from Rabaul. "People are spontaneously evacuating from areas of heavy ash fall and those exposed to the worst of the air blasts. These are quite alarming." The ash column was around 5000m high with thunder and lightning within it.

A large eruption occurred at Rabaul volcano in Papua New Guinea on Saturday 7th October. Ash was emitted to 60,000 ft. The eruption began at 0845 hr local time, at Tavurvur crater, and was accompanied by loud noises and volcanic lightning. Ash emissions reduced visibility and blocked out sunlight.

Ground Deformation Summary: Through September 2006, continuous GPS data show that most of the Yellowstone caldera continued moving upward at the same relative rates as the past year. The maximum measured ground uplift over the past 24 months is ~12 cm at the White Lake GPS stations. The general uplift of the Yellowstone caldera is scientifically interesting and will continue to be monitored closely by YVO staff.

Mount Bulusan Explodes Ash, Alarming Villagers. After about four months of relative calm. JAKARTA - Mount Bulusan in the eastern Philippines spewed ash for a third day Thursday, covering at least a dozen villages, scientists said.  After five months of calm, Bulusan -- located in Sorsogon Province, 405 kilometers southeast of Manila -- began blasting thick columns of ash into the air on Tuesday.

SAN SALVADOR - Authorities in El Salvador declared an alert on Tuesday for an area around the Chaparrastique volcano after the peak began rumbling ominously.

After spewing smoke and molten rock for the past 16 months, India's only active volcano appears to be sputtering out, a geologist observing the eruption said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, A total of 230 minor quakes have been registered over the past 24 hours near the most active volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East, local seismologists said Wednesday. Experts said Mount Karymsky, in the southeast of the peninsular, which rises to 1,536 meters (5,039 feet) above sea level, spewed ash emissions up to an altitude of around 3,600 meters, although a precise evaluation was made difficult by the volcano's remoteness from detection equipment. This year more than 1,200 people, including 542 children, were evacuated from the north of the Kamchatka peninsula after a series of earthquakes. The first 7.8-magnitude quake, the strongest in the Koryak Autonomous Area since 1900, injured 31 people on April 21 and had an epicenter about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the town of Khailino.

QUITO, Ecuador about 300 villagers were evacuated from the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano following a surprise eruption of ash, lava and incandescent rocks, a local mayor said Thursday. Experts have warned that renewed explosions could come any time from the 16,575-foot volcano located about 85 miles south of the capital, Quito. What we have seen now is evidence that something there could be something similar to the episodes in July and August," said Hugo Yepes, director of Ecuador's Geophysics Institute. "Inside the ground there is a chamber of magma much larger than the volcano itself." Thousands of people were also evacuated in July during an earlier eruption. Unlike that eruption, which followed months of loud, booming explosions and rumbling, the smaller explosion late Wednesday came with no warning. "There wasn't a single sound. There was fire and lava that made us takes precautionary measures."

Indonesia Disaster Shows Risks of Mud Volcanoes. OSLO - Risks from volcanoes that ooze mud rather than spew lava have long been underestimated worldwide, even with a cataclysmic mudflow in another part of Java that has swamped an area the size of Monaco and forced 10,000 people from their homes.

PORTLAND, OR - (Mount St. Helens) a rock fall triggered by a minor earthquake at Mount St. Helens on Saturday afternoon generated a plume of ash that was visible through much of the Portland-Vancouver metro area. The 3:13 p.m. quake registered 3.5 on the Richter scale and was centered in the crater of the erupting volcano, about 0.2 miles beneath the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Volcanic ash blankets Filipino villages. A volatile volcano in the eastern Philippines has spewed a column of ash a kilometer high in a sudden explosion that has covered four villages in soot. Villagers have been warned of further dangerous activity from Mount Bulusan, which has already belched giant clouds of smoke and ash twice this month.

THIRD UPDATE: Mt. Bulusan Explodes Again Sending Ash Thousands of Feet into the Atmosphere.

Sorsogon City (Philippines) -- Mt. Bulusan exploded anew early morning Monday, October 23, sending a column of dark brown ash one-kilometer skyward from its crater. PHIVOLCS seismographs also recorded six volcanic earthquakes 30 minutes before the explosion and recorded Sulfur Dioxide emission rate of 787 tons per day.

Volcano's Activity Increases on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula The Karymsky volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East has increased its activity, spewing ash emissions up to an altitude of around 16,400 feet. Some 450 Quakes have been registered on Kamchatka near Karymsky Volcano.

Catania, Italy- Sicily's Mount Etna, Europe's largest volcano, continued erupting overnight to Thursday with a 2,000 meter- high lava flow streaming into the valley below. The glowing rock mass was flowing, according to vulcanologists in the region, down the southerly face of the mountain. It was unclear whether a new crater had been opened or whether an old one had become active. A strong earthquake measuring 5.6, which may be related to Etna volcano eruption, was felt on the Italian mainland and on the island of Sicily.

Aleutian Islands -- An Aleutian Islands volcano erupted Saturday, spitting ash at least 20,000 feet into the sky, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Cleveland Volcano was quiet Sunday. Short eruptions like Saturday's have been typical at the volcano in recent years, the observatory reported. It was the fourth such eruption this year. Cleveland Volcano is just west of Dutch Harbor, about 940 miles from Anchorage. 

 

September - Volcanoes 2006:   New eruptions have begun at Mt Etna volcano in Italy. Seismic activity was reported on the evening of 30th August. On the morning of 31st August Strombolian eruptions were observed at SE crater. Regular explosions occurred every 5-10 seconds. There has been an increase in volcanic activity at Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat.  There was a pyroclastic flow, which may have reached the sea down the Tar River valley. An ash cloud reached 30,000 ft elevation. Eruptions continue at Mt Belinda volcano on Montagu Island, South Sandwich Islands. During August hotspots were visible on multiple days on satellite images. Eruptions continue at three volcanoes in Guatemala. Incandescent lava flows are visible at Pacaya volcano, and a crater glow is visible at night. At Fuego volcano lava avalanches descend 300 m towards the south. Rumbling sounds were emitted from the crater. Lava avalanches occurred at Santa Maria volcano from Santiaguito lava dome. Ash emissions reach 1.5 km above the volcano. Multiple hotspots were visible on a satellite image of Merbabu volcano in Indonesia on 27th August 2006. Awaiting confirmation if there has been an eruption of the volcano. Merapi volcano is located nearby and has been erupting since May. Merbabu volcano last erupted in 1797.  Indonesia Raises Alert Level At Rumbling Volcano Solok, Indonesia: Scientists have raised the alert level at a rumbling volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra Island after it showed signs of increased activity.

 

Alaska hosts within its borders over 80 major volcanic centers that have erupted during the past 10,000 years. At least 29 of these volcanic centers had historical eruptions and 12 additional volcanic centers may have had historical eruptions. Historical in Alaska generally means the period since 1760 when explorers, travelers, and inhabitants kept written records. These 41 volcanic centers have been the source for more than 256 historical eruptions reported from Alaska volcanoes.

Mount Baker: 1840-1870: Historical literature refers to several episodes of small tephra-producing events in the mid 1800s, and increased fumarolic activity began in Sherman Crater near the summit in 1975 and remains elevated today.

Glacier Peak: 17th - 18th centuries: Between about 200 and 300 years ago, small eruptions deposited pumice and ash east of the volcano, and may have been observed by Native Americans.

Mount Rainier: 1894 & early 1800s: Several eyewitness accounts describe minor releases of steam and ash-laden steam during November and December 1894. The most recent eruption that formed a thin and discontinuous tephra layer, however, occurred during the first half of the 19th century.

Mount St. Helens: 1980-1986: Large explosive eruption on May 18, 1980, followed by 21 smaller eruptive episodes. The last 17 episodes built a lava dome in the volcano's crater.  1800-1857: Large explosive eruption in 1800 was followed by extrusions of lava that formed a lava flow on the volcano's northwest flank (Floating Island lava flow) and a lava dome on the north flank (Goat Rocks lava dome). Late 1700s: Layers of volcanic rocks record a variety of activity related to the growth of a lava dome at the volcano's summit, including pyroclastic flows, lahars, and tephra fall.

Mount Hood: 1856-1865 & late 1700s: According to eyewitnesses, small explosive eruptions occurred from the summit area between 1856 and 1865. In the latter half of the 18th century, however, a lava dome was erupted, which was accompanied by pyroclastic flows, lahars, and tephra fall.

