Luke
21:[25] And there shall be signs in the
sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men's hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on
the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28]
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
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December - Volcanoes 2009:. SOUFRIERE HILLS Montserrat. MVO reported that during 27 November-4 December activity from the Soufrière Hills lava dome continued at a high level. Pyroclastic flow activity was concentrated to the NE and W. The Hazard Level remained at3.Pyroclastic flows also traveled W down Gages Valley, S down the White River valley and Gingoes Ghaut, and into the upper reaches of Tyers Ghaut (NW). One descended the Tar River valley to the E. Rockfalls cascaded directly from the summit of the
dome into Tyers Ghaut.
RABAUL New Britain reported dense white plumes and gray ashplumes rose from Rabaul caldera's Tavurvur cone. Strong explosionsproduced ash plumes that rose 1.5 km above the summit and showered theflanks with lavafragments that were incandescent at night. Shock waves rattled windowsin the Kokopo area, about 20 km SE. Incandescence from the summitcrater was occasionally noted. During 2-4 December, ash fell in Rabaultown and other cities.
Philippines - Authorities moved more than twentythousand villagers from harm's way near the Philippines'most active volcano Tuesday after it oozed lava and shot plumes of ash,and said they probably would spend ableak Christmas in an evacuation center. State volcanologists raisedthe alert level on the Mayon volcano overnightto two steps below a major eruption after ash explosions and darkorange lava fragments glowing in the darktrickled down the mountain slope.Nearly 50,000 people live in a five-mile (eight-kilometer) radiusaround the mountain. 'Powerful booms' signal Mayon eruptionthreat, say scientists. Several thousand villagers in thefiring line of the Philippines' rumbling Mt Mayon volcano risk forcibleevacuation unless they leave the danger zone,officials have warned.Scientists say the powerful booms emanating from the volcano were anindication that a massive eruption may beimminent.The eerie glow of crimson lava could be seen oozing from the volcanoovernight and relief officials said farmers andother residents who have refused to evacuate also faced the danger ofvolcanic ash flow."We will personally remove the residents who refuse to evacuate totheir designated evacuation centres."Roughly 1300 families were still in their homes within aneight-kilometre danger zone declared around Mayon.About 8600 families have already taken shelter in government centresbeyond the zone mandated around thevolcano.Scientists underlined the growing threat of ash and lava cascading downMayon's slopes owing to the increasingfrequency of booms from inside the volcano, audible as far as 12kmaway.
November - Volcanoes 2009: PHILIPPINES -Mayon Volcano spewed ash anewthis morning, indicating fresh sign ofheightened restiveness that couldresult in a major eruption, a month and 13days after its first ashexplosion episode last September 15. The eventprompted authorities toissue a new 24-hour alert to residents of communitiessurrounding thevolcano. Residents living near the slopes claimed hearing whatthey saidwas a "thud" followed by a display of whitishcauliflower-like plumeabove the crater. For the past 24-hour observationperiod, the seismicnetwork recorded 13 volcanic earthquakes.
COLUMBIA - GALERAS & HUILA -Officials in southern Colombia have issued a code orange alert forthenewly-active Galeras volcano which they said could erupt in a matterof days orweeks. Authorities said they are continuing to monitor thenearby Huilavolcano, also on orange alert, where sizeable volcanicactivity also has beendetected in recent weeks. Huila last erupted inNovember 2008, killing 10people. The Galeras volcano situated near thesouthern border with Ecuador isColombia's most active volcano, withfive eruptions over the past two years. Itbegan rumbling back to lifeon October 27. Some 7,000 people live in thevicinity of the volcano. A1993 eruption of Galeras killed nine people,including six scientistswho had descended its crater to take gas samples.