Mount Shasta: 1786: An eruption cloud was observed above the volcano from a ship passing by north coast California, and the activity included pyroclastic flows.

Lassen Peak: 1914-1917: A series of small explosions that began on May 30, 1914, was followed 12 months later by extrusion of lava from the summit and a destructive pyroclastic flow and lahars on May 21, 1915. Minor activity continued through middle of 1917.

 

Yellowstone News: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA

Yellowstone Monthly Update issued Sep 2, 2006 23:05 MDT - Alert Level NORMAL - Aviation Color Code GREEN. August 2006 Yellowstone Seismicity Summary During August 2006, 82 earthquakes were located in the Yellowstone region. The largest of these shocks was a magnitude 2.7 on August 9, 2006 at 7:34 AM MDT, located about 3 miles north northwest of Fishing Bridge, Wyoming. This event was part of a swarm of small earthquakes in the Hayden Valley area and is in the same location as an intense swarm in fall 1978 that was accompanied by notable changes in hydrothermal features near Mud Volcano. No earthquakes in this period were reportedly felt. Earthquake activity in the Yellowstone region remains at relatively low background levels. Ground Deformation Summary: Through August 2006, continuous GPS data show that most of the Yellowstone caldera continued moving upward at the same (or somewhat lower) relative rates as the past year. The maximum measured ground uplift over the past 24 months is ~11 cm at the White Lake GPS stations.

 

Kilauea's 15-year-long eruption continues to exhibit the kind of activity that has made it the most destructive Hawaiian eruption of the last two centuries and the volcano one of the most popular destinations in the world. Every day more than 500,000 cubic meters of lava pour from Pu'u O'o, Kilauea's active vent, into lava tubes; much of this lava enters the ocean 12 km away. Lava flows no longer threaten communities on the south coast of Kilauea as they did several years ago (anchor "communities" to Kalapana section), but people continue to walk across potentially dangerous areas where lava enters the ocean and creates new unstable land. At Pu'u O'o, between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of sulfur dioxide gases are discharged into the atmosphere daily.

Temporary Seismic Stations Help Scientists Identify Hidden Subsurface Structures

Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo volcanic chain in eastern California form one of several geologically youthful volcanic systems in California that pose potential hazards to nearby population centers from future volcanic eruptions. Recurring earthquake swarms and episodes of ground uplift in the caldera since 1980 indicate that the magmatic system beneath these volcanic systems is still active and capable of renewed volcanic eruptions. An escalation of the unrest could pose a threat to the 5,000-person community of Mammoth Lakes and the tens of thousands of people who visit the area throughout the year. The USGS monitors the area intensively for earthquake activity, ground deformation, and gas and has developed a response plan in the event of increased unrest.

New Zealand: the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (IGNS) has reported that earthquake unrest continues, with about 20 small volcanic earthquakes being recorded each day near Ngauruhoe.

Fuego, one of Central America's most active volcanoes, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's former capital, Antigua. Collapse of the ancestral Meseta volcano about 8,500 years ago produced a massive debris avalanche that traveled about 50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. The Instituto National de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meterologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH), after being translated from Spanish, reported that short rumblings and weak sounds characterized like that of a locomotive 10 to 48 seconds of duration, took place in the central crater and 5 explosions elevate incandescent lava of 75 to 100 m over the edge of the central crater and simultaneously they generate avalanches of burning blocks towards the gorge of the Taniluyá. Other explosions elevate grayish clouds to 200 and 300 m of height and transported them to the west and expelled lava up to 20 m of alt.

Mt. Saint Helens: the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) reported that growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mt. St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. 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.

Montserrat Volcano: the Observatory (MVO) has reported that early morning visible as well as multi-spectral imagery reveals a 5.75 mi wide plume extending about 86.25 mi to the west of the summit. A hotspot is all seen on multi-spectral imagery. GOES-12 satellite is currently in eclipse mode but last multi-spectral image at 0345Z showed a 6.9 mi wide plume extending about 63.25-69 mi to the west of the summit. A hotspot was last seen at 2315Z. Winds are forecasted to shift more to the west-southwest over the next 12 hours. Later, visible imagery shows the plume currently moving just south of west. The plume bends to just north of west about 57.5 mi from the summit and extends up to a total of 230 mi west of the summit. Ash continues to be emitted from the volcano and since the plume has become consolidated from sfc/10,000 ft. all moving sw...the plume appears to have a higher density. A thin area of ash that was moving NW yesterday could be seen moving SW just south of St. Croix. This area is expected to dissipate in 6hrs. Ash height was raised slightly to 10,000 ft. based on height of tropical inversion and intensity of the multi-spectral signal of ash.

Geologists Keep Eye on Mount Douglas Area: ANCHORAGE - Volcano observers in Homer last Sunday night noticed dark gray plumes on the northern part of the Alaska Peninsula, in the Cape Douglas area. AVO received numerous reports of a large unusual cloud rising to heights of 20,000 ft.  Satellite images showed some sort of cloud rising over the Mount Douglas area.

At least 13 quakes and one small eruption with black smoke were recorded in the volcanic activities of Mount Talang in Solok district, West Sumatra.

Twin plumes were observed rising from Fourpeaked glacier. The area is located between Fourpeaked and Douglas volcanoes. Plumes reached 20,000 ft elevation. Fourpeaked volcano is located in the northeast corner of Katmai National Park. Trace of ashfall was recorded at Nonvianuk Lake outlet (110 km NW of the volcano) and near Homer (about 95 miles NE of the volcano). A cloud of sulphur dioxide was detected by satellite images. A strong sulphur smell was reported from the Stony River Valley, 300 km NW of Fourpeaked volcano. An over flight has confirmed an eruption of Fourpeaked volcano in Alaska. The unmonitored volcano has been inactive for thousands of years. Residents of Homer observed twin emissions last Sunday from an area at Fourpeaked glacier. Small earthquakes were detected in the area on Sunday measuring less than 1.8 magnitude.

Fourpeaked Mountain, a volcano that has been quiet for thousands of years, appears to be coming back to life. The Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage to code yellow upgraded Fourpeaked Volcano, about 80 miles northwest of Kodiak across Shelikof Strait, meaning restless with an eruption possible. “An atmospheric disturbance was recorded in Fairbanks. It is clear the sound waves were coming from Fourpeaked.” In addition, a cloud of sulfur dioxide gas was detected during the eruption. The last volcanic activity at Fourpeaked was more than 10,000 years ago and no recent volcanic or hydrothermal activity had been identified. Earthquake activity has now been detected below Fourpeaked. An earthquake located on Afognak Island 75 miles southeast of Fourpeaked, with a magnitude of 3.6, was reported Tuesday. The area is in the Cape Douglas area on Fourpeaked Glacier, south of St. Augustine Volcano, which is now designated as code green, or normal seismic activity, and could be emitting some ash that was reported earlier in the week. Ash emission Sept. 17, the abundant volcanic gases, the presence of new vents at the summit and the disruption and floods occurring at and below glaciers suggest new magma at shallow levels beneath the volcano, according to the observatory. A series of pits and elongate openings through glacial ice high on the north flank of the volcano are vigorously emitting volcanic gas and steam. Channels and debris fans on the ice field indicate that outbursts of water have occurred.

ALASKA - Fourpeaked Volcano, about 80 miles northwest of Kodiak across Shelikof Strait, was upgraded by the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage to code yellow, meaning restless with an eruption possible.

Mayon volcano on Monday showed renewed restiveness after falling on a quiet phase last Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. Phivolcs recorded a total of 14 volcanic quakes and 114 tremor episodes during the past 24 hours.

Fourpeaked volcano believed by scientists to be dormant for the last 10,000 years has rumbled to life with a burst of ash, gas and steam, signs that an eruption could occur in the coming days or weeks, a joint state and federal agency said on Tuesday.

Dempo Volcano in Southern Sumatra has been increased to level 2 alert (maximum 4) after an increase in seismic activity. The last eruption was in 1994 when mild explosions occurred at the Crater Lake.