KENYA -Surface deformation of 4 active volcanoes underscore possibilityforhuman hazard, potential of geothermal resources. "The KenyanRiftvolcanoes are part of a larger Great Rift Valley complex thatextends all theway from Mozambique to Djibouti; their presence in EastAfrica attests to thepresence of magma reservoirs within the Earth'scrust. Our study detected signsof activity in only four of the 11volcanoes in the area -- Suswa, Menengai,Longonot and Paka -- allwithin the borders of Kenya." Small surfacedisplacements, which are notvisible to the naked eye, were captured usingInSAR, a sophisticatedsatellite-based radar technique. From 1997 – 2000 they discoveredthatthe volcanoes at Suswa and Menengai subsided 2 – 5 cm, and between2004and 2006 the Longonot volcano experienced uplift of ~9 cm. However,the mostdramatic uplift unfolded at Paka, which had uplift of ~21 cmduring a ninemonth period in 2006-2007. This pulse of activity waspreceded by transientuplift and subsidence at a second source,associated with the magma flowthrough the complex underground plumbingsystem. Overall, the events were shortin duration and episodic ratherthan continuous, which means discrete pulses ofmagma were arriving atthe crust, similar to a stop valve that is being turnedon and offintermittently. "The fact that these areas are so close to amajormetropolitan area pose a challenge in terms of a large volcanicorseismic event." Suswa, Menengai and Longonot are all located indenselypopulated areas within 100 km of Nairoibi.
JAPAN - Thevolcano island Sakurajima has had about 400 explosive eruptions sofarthis year, THE MOST IN 24 YEARS. A local observatory warned Fridaythatactivity might pick up. The minor explosive eruptions reached the400 thresholdThursday nigh. One expert said the recent activity issimilar to what happenedjust before a major eruption in 1946. "It's inthe middle of a stage whereactivity is picking up and the frequency oferuptions is likely to grow nextyear and thereafter. It's possible aneruption of similar scale to the (1946)event could happen within a fewyears." In general, lava from an eruptionwould not pose great danger toresidents because it's sticky and its flow speedis "extremely slow."But if a pyroclastic flow follows a river or ifbig rocks hitresidential areas, the damage could be serious.
BALI- Mt Baturactivity on alert. The status of Mt Batur in Kintamani, Bali,has beenraised from active-normal to alert due to its increasing activity."Thishappens because the volcano that last erupted in 2000 has shownanincreasing activity, as seen by the black smoke coming out of themountainseveral times." Under a normal condition tremor happens onlyfive times aday but now it reaches 60 times a day and it is felt bypeople living within aradius of one to two kilometers from themountain. "From 1804 to 2000 themountain has erupted 28 times with alapse of one to 39 years." Themountain`s eruption is generally effusiveand strombolian with lava and ash orrocks flowing 100 meter around thebrim of the crater. Smoke from the mountaincould rise up to 300 meterhigh above the crater. "Those are all the characteristicsof Mt Baturwhen it erupts." The tremor itself has been recordedincreasing to 21times of vulcanic tremor with a maximum amplitude of 1-12 MMsinceSeptember. A total of 28 tremors have been recorded in October.OnOctober 8 a total of five deep and 53 shallow vulcanic tremors wererecorded. Atotal of 12 tremors meanwhile were recorded from November 1to 7.
PHILIPPINES - Afterspewing ash at least thrice last Wednesday, Mayon Volcano emittedacrater glow that grew more intense and was visible as far as 15kilometersaway Saturday night. Mayon’s surface remains inflated despitethe series of ashor phreatic explosions. “This means that magmaticpressure inside the volcanois sustained. But all these activities arestill within alert level 2.” Atleast eight tremors were recorded in thepast 24 hours, while the volcano’ssulfur dioxide emission was measuredat 514 tons, above the normal volume of500 tons per day. At least 700families have been evacuated and provided reliefaid. Residents within aradius of six to seven kilometers from Mayon’s craterhave been readiedfor evacuation should the situation worsen.
COLUMBIA -authorities again issued a red alert in the area affected by theGalerasvolcano, in the southwestern province of Nariño, after a neweruption Fridaynight that claimed no victims. "The level of volcanicactivity at Galerashas changed to the red level,” which means that aneruption is imminent or inprogress. For several days an order has beenin effect to evacuate the ruralarea.
VANUATU - More than300 villagers have been evacuated in the Pacific nation ofVanuatu afteran erupting volcano started spewing smoke and ash onto theirhomes.Residents were loaded onto fishing boats and shipped to the far sideofGaua island after the volcano, which has been rumbling for the pasttwo months,started erupting on Thursday. "They're evacuating people tothe other sideof the island. The volcano was throwing ash in the placethey live."