PORONG, Indonesia - The “mud volcano” pours out some 165,000 cubic yards of mud every day – enough to cover a football field about 75 feet deep. Often spewing out in geyser-like eruptions, the mud has left some 665 acres swamped or abandoned as unsafe, forcing more than 10,000 people from their homes. In Java, experts have warned about the possible risk of volcanic eruption similar to that in Pompeii - for four months, millions of cubic meters of boiling mud have been flowing around the whereabouts of Porong; entire villages have already been submerged and 10,000 people displaced. Efforts to block the mudflow went on until academics concluded there was no way to stop it and that the only option was to contain the flow and channel it towards the sea, seeking to limit damage done. Meanwhile, tension is rising among local residents: for months, they have watched their homes, work and fields being submerged, and now they are protesting the absence of proper intervention. Roadblocks on the route from Malang to Surabaya have become the order of the day, with queues of cars of around 4 to 5 km long. Thousands of people have erected tents near the edge of the road, seeking shelter to escape the mud. Citing scientific studies, an expert said a mud volcano had been lying dormant under Porong for 4.9 million of years.

 

August - Volcanoes 2006:   Two More Earthquakes Hit Mount St. Helens Sixth 3.1+ Quake Since Tuesday. Two earthquakes registered Monday near Mount St. Helens. The volcano quaked with a 3.6-magnitude temblor at 2:34 a.m., which follows two other 3.6-magnitude quakes and a 3.5-magnitude over the past two weeks. Scientists suspect that the movement represents a lurching upward of the massive new lava spine evolving on the crater floor. Indonesian Villagers Continue Work Despite Volcano ThreatJAKARTA  - Flows of lava accompanied by showers of molten rock shooting into the sky have forced villagers living close to a volcano in eastern Indonesia to shelter in schools and churches, officials said on Saturday. Scientists Record 51 Earthquakes Near Mayon LEGAZPI CITY—Low-frequency quakes rocked Mt. Mayon even as its steam emission dropped suddenly, indicating an explosive eruption is highly possible, scientists said yesterday. LEGAZPI CITY—Mayon Volcano yesterday ejected a high volume of sulfuric steam, indicating its eruption is imminent, scientists said. They said Monday’s gas emission rate of 12,548 tons a day was a record high compared with last week’s 9,275 tons, and that meant the volcano was pushing new magma up to the crater in preparation for a violent explosion. U.S. Geological Survey studied radar images of the caldera captured by the European Space Agency's ERS-2 satellite during two passes over the park. Using a technique called interferometry--whereby radar measurements from two different vantage points are combined to give a measure of height--the scientists confirmed measurements on the ground that showed the land rising. But the images also revealed that a roughly 12-mile-wide circle of land centered at the northern rim of the caldera is still rising while land to its south is sinking. The source of that uplift, according to data revealed in today's Nature, lies more than seven miles underground. Mayon Update: Lava Trail Reaches 6 Km PDZ Mayon Volcano: Lava trail on Saturday has breached the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) by 90 meters as the toe of the lava front slowly crept along the Mabinit and Bonga gullies. Volcano in Ecuador Erupts A volcanic eruption in Ecuador's Andes mountains killed at least one person and left more than 60 others missing, the mayor of a village on the volcano's slope said Thursday.  QUITO  - Some 1,500 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano, 135 kilometers (85 miles) south of Quito, after it started spewing lava and ash in an eruption authorities said followed a 4.7 degree earthquake. At least five people died, dozens were missing and 13 others were injured after the volcano called Tungurahua spewed lava, rock and ash, burying five villages. The Tungurahua volcano. Satellite images acquired by ESA's Envisat satellite have revealed the volcanic region of the Phlegrean Fields, located in southern Italy near the city of Naples, has entered a new uplift phase. Montserrat Volcano Spews Ash and Steam The volcano is extremely active," observatory director Sue Loughlin. Thursday’s blasts sounded like jets flying over the tiny British territory. Thousands of villagers living around the slopes of Indonesia's Mount Karangetang are tending their fields while the simmering volcano emits lava.

 

July - Volcanoes 2006:   Montserrat’s Volcano Blows But Stays At level 4 BRADES, Montserrat: scientists reported that there had been a dome collapse with an associated ash plume of over 12,000 feet. However, the volcano alert level remained at four, indicating that there exists still a possibility of serious eruptive activity that could affect inhabited areas.Jul 4, 2006. Mayon Volcano Acts Up as Bulusan Quadruples Sulfur Dioxide Emissions. Government scientists are closely monitoring Mayon Volcano in Albay as its abnormal behavior such as crater glow and sulfur dioxide emission are again in an increasing trend. A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a reservoir of molten rock below the surface of the earth. Unlike most mountains, which are pushed up from below, volcanoes are built up by an accumulation of their own eruptive products. When pressure from gases within the molten rock becomes too great, an eruption occurs. Eruptions can be quiet or explosive. There may be lava flows, flattened landscapes, poisonous gases, and flying rock and ash. Scores Flee As Volcano Erupts In Colombia Bogota - Authorities were evacuating about 8 000 people in southwestern Colombia on Wednesday following a volcanic eruption. A minor eruption of the 4 275m Galeras volcano at 6pm prompted authorities to declare a state of maximum alert as they waited to see if further explosions would occur, said Eduardo Gonzalez, head of the government's disaster prevention office.  Mt. Mayon Lava Fragments Collapse LEGAZPI CITY - Government volcanologists rushed to the municipality of Malilipot, Albay, following reports of rock falls and ash falls on vegetation that alarmed residents of Calbayog village and nearby areas. Because of their intense heat, lava flows are great fire hazards. Lava flows destroy everything in their path, but most move slowly enough that people can move out of the way.  Mayon Volcano Erupts In The Philippines MANILA, Philippines - The Mayon volcano erupted Friday, a day after ejecting ash amid swarms of earthquakes, the Philippines‘chief volcanologist said.  Volcanic eruptions can be accompanied by other natural hazards, including earthquakes, mudflows and flash floods, rock falls and landslides, acid rain, fire, and (under special conditions) tsunamis.Villages Evacuated Near Volcano In Papua New Guinea Hundreds of people have been evacuated from villages near a Papua New Guinea volcano following strong tremors that scientists warn could mean an eruption is near. Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest. Active volcanoes of the Cascade Mountain Range in California, Oregon, and Washington have created problems recently. The danger area around a volcano covers approximately a 20-mile radius. Some danger may exist 100 miles or more from a volcano, leaving Montana and Wyoming at risk. Villagers flee Ecuador eruption.  Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano has spewed ash, gases and molten rocks, forcing authorities to evacuate four nearby villages. Sideways directed volcanic explosions, known as "lateral blasts," can shoot large pieces of rock at very high speeds for several miles. These explosions can kill by impact, burial, or heat. They have been known to knock down entire forests.  FEMA Fact Sheet.   Thousands Flee as Ecuador Volcano Erupts  Cusua, Ecuador: At least 3,700 villagers have evacuated their homes in Ecuador, following heavy eruptions from the Tunguarahua volcano.  Authorities said on Saturday the volcano had drastically changed its behavior, expelling toxic gasses and at least four lava flows for the first time since activity resumed seven years ago. Jul 16, 2006 Ecuador volcano explosion destroys homes of 100,000 residents. Mayon Volcano: Explosive Eruption Likely  ECUADOR -  Lava flows, quakes point to coming big eruption. LEGAZPI CITY—Red-hot lava poured down the slopes of Mayon Volcano accompanied by more tremors for the fourth straight day yesterday, indicating an eruption may happen soon, scientists said. A continuous stream of lava from Sunday night until early Monday and increased seismic activity indicated “heightened unrest of the volcano, which could lead to explosive eruption,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned. The lava flow was accompanied by 113 tremors—“significantly higher than the 111 tremor episodes recorded yesterday,” the agency said.  Scientists worry over Mount Fuji volcano. TOKYO -- Japan's Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707, but records suggest the average interval between events is 30 years -- and that is making scientists very nervous. Volcano experts believe Fuji has erupted about 75 times during the past 2,200 years. But during the last 300 years there has not been one such event. Lava-spilling Mayon Volcano Attracts Tourists LEGAZPI -- The lava-spilling Mayon volcano showed no signs of slowing down Tuesday, although scientists reported fewer tremors, and the mayor of the town at the foothill of the mountain invited tourists to enjoy in the spectacle. Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, threw fire and rocks more than 800ft into the air yesterday. Two West New Britain Volcanoes Set Off HUNDREDS of people were evacuated from villages in the Bialla area of West New Britain province after two volcanoes, which have been quiet for a long time, erupted. Etna Awakes With Storm Of Fire And Lava The explosions are coming from two holes near to the top of the volcano, creating a lava field more than a mile long which is flowing at a rate faster than 90 cubic feet a minute. Even though the eruption has continued for three days, scientists said it had lost little of its force. Mount St. Helens to Close Again After 3.6 Quake MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. -- A magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook Mount St. Helens Tuesday morning, one of the largest earthquakes recorded during the ongoing eruption, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Volcano Adds to Indonesia's Disaster Woes JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Clouds of hot ash and lava flows from a volcano in North Sulawesi are adding to Indonesia's troubles with Mother Nature. MORE than 1000 people from three villages in West New Britain have now been evacuated after two volcanoes, dormant for more than 100 years, erupted. Mount Karai and Mount Bamus began emitting vapor, ash and smoke in the past week.  Thousands Flee As Mayon Ejects Lava Over 1,200 people fled their homes Friday after oozing Mayon volcano ejected tons of lava, triggering secondary pyroclastic flow with the evacuees cowering in fear. Mayon Has Already Spewed 10 Million Cubic Meters of Lava Restive Mayon volcano, which is in the verge of a major eruption, has already spewed close to 10 million cubic meters of lava since last week. Recent signs from Mayon Volcano, which include increasing seismic activity, indicate that it is ripe for a full-blown eruption.  Swarms Of Mount Hood Tremors Baffle Experts A geologist who studies Oregon's tallest volcano in his spare time, Cameron says the uncertain cause of the earthquakes makes Hood intriguing. Scientists say the quakes are produced either by a shallow fault system in the Earth's crust or by magma moving in the dormant volcano's plumbing system. Thousands Evacuated After Volcano On Indonesia's Sulawesi Island Spews Lava MANADO - Thousands of villagers were evacuated after a volcano on an island off Indonesia's eastern coast started spewing lava and hot clouds, officials said.  