MONTSERRAT - Lightash has fallen over the capital of Montserrat after theCaribbeanisland's temperamental volcano hurled another round of hot rocksandgases. A small pyroclastic flow nearly reached the ocean asSoufriere Hillsshed part of its old dome this week. Friday that ashfell on parts of Olvestonand Old Town. Tremors also shook the volcanoas it began emitting lava closerto the summit. Soufriere Hills has shotseveral plumes of ash in recent months.
PHILIPPINES -Mayon Volcano rumbled and spewed ash a kilometer into the airWednesdaymorning but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology andSeismology (Phivolcs)said there is no need to raise the alert level.However, Phivolcs advisedcommunities near the restive volcano inLegazpi City, Albay, to be prepared toevacuate when needed. It was THEFIRST TIME THAT RUMBLING SOUNDS WERE HEARDfrom Mayon as it spewed ash.“There were two other explosions last Sept. 15 andOct. 28 but thesewere not accompanied by rumbling. But the rumbling sound iscommon foran ABNORMAL volcano." Mayon’s latest activities were morepowerful thanearlier explosions but these still fall within Alert Level 2.AlertLevel 3 is only raised when a volcano shows “an increasedtendencytowards eruption, with relatively high unrest." Phivolcs saidthatincandescent rock fragments at the upper slope were observed. “Ashcolumn was notobserved due to cloud cover. Field investigationconducted after the eventshowed ash fall drifted towards the southwestquadrant of the volcano due tothe prevailing northeast monsoon."Phivolcs said it also recorded 20volcanic earthquakes for the past 24hours. Mt. Mayon which has been on AlertLevel 2 status since July thisyear. Meanwhile, a tectonic earthquake measuring4.8 in the Richterscale shook Agusan del Norte early morning Wednesday with noreports ofinjury or damage as a result of the quake.
RUSSIA - A lava flowhas started to come down the slope of Eurasia's highestvolcano, theKlyuchevskoy, on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East.TheKlyuchevskoy, which lies 220 miles north ofPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is one ofthe largest active volcanoes in theworld and reaches an altitude of 15,584feet. It erupts about every 2years. "A small flow of lava has startedtrickling down thesouth-eastern slope of the Klyuchevskoy after magma hasfilled itscrater to the brink." The volcano continued to throw red-hotrocks to aheight of 200 meters (over 650 feet). The Klyuchevskoy started anewactive cycle with an eruption on February 15, 2007. The currenteruptionstarted in August after several months of relevant inactivity.Unlike manyothers, it started slow, but its intensity is rapidlygrowing. Seismologicalstations near the Klyuchevskoy register hundredsof small tremors in the areaevery day. The volcano is dangerous only totourists at this point, althoughlava flows and high-altitude ashemissions could soon threaten air traffic inthe region. There are morethan 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka, 29 of them active.
October - Volcanoes 2009:PHILIPPINES- Atleast 35 volcanic earthquakes jolted Mayon Volcano on Thursday andFriday, the highest recorded seismic event since July when the volcanostarted showing signs of restiveness. The seismic network has recordeda total of 82 earthquakes since Sept. 27. Scientists monitoring thevolcano do not discount the possibility of an explosive eruptionbecause of the fluctuating indicators,such as quakes, ground swelling,gas emissions and crater glow. Precise leveling result indicated a 6-mmswelling on the volcano’s ground surface, with bulging noted at theBuang, Tabaco City, side of the mountain. The volcano's crater glow wasobscured by the prevailing bad weather in Albay. Alert level 2remainedhoisted over Mayon Volcano.
ALASKA - Geologistsare on alert after the Cleveland Volcano spewed an ash plume up to20,000 feet. The volcano on Alaska's Aleutians Islands erupted lateFriday, prompting the observatory to raise the mountain's threat levelto code orange. Satellite views showed the ash cloud drift northeastabout 375 miles and disperse over the Bering Sea.Cleveland is about 940miles southwest of Anchorage, on a remote and uninhabited island. Thevolcano's last significant eruption began in February2001 andeventually produced a lava flow that reached the ocean. Ash emissionsfrom Cleveland were most recently seen in June.
VANUATU - Communities on the Vanuatu island ofGaua are worried about the volcano in its centre. For the Gaua volcanohas shown signs of increased seismic activity,generating sulphurous gasand ash into the atmosphere and affecting water supplies. The volcano'salert level has now been set at one, nowhere near the highest (levelfive), but still a worry for the two thousand people who call theremote island home.
RUSSIA - The Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia'sKamchatka Peninsula is showing signs of coming to life, throwing outred-hot rocks, seismologists say. The volcano, located 220 miles northof the city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia's Far East, erupts aboutonce every two years. "At present, the Klyuchevskoy spews out magma toa height of (330 feet) with 1- to 6-minute intervals. This eruption,(which started on Oct. 3), unlike many others,started slow, but itsintensity is rapidly growing." While only tourists who venture tooclose to the volcano are threatened at this point, if the eruptionscontinue to build, high altitude ash emissions may affect air travel inthe region.
MONTSERRAT - New ash spewed twice from theMontserrat volcano Monday morning, leaving parts of the island coveredin dust. The volcano on the Caribbean island shot a plume of ash morethan two miles (three kilometers)into the sky.
VANUATU - A volcano in Vanuatu is showing signs ofincreased activity. A team of volcanic experts have arrived at the Gauavolcano and are collecting data to determine whether it will erupt. Thelocal population has not yet been advised to evacuate until the alertlevel reaches level three. It is currently at level one, however localssay they are experiencing increased ash fall and minor earth quakes.
Possible volcanic eruptions in Sumatra -Earthquakes and volcanic eruption go hand-in-hand in the Indonesianisland of Sumatra, so it is wise to keep a close watch on therecurrance of quakes and following developments in the region, says asenior volcanologist. There are more than 200 volcano lines along theSumatra fault running parallel to the subduction zone. During March2007earthquake, the Talang volcano showed increased volcanic activitythrowing ash plumes. The current series of seismic activities are linedover the active Sumatra fault close to three active volcanoes --Marapi, Talang and Tandikat.
PHILIPPINES - State volcanologists on Mondayobserved a nearly 350-ton increase in thesulfur dioxide emission rateof Mayon Volcano in Albay province in the Bicolregion. The volcanoemitted 853 tons of SO2 in the past 24 hours. Phivolcsrecorded only 505tons last October 10; 761 tons last October 8, and 350 tonslast October7. While the volcano’s steaming activity remained moderate andwhile thecrater glow remained obscure, Phivolcs said that they detectedsevenvolcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours – bringing to 43 thenumber ofvolcanic earthquakes recorded from October 5 to 11. MayonVolcano’s status,however, remained at Alert Level 2, which ischaracterized as "a state ofunrest which could lead to more ashexplosion or eventually to hazardousmagmatic eruption."
MONTSERRAT - Scientists in Montserrat have given anexplanation of recent activity atthe Soufriere Hills Volcano whicherupted on Sunday. The volcano sent ashspewing two miles into theatmosphere. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory saidthe recent activityis the result of a new lava dome growing near the volcano'ssummit."This has started producing small flows of fragments of hot rocksandash down the sides of the volcano on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, wehada switch in the direction of the activity ... it's now moving to thenorthwhich is important because people live at the end of the valleywhich drainswhere these pyroclastic flows are traveling so, we need tokeep a very closewatch on what's going on even though it's notescalating. We're getting regularhigh levels of volcanic activity about2 kilometers from the dome. People liveabout 6 kilometers away from thedome so, the pyroclastic flow would have to goa lot further for it tobegin to be a problem and for us to start thinkingabout evacuatingpeople."
HAWAII - Toxic Hawaiian volcano poses health risksto residents, crops. Kilauea,on the big island of Hawaii, is makingheadlines for vog - a mix of sulfurdioxide and other chemicals, whichwhen combined with sunlight and dust, formsa thick soupy haze similarto smog. Although the volcano has been spitting outvog for more thantwo decades now, a new vent that opened near the summit inMarch of 2008has made things, well — more "voggy." And it's givingsome people aheadache — literally and financially. In addition to causinghealthproblems like itchy and watery eyes and noses, vog is harmful fortheexotic plant industry. When the sulfur dioxide hits the moistureinside thebeloved protean flower, it turns to sulfuric acid, and burnsthe plant to acrisp. It has become a major problem for residents whomake their livinggrowing these exotic Hawaiian flowers. Health concernssurrounding the vog havepublic schools creating a separate airconditioned "safe" room for kidswho experience breathing problems ondays when the air is particularly thickwith the sulfur dioxide. Thetrade winds are blowing the vog towards Oahau.