 

June - Volcanoes 2006:  INDONESIA - Indonesian authorities have evacuated over 600 people living near Mount Merapi in central Java. Activity increased at the volcano for a ninth straight day. Heat clouds are taking place every hour, pushing toxic gases, ash and lava four kilometers down the southern slope. That is more than double the distance seen before the earthquake on May the 27th. The Volcanology office in Yogyakarta says all settlements within a seven-kilometer radius of the top of the mountain should be abandoned.  PERU - Authorities in southern Peru said Monday they are evacuating about 480 families due to an increase in seismic activity at the Ubinas volcano. Volcano experts put the Ubinas area on orange alert (medium intensity level of seismic activity) on Saturday, after registering several explosions since May 31, including one that spewed glowing hot lava 200 meters (656 feet) into the air. In April, the last time the Ubinas volcano registered an alarming increase in seismic activity, its crater doubled in size to 80 meters (262 feet) in less than a week and more than 200 people fled from their homes by their own means. Toxic emissions from the volcano on that occasion caused the death of about 50 llamas and alpacas.  JAPAN - Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, has erupted near the southern Japanese city of Kagoshima. Smoke and ash rose high above the island's northern peak. Over 600,000 people live in the shadow of the volcano which is only a few kilometers off the port serving Kagoshima city. Thousands of small explosions occur each year on Sakurajima, throwing ash thousands of kilometers into the sky. The last major eruption occurred in 1914, though most of the residents fled before the volcano engulfed several islands nearby and swallowed part of the bay of Kagoshima. PHILIPPINES - Legazpi City officials and their disaster management offices are updating contingency plans for the impending major eruption of Mount Bulusan. Mount Bulusan is under alert level 1 and the four-kilometer permanent danger warning is in effect. An eruption would affect about 45,000 residents. Mt. Kanlaon - Mountain climbers and other trekkers have been advised to defer any planned climbs at the Mt. Kanlaon park area until further notice after Mt. Kanlaon emitted smoke over the weekend. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, in an advisory released Monday, also reminded people that the four-kilometer permanent danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island remained off limits to the public, particularly at this time when sudden ash and steam explosions might occur anytime. Kanlaon Volcano briefly emitted steam and ash Saturday afternoon but the Phivolcs has not raised any alert level yet. Ash deposits were confined to the upper northwest slope of the volcano. INDONESIA has evacuated about 2,000 people from areas at risk from the volcano spewing hot gas and lava, and expects to move thousands more amid signs of increased activity from Mount Merapi. "The lava has spread out in various directions. The lava domes are weakening. Since Monday we have evacuated ... more or less 2000 people. The people that we need to evacuate are around 11,000." The volcano threatens some of the same areas near the ancient royal capital of Yogyakarta that were hit by the May 27 earthquake which killed 5782 people. Today a cloud of gas from Mount Merapi stretched for four km and lava flows had spread up to seven kilometers from the crater. JAPAN- At Sakurajima volcano, more than 7,300 explosive eruptions have been recorded in the past 45 years, but Wednesday was the first time for six decades that it has erupted on its eastern flank. "We have not seen any change in seismic activity, and no sudden explosive eruptions are foreseeable at this moment, but we are nevertheless keeping a close eye." Japan's Miyakejima volcano in the Izu Islands (180 kilometers east of Tokyo) and Meakandake volcano in the northern region of Hokkaido have also begun stirring. The last major eruption at Miyakejima Island occurred in 2000, which forced all islanders to evacuate.  INDONESIA - A shower of hot gas and ash from Indonesia's Mount Merapi has sent more than 15,000 villagers scrambling for safety. The volcano has been venting steam and ash for weeks, but Thursday morning’s burst was the largest yet. A volcanologist said Merapi sent billowing, dark gray clouds avalanching more than three miles down its slopes. It was one of a series of powerful explosions, some spewing columns of ash 1 1/2 kilometers high. Terrified villagers fled to safety. Some jumped into rivers to escape the searing heat, while others dashed down the volcano or clambered onto the backs of trucks. Farmers carrying heaps of grass on their head ran down the mountain beneath a rain of ash, as others zipped off on motorcycles. Women clutched children as they jumped into trucks and cars, wiping away tears when they reached emergency shelters. "I thought, this is it. We ran as fast as we could." A shallow 4.2-magnitude aftershock Thursday, 27 kilometers south of the peak, may have speeded things along.  PHILIPPINES - The Philippines raised the alert level on one of its most active volcanoes and warned residents on Thursday to stay away from the mountain after its crater belched ash clouds. Bulusan volcano in central Philippines spewed ash nearly 2 km (1 mile) high, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to 2 from 1, ordered in March when ash first began flowing from its crater. "We are seeing an increasing frequency of ash explosions." In nearby Casiguran town, thousands of face masks were distributed to residents after volcanic ash fell on homes in the coastal community's 25 villages. Schools were closed and the Office of Civil Defence urged residents not to drink ground water because of possible contamination. At level 3 an explosion is considered possible, at level 4 it is seen as likely and at level 5, the highest alert, an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km. Officials said as many as 50,000 people would be evacuated in case of a major volcanic eruption. Bulusan has had five ash eruptions since March.  PHILIPPINES- A farmer died of an asthma attack from exposure to volcanic ash even as the government suspended classes in 23 elementary and high schools in Sorsogon following Bulusan’s series of explosions on Wednesday. The government also declared Casiguran town in a state of calamity as ashfalls continued to affect it and other towns including Escuala, Mabini, San Juan, Tigbao, San Francisco, Inlagadian and Kasay. Ash from Bulusan damaged a number of houses in villages surrounding the mountain, but residents were unharmed and staying put. Scientists recorded zero visibility in several places in Casiguran on Wednesday caused by thick volcanic ash from the series of explosions. Preparations were under way to evacuate about 8,000 residents from at least seven villages in case of a major eruption. Four — Mayon in Albay, Bulusan in Sorsogon, Kanlaon in Negros Oriental, and Taal in Batangas — but this is just coincidental. "Physically, each volcano has their own magma chamber. These (magma chambers) are not connected physically." "It just so happened that the (four) volcanoes are active all at the same time." Other active volcanoes in the country which are continuously being monitored include Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin and Pinatubo located on the boundaries of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.  INDONESIA - Searing hot gas and volcanic debris have forced thousands of villagers to flee the slopes of Mount Merapi. The eruption comes a day after government scientists lowered the alert level at the volcano. The volcano nearly enveloped Kaliadem village, the closest residential area to the peak, just six kilometers away, with a searing gas cloud during the eruption Wednesday, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate just a day after officials lowered the alert level and people returned home. "The situation is ... life-threatening." Five villagers were reported unaccounted for after the eruption. Media reports said that several apparently uninhabited buildings close to the peak had been incinerated. Ash covered one village seven kilometers (4.5 miles) west of the crater with a gray blanket two centimeters (an inch) thick, and a rain of soot continued to fall after dusk across many districts. "A heavy rain of ash and sand poured down on villagers." Philippine Volcano Ejects Ash The Philippines' restive Mount Bulusan spewed ash and pebbles in a new explosion Sunday, and officials said about 40 families living near the volcano have agreed to temporarily evacuate to a safer area, officials said. Indonesia's Mount Merapi Volcano Spews Hot Clouds, Volcanic Debris Indonesia's Mount Merapi was still on high alert Monday as the volcano in Indonesia's densely populated Central Java continued to spew hot clouds of gas and debris down its slopes, officials said. Mount Merapi releases hot cloud of volcanic ash and gas as seen from Deles, Central Java, Indonesia. The rumbling volcano sent deadly avalanches of searing hot gas and debris roiling down its scorched slopes Wednesday, as a scientist warned the peak's fragile lava dome still posed a threat to thousands of villagers. Gas, Debris Surge From Indonesian Volcano Indonesia's Mount Merapi sent avalanches of searing hot gas and debris roiling down its scorched slopes Wednesday, and a scientist warned that the peak's fragile lava dome still posed a threat to thousands of villagers. Lahar Flows Threaten Sorsogon Towns Lahar and other volcanic debris cascaded down the slopes of Mt. Bulusan yesterday after heavy rain, sending residents in Casiguran and Irosin to flee to higher ground, officials said yesterday. Huge Underwater Volcano Discovered off Sicily An underwater volcano with a base larger than Washington DC has been discovered just off the shores of Sicily, a scientist with Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said. Mayon, 3 Other Volcanoes Acting Up PHILIPPINES - Four volcanoes either spewed steam and ash or recorded high-frequency earthquakes yesterday, prompting scientists to say that three of them could erupt in coming days.  Ngauruhoe Rumbles With Activity Until now, the volcano has been largely silent since it last blew in 1975. But for the past two weeks, Ngauruhoe, which is located in a chain of volcanoes that sit in Tongariro National Park, has been showing signs of activity.  ECUADOR- Tungurahua volcano registered 50 explosions in 24 hours Tuesday. It is now experiencing "shivers": constant tremors inside the crater's bed. Volcanologists have observed constant emissions of gas, ash and water vapor that is forming a cloud around 1 km above the volcano's crater. Flocks of villagers living near the volcano, located 135 km from the capital Quito, have voluntarily left their homes, saying the loud explosions made it hard for them to sleep at night.

 

May - Volcanoes 2006:  INDONESIA - Mount Merapi has grown 10 meters in height in three days with pools of lava forming at its smoking summit. Volcano watchers said a new dome of lava had formed in recent days and was getting bigger all the time, while yellow clouds of sulphur continued to spew out. "The dome has appeared on the southern part of the peak, while tremors are fluctuating in high numbers." Lava domes mean the cone-shaped volcano could erupt any day and its top has grown as trapped magma from a reservoir 1.5km below the summit began welling up on Sunday. "We no longer need to do measurements. Magma is already at the surface." Authorities have yet to order villagers living on the mountain to evacuate.  WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helen's volcano rumbled back to life in September 2004. Small eruptions continue each day. The new lava dome is growing at the rate of six feet per day and is now larger than the dome formed between 1980 and 1986. INDONESIA - Residents of Sengi hamlet on the slope of Mt Merapi on Wednesday asked to be evacuated as they had heard rumbling sounds coming from the volcano`s top. "They have been hearing the rumbling sounds since yesterday (Tuesday), an indication that Mount Merapi is to erupt." "The thunder-like sounds come at unpredictable moments, sometimes at noon, other times in the evening or at night." Mount Merapi has been placed under an alert status since April 12 and was expected to erupt within seven to 10 days. Former President Soekarnoputri has said Mt Merapi might erupt before May 6. "This is not a prediction, but a possibility. After studying the activities of the volcano, it appears that by May 6 an eruption may take place." However, volcanologists would not predict when Mount Merapi would erupt. INDONESIA - Lava started pouring down the slopes of Mount Merapi early yesterday, but stopped a few miles from inhabited areas. Indonesian authorities are preparing to evacuate thousands of people. Scientists have yet to raise the threat level to the highest alert, which would require the immediate evacuation of villages on Merapi's fertile slopes and foothills. But the lava flows and burning around the crater suggest that pressure within the volcano is reaching a critical point. "The new crater holds between 80,000 and 100,000 cubic meters of magma." If the pressures continue to increase it would create either of two things, namely the magma would slide down to the south east side (if the crater is not strong to contain the magma), or the crater (if it was strong enough), would widen to the left side and would hold some four million cubic meters of magma which in turn could create new craters in the west side. On Thursday morning, Merapi spewed molten lava, with a flowing distance of around 200 meters from its peak at around 02.00 a.m. At least 25 multiphase tremors and seven lava fallouts were recorded. Earlier, on Wednesday (May 3), some 197 multiphase tremors, two tectonic earthquakes, a shallow volcanic earthquake and 29 fallouts were recorded. More magma is expected to escape from beneath the volcano. PERU- After 40 years of dormancy, the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru has been spewing out toxic smoke and ash over the last few weeks. Most activity stopped by April 16, but most experts believe the reprieve is only temporary. A dome of molten lava is visibly building up inside the volcano, signaling that a high risk of explosive force may soon follow. So what has made the Ubinas volcano awaken after four decades of sleep? A clue may be that at the same time Ubinas has become active again, other volcanoes in Galeras, Columbia, and Lascar, Chile, among others in the region, have also flared up in recent weeks. Those recently active South American volcanoes are affected by the shifting of certain plates. (Article has lots of links to understanding basic vulcanology) WASHINGTON - Something amazing is happening on Mount St. Helens. As the winter clouds that hide the volcano from view for much of the year clear away, scientists have caught their first glimpse of a huge new mountain growing 5 feet higher per day inside the crater. Scientists call it the “fin,” because the 300-foot tall slab of magma and rock stands straight up, and look remarkably like a fin from one angle. Right now it's about the size of a football field standing on end. It started growing in November and is steadily moving west, pushing rock and other debris out of its way as it goes. The fin is just the latest in a series of at least seven distinct structures that have grown, then disintegrated inside the crater over the last year and a half. There is some concern that while the fin is growing straight up fueled by rocky magma from within the mountain, more energy is also pushing outward. The crater's dome is pushing outward at a rate of about one meter a day. A quarter century ago it was just such an outward bulge that eventually blew — not up, but outward, killing 57 people. At least for now the mountain erupts in a relatively slow, steady pattern.  INDONESIA- Mount Merapi volcano billowed ominous clouds of ash Saturday as a giant lava dome bulged off of its southern slope. Ash blasted more than 650 yards into the air and deep, sluggish lava oozed out of the mountain's cauldron. The lava dome has grown tenfold in less than a week, forming a 90-yard wide glowing bubble.  HAWAII- The East Lae'apuki lava bench on the ever-changing coastline at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has grown to 44 acres, creating ONE OF THE LARGEST DELTAS IN THE 23-YEAR HISTORY of the Kilauea eruption. The bench, fed by underground lava tubes, is larger than the 34 acres of newly formed land that collapsed into the sea without warning on Nov. 28, 2005. The new bench is about 1,110 yards long and 347 yards wide, or roughly the size of 40 football fields. It is expanding out over a steep underwater slope, on top of the rubble from the previous collapse and other volcanic debris. The new bench is extremely unstable and prone to submarine landslides. Observatory scientists who recently flew over the lava bench in a helicopter reported large cracks running parallel to the coastline. They were surprised to see water in most of the cracks. Officials said that despite warnings, a small number of people continue to enter the closed area at night, sometimes venturing out onto the bench. Steam explosions from bench collapses can send lava spatter and large rocks into the air. Collapses also create waves of scalding water that can wash onshore, burning onlookers. There have been four deaths in recent years associated with active lava benches. RUSSIA- Weeks of mild ash eruptions have stained the snow around the Karymsky volcano of far eastern Russia. Karymsky is the most active volcano in the chain of volcanoes that line the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its current activity began on November 15, 2001. RUSSIA - Eruption of the volcano Bezymyanny, located in the central area of the Kamchatka Peninsula began Tuesday. The Bezymyanny is belching out ash to the altitude of 13 kilometers to 15 kilometers above sea level and the trail of smoke and ash is spreading northwards and northeastwards. Researchers are closely watching the natural phenomenon but they say it does not pose any threat to population centers. INDONESIA - Officials monitoring Mount Merapi volcano raised the threat status to a red alert, the highest level. They recorded 27 tremors from the volcano on Saturday. Many residents say they are waiting for specific signs - such as clouds in the shape of a sheep's fleece - to show them an eruption is imminent. But scientists are convinced of the danger, although they still cannot say when the volcano will erupt nor how powerful any explosion might be. Mount Merapi's pyrotechnic displays continue unabated with mini explosions sending clouds of burning ash, small rocks and spurts of lava high into the sky. Merapi is now in a state of "constant lava flow".  There were three reasons why the status of the volcano had been raised from "alert" to "caution" level. Firstly, the volcano`s lava dome has now turned red with increased pressure that could cause the lava to slide. Small hot clouds had also grown in number, while the smell of sulphur was also increasing. "We cannot be sure when the caution status will end. What is clear is that the process of hot cloud formation has begun and we are just waiting for big clouds to come." 30 blazing lava flows have been streaming towards rivers 1.5 kilometers from the volcano's peak along the south-western slopes of the mountain. A lava dome atop Mount Merapi has grown 75 meters in the past two weeks. Scientists say its collapse will release lava as well as deadly nuees ardentes, a geological term for clouds of volcanic gases, ash, and dust reaching temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius.  ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano is emitting its loudest and most frequent explosions since it rumbled back to life nearly seven years ago after eight decades of inactivity, scientists said. The volcano registered 133 explosions of vapor and gas between Wednesday and Friday. But the increased activity was not necessarily a sign of an imminent eruption. INDONESIA- Activity on Mount Merapi has intensified, with continuous clouds of ash, gas and rock fragments spewing from its crater. One of the emissions sent a pile of debris 4km (2.5 miles) down one side of the mountain. So far there have been no confirmed reports of fresh lava flows from Mount Merapi on Monday, but the volcano is becoming more active by the day. At least one village about 3 km (2 miles) from the crater has already been covered in a thin coat of volcanic ash. By Sunday more than 4,500 people living in the villages closest to the crater, or next to rivers that could provide channels for hot lava, had been moved to emergency shelters. Many more are still lining up by the side of the road, waiting for trucks to take them to safety. There were more than 100 volcanic tremors Sunday. More than 90 tremors usually indicate an imminent eruption. Several streams of orange and black lava could be seen rolling down the slopes of Mount Merapi throughout the day on Sunday, merging with two mountain rivers nearly two kilometers, or more than a mile, from the crater. The closest villages are only three kilometers from Merapi's peak. VANUATU - Monday a volcanic eruption on Lopevi in Malampa province has caused heavy ash fall on nearby islands. They have yet to grade the magnitude of the eruption because scientists have not yet arrived at the site of the volcano. The nearby islands of Ambrym and Paama have been feeling the effects of the eruption. There was a volcano eruption in December last year on the remote Ambae Island of Vanuatu. Villagers around have been evacuated for about one month from the path of a possible lahar, or mud flow. The South Pacific Vanuatu group is a string of more than 80 islands, most of the islands being inhabited. ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano is maintaining a "high level" of seismic activity, with repeated explosions. The blasts can be heard within a radius of 20 kilometers (some 12 miles) of the volcano. The volcano was emitting plumes loaded mostly with water vapor, volcanic gases and low concentrations of ash. A "moderate to large" explosion occurred early Monday and was heard by residents of several nearby communities. Scientists estimate that an eruption could last months or even years. Ecuadorian officials issued an alert for the area around the volcano as a precaution. If volcanic activity increases markedly, the alert would be raised to an emergency level and evacuations would begin.  INDONESIA- Activity on the Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi appears has calmed down but scientists are warning it still poses a threat. Lava is continuing to flow down the sides of the mountain although the clouds of hot gas, ash and rock fragments appear much smaller. No ash falls have been reported, unlike on Monday when fields and houses around the mountain were coated in grey ash. MONTSERRAT- the volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat erupted Saturday, sending burning gas, volcanic rock and ashes careening down the mountain slopes and into the sea. The eruption had been expected for months, and the local population had taken precautions. The dome collapsed sending clouds of ash more than 16 kilometers into the sky. The spewing ash caused lightning and thunder above the collapsed dome. A rainstorm during the collapse sent torrents of mud and rocks down the slopes. Sunday the activity returned to 'normal'.  INDONESIA- Mount Merapi on Wednesday morning spewed out 11 clouds of hot ash until 06.00 a.m. local time, a significant increase compared to the same period on Tuesday when the volcano belched out 5 clouds of hot ash. The volcano triggered 76 tremors and 22 multiphase quakes during the same period on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, Mount Merapi expelled massive clouds of hot ash for 46 times, compared to 25 times on Monday. Also on Tuesday they recorded a total of 86 multiphase tremors, and 316 fallen quakes. VANUATU - Three volcanoes in Vanuatu's volatile "ring of fire" were Saturday under close watch after spitting rocks, ash and steam over the South Pacific island in recent days. A fourth volcano was causing concern after signs it could be building toward a fresh eruption. "There seems to be an upsurge in activity around the ring of fire that runs through the archipelago." YASUR Volcano on Tanna Island in the south was causing the most concern after it was classified as Level 2 - likely to erupt - and it is firing out explosive rocks. The volcano on uninhabited LOPEVI Island has spurted sulfurous ash into the sky, causing havoc on 10 surrounding islands including Paama whose inhabitants fled earlier due to the debris. Lopevi had stopped spitting ash and smoke, though scientists were closely watching its ash spumes. Villagers in Paama have appealed to the Vanuatu government for help securing new sources of drinking water after existing ones were contaminated by ash and debris. Vital crops have also been destroyed. Observation teams had gone to the sites of the two other suddenly active volcanoes - MARUM and BENBOW on the island of Ambryn - but had yet to report back on their findings. Lake Vui on top of Mount MANARO in the center of Ambae Island has turned to gray in recent days. The change indicates that it is likely to erupt. It last erupted late November 2005, forcing the evacuation of half the island's 10,000 inhabitants to safe areas at either end of the island. It was its first eruption in 121 years.

 