VANUATU- Volcanologists in Vanuatu have raised thealert level of the Gaua volcanoin the far north. The level was upgradedto two, from one, last week aftervolcanologists measured a rise inseismic activity. The volcano is goingthrough an eruptive phase thatbegan on September 27. There’s no danger yet forthe residents, and thewater on the island is still safe to drink. The highestvolcano alertlevel is five. Rivers flowing down from the volcano may behazardousbecause of potential mud-slides. Residents are reporting ash isstillfalling onto their crops and the smell of sulphur is strong. Froma previousgas reading of nil, sulphur dioxide measured on October 3 was3,000 tonnes -"so for this small volcano this is huge". Two moderateearthquakeshit the South Pacific in quick succession on Monday. A 5.3magnitude tremor hit285 kilometers from Santo, in Vanuatu at 0735 GMT.It was followed minuteslater by a 5.5 magnitude quake 214 kilometersfrom Apia, in Samoa.
COLUMBIA - The Nevado del Huila volcano inColombia's south western department ofHuila has reawakened, initiallydischarging ash which is predominantlyaffecting the indigenouscommunities within the surrounding area. The towncouncil of Caucamunicipalities bordering Huila on Monday drew up a riskassessmentreport and ordered the suspension of school activities in the area."Wehave activated the contingency plan ... we have everything ready intheevent that we are told we must leave, and at that point wewillevacuate." There is a consistent tremor pulse coming from thevolcano andthe large expulsion of ash that occurred early Mondaymorning signals apotential impending eruption. The Nevado del Huilavolcano is Colombia'shighest volcano and had been dormant for 500 yearsuntil it resumed activity in2007. The volcano erupted again in November2008.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO- Mount Nyamulagiraerupted on Monday and lavahas been flowing away from the direction ofGoma, which was partially submergedwhen Mount Nyirangongo erupted in2002. "There was no loss of life and noimmediate threat to Goma becauseNyamulagira lies 32 kilometers to the northand has Mount Nyirangongoacting as a barrier against lava reaching the city."Despite the lack ofimmediate danger to Goma, the head of the United NationsOffice for theCo-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Goma said ifthere werebigger eruptions, the situation could be very different.
PHILIPPINES - Mayon Volcano spewed ash anew thismorning, indicating fresh sign ofheightened restiveness that couldresult in a major eruption, a month and 13days after its first ashexplosion episode last September 15. The eventprompted authorities toissue a new 24-hour alert to residents of communitiessurrounding thevolcano. Residents living near the slopes claimed hearing whatthey saidwas a "thud" followed by a display of whitishcauliflower-like plumeabove the crater. For the past 24-hour observationperiod, the seismicnetwork recorded 13 volcanic earthquakes.
September - Volcanoes 2009:Philippines: Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Occidental has shown a remarkable rise initsseismic activity for the last eight days. The Philippine Instituteof Volcanology and Seismology has recorded 257 volcanic earthquakes inMt. Kanlaon from August 23 to September 1. The seismic activity wasnotably higher than theusual levels that generally vary from 0 to 4events detected in 24 hours during quiet periods. The epicenters of thequakes were all located at the northwestslope of the volcano. Theoccurrence of these earthquakes might indicate movements of an activelocal fault at the slope of the volcano, which might beinduced bypressure beneath the volcano. However, the present volcanic activitydid not indicate significant change in the steam emission from thecrater, asits status was maintained at Alert Level 0. If the prevailingelevated level ofseismic activity continues together with othermonitored activities, Phivolcssaid the alert level status of thevolcano would be raised accordingly. Kanlaonvolcano has a history ofsudden steam-driven explosions without precursors.
Costa Rica: TurrialbaVolcano acting up. Scientists noticedsome changes to the landscape atTurrialba volcano during three recent visits.Researchers who toured thearea during the last two weeks of August reported that “yellow,straw-colored circles” covered approximately four squarekilometers oftrees. They said other plants appeared to have sustained wind damage.Investigators also discovered new crevices that are emitting plumesofsteam and sulfur. The cracks had expanded up to 12 centimeters inwidth andgases rose up to 300 meters. “These observations are moreintense than ones wehave noticed before, but it's nothing extremelydangerous." The treescould have been yellowed by the vapor the newcrevices are emitting or by thisyear's dry weather conditions.