April - Volcanoes 2006:  TANZANIA - 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. Oldonyo Lengai Mountain erupted on Sunday and Monday. Oldonyo Lengai is the only remaining active volcanic mountain in Tanzania and its last significant eruption was in 1983, though the inside of the crater is active year-round. COLUMBIA- While 55 percent of inhabitants in high-risk areas have already been moved to safe places, the Colombian government has decided anyway to stop people´s circulation through roads near Galeras volcano. According to experts, the increase in seismic movements in the Galeras volcano has forced the authorities to pass from alert 3 to level 2, which implies that a new eruption may happen anytime within days or weeks. To avoid potential victims and material damages, the government has ordered the evacuation of more than 9,000 people living in the high-risk department of Narino, and in the municipalities of Pasto, Narino and La Florida. INDONESIA - The Barren Island Volcano erupted on April 5, sending a plume of volcanic ash and steam toward the northeast over the Andaman Sea. This is the only historically active volcano in the north-south volcanic arc between Sumatra and Myanmar (Burma). ALASKA- There was a minor eruption at a volcano in Alaska Thursday, but it wasn't Augustine creating the noise this time. 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. CALIFORNIA - Three members of a ski-patrol team, including an avalanche expert, died Thursday when they fell into a volcanic fissure at the Mammoth Mountain resort, about 6 hours from Los Angeles. After they fell, two of the men could be heard calling for help and then were silent within a minute or two. They were probably asphyxiated by poisonous gas spewing from the vent. The vent releases volcanic gas from deep within the earth. It is normally surrounded by a plastic fence to keep skiers away, but the fence had been nearly buried by a RECORD 52 feet of snow. The patrol went to the site Thursday to raise the fence before opening the area. The snow under the team collapsed, causing two patrol members to fall 21 feet to the rocky bottom of the 6-foot-diameter hole. A third patrol member attempted a rescue and died, and a fourth man then went in wearing an oxygen mask, but he also fell unconscious. Another patrol member then held his breath, went in about 15 feet, hooked a rope to the fourth man, and pulled him out. INDONESIA - Government authorities in Indonesia's densely-populated Central Java have banned mountain climbers from Merapi volcano as the province's crater has heated up. The volcano has increased in activity since mid-March, and scientists have since closely monitored its activity. Volcanic tremors had risen in frequency to nearly 100 on Sunday, while hot lava was seen sliding down into the area of Pasar Bubar village, about 350-metres from the Merapi's crater. Vulcanologists have upgraded the volcano's alert stage one level below ordering an evacuation and two below a full eruption. MONTESERRAT - Residents in Montserrat are being warned of increased dangers as a result of the "vigorous resumption of dome growth" within the Soufriere Hills volcano. A preliminary statement issued by the Scientific Advisory Committee said the eight month old lava dome had grown within the crater to a height of about 250 meters above its base. The scientists say while the dome must grow much larger to approach the size of that of late 2002 to 2003, the potential for collapse of the dome lava leading to pyroclastic flows in the Gage's valley and Tyer's Ghaut has increased. An undersea volcano in the Pacific is growing from its summit and could breach the ocean surface within a few decades, a new study reveal. In the meantime, it is creating a thriving environment for some sea creatures, but a death trap for others. The Vailulu'u Seamount is an active volcano lying off the coast of the Samoan archipelago. The volcano has sprouted a new 1,000-foot cone at its summit since it was last explored 5 years ago. INDONESIA- A huge volcano in the heart of densely populated Java today was spewing thick clouds of smoke and hot lava, triggering plans to evacuate thousands of villagers. Authorities placed Mount Merapi, on Orange Code, or the second highest alert level. "Due to a high level of tremor activities and the spewing of the lava, Mount Merapi is now on alert status." Officials said the military had deployed more than 200 trucks and buses to evacuate villagers living on the slopes. TANZANIA - A travel warning has been issued for Oldonyo Lengai Mountain, following two major volcanic eruptions last month. The alert was said to be necessary because more volcanic eruption was imminent. "We have been forced to take precautionary measures, because we are not sure when another eruption will occur and to what proportions." The advisory also warned the local people living around the mountain to vacate for their own safety. TANZANIA - Experts have moved in to investigate the increasing incidents of volcanic eruptions at Oldonyo Lengai Mountain in Ngorongoro in Arusha egion which has been sending shockwaves to the whole region. Though the volcano at the mountain is live, and has been erupting frequently almost every year, the numbers of eruption and dimensions have been on the rise daily in recent months. "I have seen for sure the eruptions this year are bigger than any other time. But we are lucky that nobody or animal has been affected as a result so far." Late last month, a volcano erupted on Mt Oldonyo Lengai forcing over 3,000 inhabitants to flee from the area. The eruption rocked the villages of Nayobi, Magadini, Engaruka, Malambo, Ngaresero, Gelai-bomba and Kitumbeine. There was an exodus after the volcanic mountain rumbled into a red-hot landslide, spewing scalding fumes and lava all over the neighbourhood. A major explosive eruption took place from January to about June in 1917. Ash was deposited as much as 25 - 30 miles away. The mountain is less than 370,000 years old, and is the youngest volcano in the Rift Valley. PERU - Officials urged the small farming town of Querapi in southern Peru to evacuate on Tuesday after a volcano sent smoke and ash 2,600 feet (800 meters) into the air, but residents were reluctant to leave. "A yellow alert has been called, which means precaution due to emission of gases and steam. Civil Defense has sent small anti-gas masks to the town of Querapi and covers for their water deposits." The volcano has not been this active since 1969. The volcano, in the Moquegua region 550 miles (900 km) south of Lima, has been belching for much of the month. It has sent ash and sulfur as far away as the town of Ubinas, home to 3,500 people five miles (eight km) away. Small tremors have also been felt in nearby towns. Emissions had affected crops and water sources. PERU- At least 1,000 people have suffered respiratory problems from a tower of ash spewing from the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru, and 20 llamas have died after eating poisoned grass. The volcano continued to spit out ash and smoke on Wednesday, and the wind was carrying it north. In recorded history, Ubinas has never had a lava eruption. In the hamlet of Querapi, home to 42 farming families three miles from the volcano, Civil Defense authorities distributed gas masks and recommended evacuation earlier this week. INDONESIA- Mount Merapi status - On the 18th they observed 113 multi-phase tremors, 8 streams of lava, 7 volcanic tremors, and white and thick SO2 smoke of 400 m height from the crater. They confirmed on April 19th that based on the scientific data, Mt. Merapi will most likely erupt. The Government of Indonesia is working on a third case scenario, one level below the worst-case scenario, anticipating over 80,000 people to be displaced. Communities were encouraged not to conduct any activities in the river having its upper course at Mt. Merapi. Large amounts of evacuation supplies, tents, ambulances and 160 body bags have been mobilized. PERU- The Ubinas volcano in southern Peru threw plumes of smoke high into the sky today, prompting authorities to declare an "orange alert" to encourage villagers to evacuate the area. The explosion sent gases high into the sky, forming a gigantic mushroom-shaped cloud that stretched more than 1km above the earth. Livestock have been poisoned by eating grass that is coated with volcanic ash. "They've told us we've got to learn to live with the volcano and the ash, but we'd never seen anything like this," said a peasant farmer. "We're terrified." The Ubinas volcano is one of the most active in Peru. It erupted 17 times from 1550 until 1969, when it was last active. COLUMBIA-The Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining changed the alert level for Galeras Volcano to II (likely eruption in days or weeks). The area is in a critical state due to the creation of a solidified lava dome capping the main crater and a reduction of seismic activity of the volcano. Most eruptions of the volcano over the past 17 years have occurred when these parameters were similar. April 18 they reported an overall volume of the lava dome corresponding to 3,200,000 m3 (a volume approximately 15 times that of eruptions in 1992). National and local authorities are making progress in upgrading 12 temporary shelters in the three municipalities concerned. Approximately 489 households (2,366 persons) are now hosted in five temporary shelters in Pasto municipality. Another 7 temporary shelters remain empty. Due to the reluctance of the major part of the population to move from high risk areas, the authorities have asked the UN system to help them persuade communities at risk to move to safe locations. In the event of an eruption, water sources would be contaminated and access routes could be blocked for 4 to 5 days. INDONESIA - Authorities in Indonesia's densely populated Central Java province said on Sunday surface tremors and multifaced quakes continue on Mount Merapi and warned that a major eruption could take place in a few days. Vulcanologists said a total of nine surface tremors and as many as 156 multifaceted quakes were recorded from Merapi's crater in the previous 24 hours. "It's very clear something will happen, but it is very difficult to say when." An expert warned that it is merely a "matter of time" before Merapi's status will be upgraded into a state of alert, when residents living on the danger zones will have to flee their homes immediately. RUSSIA - Mount Ebeko, a volcano on the island of Paramushir, which belongs to the Northern Kuril chain in Russia's Far East, has started emitting vapor and gas. There are 36 active volcanoes on the Kuril chain, and at least seven others are also considered to be dangerous, including the Mendeleyev, Golovnin, Tyatya, Grozny, Baransky, Chirip, and Chikurachki. PERU - Peruvian authorities have been sending aid to hundreds of evacuees after declaring a state of emergency in the area near the erupting Ubinas volcano. Gas and cinder began spewing from the volcano in southern Peru three weeks ago. Tons of aid, particularly tents, water and powdered milk, have been shipped into the affected zone. The army has been brought in to help evacuate nearby villages, although some residents are reluctant to leave. The civil defence institute has recommended that the entire population in the district of Ubinas, about 3,500 people, be evacuated as soon as possible. A dome of incandescent lava seems to be building up in the crater.  A volcano on an island in a Russian chain in the Pacific has calmed down after years of sporadic activity. Scientists say Mount Ebeko, on the island of Paramushir, is the most dangerous volcano on the Kuril Islands. The volcano started emitting vapor and gas in February, following phases of activity in 2005, 1999 and 1998. There are 36 active volcanoes on the Kuril chain, and at least seven others are also considered to be dangerous. Mount Vesuvius may be getting ready to blow, but Italians living on the mountain are oddly complacent. In a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, geologists put the chance of an eruption by the end of this calendar year at a whopping one in two. In 2002, scientists at the Vesuvius Observatory warned that the mountain was starting a new cycle of eruptive activity. According to the civil authorities in Naples, they hope to have as much as a 27-day advance warning in order to evacuate the 600,000 residents who live in the so-called "red zone" within a 2.7 mile radius of Vesuvius's cone. If given about a month to plan, they say they can get all these residents to safety within seven days. There's no guarantee that geologists will be able to predict an eruption seven days out. The recent history of Italian volcanic eruptions provides ammunition for both sides. No Italian volcano in the last few decades has erupted without some sort of pre-eruptive seismic activity. Karymsky Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula showed considerable activity between March 10 and 17. The volcano emitted ash several times, and satellite imagery showed debris, most likely ash, draped along the sides of the mountain. When the skies were clear over the volcano, satellites also observed a thermal anomaly at the summit. In late March, the United States Geological Survey placed Karymsky at code orange, the second-highest level of concern, meaning that the volcano was not erupting or posing a major hazard, but was clearly active and merited careful monitoring. A volcano has spewed a column of ash 1.5 kilometers into the sky, raising fears of a major eruption. Officials are considering increasing the alert level from level one to level three, indicating "moderate unrest", after Mount Bulusan in the central Philippines belched ash an hour before midnight (3am AEDT). The Philippine Institute of Seismology and Vulcanology said the ash was unlikely to cause any harm. More earthquakes had been recorded in the area recently, a possible sign that the volcano may be about to erupt more powerfully. Bulusan had a series of similar explosions in 1994 and 1995. Scots scientists are on an urgent mission to find out if a the Soufriere Hills volcano is about to erupt. The Caribbean island, which belongs to the UK, was devastated by the volcano's eruption in July 1995. Two-thirds of the population fled abroad and only a handful ever returned. The mountain is once again showing signs of activity after a lava dome were spotted growing at its summit. The formation is caused by new magma, which is forced up from within the Earth. The dome will eventually become unstable and collapse with deadly hot rocks and ash flowing down the mountainside. Authorities have demanded the evacuation of nearly 9,000 residents close to Colombia’s most active volcano after the geological institute said an eruption may be days or weeks away. The status of the Galeras volcano was raised to level two following increased activity in the volcano’s core. “I trust the scientists and my feeling is that this could be a big eruption. We are appealing to the common-sense of the people to leave the area of danger and so save their lives.”Villagers living around Mount Oldonyo Lengai in northern Tanzania have fled their homes as the active volcano started erupting again. Minor eruptions at the volcano are not unusual. Eruptions are a common phenomenon at Mount Oldonyo Lengai because they occur almost every year. Eyewitnesses said that they heard rumbling sounds before the volcano began to discharge ashes and lava on Thursday. Mount Oldonyo Lengai is the world's only active sodium carbonite volcano and is therefore the world's only volcano that erupts natrocarbonatite lava. Natrocarbonatite lava usually contains almost no silicon and is much cooler in temperature than other lavas. The last explosive activity of Mount Oldonyo Lengai was recorded in 1966.

 

March - Volcanoes 2006:  Manam volcano erupted on 27th February at 2000 hr (local time). Satellite images showed multiple hotspots at the volcano, and ground observations indicated ash and lava emissions. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the island. Manam volcano produced a large series of eruptions in 2004-05, when 10,000 people were evacuated from the island. The volcano remains dangerous for residents who have returned to their villages. An eruption has occurred at Ulawun volcano in Papua New Guinea. Ash as reported to 10,000 ft. Ulawun volcano is a steep-sided stratovolcano on the Coast of New Britain Island.

 

Febuary - Volcanoes 2006:   A large earthquake hit near Barren Island volcano on Saturday, February 4 at 2:04 am, local time. Eruptions continue at Barren Island volcano with ash plumes visible to 10,000 ft above the volcano on 27 January. Cleveland volcano erupted on Monday 6th February, sending ash to 22,000 ft. A flight restriction was placed below 50,000 feet and a six-mile radius from the volcano. Karymsky volcano in Russia is erupting. A plume of ash has reached 40km from the volcano, to a height of 4 km. The eruption was accompanied by 300 earthquakes. Ash eruptions were reported yesterday at Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat. Ash reached US Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico. The eruptions came after days of elevated seismicity. Helicopter observations indicate continued dome growth. Lava continues to enter the sea at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Lava is visible in Pu`u `O`o crater, where it enters a lava tube and travels to the ocean and reappears at East Lae`apuki. Inflation of the volcano summit has been occurring since mid January indicating ongoing lava movement inside the volcano. The inflation totals about 15 micro radians at Kilauea Iki, which is normally a relatively quiet station. In 1959 Kilauea Iki crater was the site of a 1900 ft lava fountain. The number of earthquakes along the upper east rift zone has been unusually high. Some shallow earthquakes are being registered beneath the summit. Recently a spectacular skylight has been visible at the volcano, which is a window into a lava tube. Occasionally there are lava breakouts on the Pali.

 

January - Volcanoes 2006:  Lopevi volcano in Vanuatu Island remains active during January 2006. The eruption, which began in October 2005, has received little attention, but Lopevi remains the second most active volcano in Vanuatu at present. Satellite photos show continuing activity at the volcano. Eruptions continue at Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. On 1st January lava flowed about every 5 minutes down the west side of the volcano.  An eruption began at Augustine volcano, Alaska on Wednesday 11th January at 0444 hr (AST). A second explosion was recorded at 0513hr. Satellite images detected an ash cloud to 30,000 ft. Seismic activity decreased significantly after the explosions, but more activity is expected. An earthquake swarm was detected at Martin Volcano, Alaska on 8-10 January. In the past two days 300 earthquakes have been detected. This compares with the normal background rate of 25 per month. Satellite images do not show any unusual activity. Steaming at the summit is normal at the volcano. New eruptions have occurred at Augustine volcano in Alaska. Small explosions were registered on 13th January at 0355 hr AST, 0847, and 1122. An ash cloud reached 30,000 ft elevation. Seismic recording suggested lahars and pyroclastic flows were generated by the eruption. Alaska Airlines canceled 28 flights on Friday and Saturday as a safety precaution. Volcanic ash is dangerous to aircraft. An ash fall advisory was in effect until 8 AM AST 14th January for western Kenai Peninsula from Ninilchik south. Gas emissions have increased at Mt Etna volcano in Italy. Emissions of brown ash are visible at Bocca Nuova crater. On the 8th January, following the mag 6.8 earthquake in Greece, 14 small earthquakes were detected under the south flank of Etna, near Sapienza.  Another explosive eruption began at Augustine volcano in Alaska at 7:58 A.M. AST (16:58 UTC) on Tuesday 17th January, and lasted 5 minutes. This eruption was larger than those last week, and sent ash 8 miles high. Two earthquakes occurred near Langila volcano in Papua New Guinea on Thursday 19th January. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred at 3:06:55 PM local time north of the volcano. Seventeen seconds later a magnitude 4.6 earthquake hit south of the volcano. Langila is one of the most active volcanoes in the Bismarck arc. Intermittent eruptions are occurring at Lopevi volcano in Vanuatu. Observations from aircraft report vertical plume to 9,000 ft altitude. Ash cloud is expected to 14,000 ft altitude, 600 nautical miles from the volcano in a direction NE to E. Light easterly winds are occurring at the volcano. A major earthquake hit Indonesia on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 1:58 AM local time. The earthquake measured magniude 7.7 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was located 195 km South of Ambon, in the Banda Sea. No tsunami was reported. The earthquake was felt in Darwin, Australia. Earthquakes of this magnitude sometimes disrupt volcanoes within a 500 km radius. Active volcanoes in the area are Gunung Api, Banda Api, Teon, and Wurlali. A nine minute eruption of Augustine volcano occurred at 2012 hr (local time) on 27th January. Ash cloud reached 40,000 feet and drifted southeast. Another eruption began at 0204 hr on 28th January, with duration of two minutes. Seismicity remains elevated. The renewed eruptions occurred after ten days of quiet.