Nicaragua: SanCristobal volcano, quiet for three years, has let off a seriesofexplosions, spewing gases and showering ash on nearby towns. Sunday’sblastsprompted officials to issue an alert for 25 districts near thevolcano. Thevolcano is near the Honduran border.
Indonesia: The Pagalaramcity government in South Sumatra, is anticipating thepossibility ofnatural disasters by preparing evacuation routes for residentsif MountDempo erupts. “We have already set up a regional disaster board."Basedon reports from mountain observers, the effect of an eruption atMountDempo could reach 9 kilometers away to the central, northern, andsouthernsides of Dempo. “So we are preparing safe zones that are 10kilometersaway."
Philippines: There hasagain been an increase in the activity of Mayon Volcano.Latest datasaid 6 volcanic quakes were recently recorded and theincreasedmagnitude of the quakes is a cause for alarm. 750 metric tonsof sulfur dioxideemissions were estimated from the volcano which washigher than the recent 200metric tons.
HAWAII- we may be seeing anew cycleof activity at Kilauea. The increase in magma supply observedsince late 2003,the Father’s Day intrusion, and new eruptive vents onthe east rift zone in2007 are distinctive markers of the transition,leading to the opening of thenew vent at the summit. Although featuresof each cycle may be similar, theexact accommodation the volcano makesto the changing conditions varies. Of thecurrent activity,“We’ve neverseen sustained simultaneous eruptions at thesummit and on the east riftzone [in the recorded past].” Just how the volcanois achievingequilibrium during these past two years of sustained summit andeastrift zone eruptions is still a subject of debate. [History has shownthatKilauea's lava can spout anywhere, anytime in the most dangerouszones.]
RUSSIA- Scientists say theeruption of a volcano on the sparselypopulated Kamchatka Peninsula hasprobably sent plumes of ash thousands ofmeters (feet) high and couldaffect aircrafts in the area. The Sheveluchvolcano erupted with "strongexplosions" on Thursday and increasedactivity persisted. The volcanowas obscured by clouds but ash plumes likelyrose as high as 15,000meters (50,000 feet). Late Friday the volcano had calmeddown somewhat.Kamchatka juts into the Pacific and is studded with activevolcanoes.Sheveluch has experienced several "paroxysmal explosiveeruptions" inthe past decade.
RUSSIA- Six volcanoes arecurrentlyerupting in Russia's remote Kamchatka region. That muchactivity was lastrecorded 55 years ago. Despite the obvious dangers,there is mixed reactionamong local people. "Some people are saying thatthis ash brings naturalmineral fertilizers. When we first came here thesnow was grey and everythingwas melting in spring time, fertilizing thesoil. Just take a look around andyou will see that the plants areflourishing at the bottom of thevolcano." Another villager sees thehealth hazards. "This volcano wasdangerous, we were breathing in thevolcanic ash and it was harmful to ourhealth but now the wind isblowing in the other direction." According tothe Deputy Director ofScience at the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Institute, thenumber oferuptions is increasing all over the world. "We have seen two,three, upto five volcanoes erupting simultaneously, but we have sixvolcanoeserupting this year and it is not just happening here, this isa globaltrend."
August - Volcanoes 2009: RUSSIA -The plume of steam, gas and ashthat Kamchatka’s Koryaksky Volcano hasshot into the air has stretched 210kilometres north-east of the volcanoand has reached Kronotsky Peninsula. Thereis no danger for the localpopulation. Koryaksky Volcano is situated 28kilometres fromPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Starting from August 13, ash hasappeared inits emissions of steam and gas. Specialists believe this happensbecausewater and melted snow have got into its “channels” in nasty weather.Thereis no increased activity and no signs of the start of an activeeruption areregistered as of yet. Registering equipment started sendingsignals of growingseismic tremors from the volcano in the night hoursof Sunday and they mighthave been caused by the admix of ash to the gasand vapors. Volcanic ash fellon Monday in the suburbs of regionalcentre Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. However,its amount is insignificantand poses no danger. Ash plumes can pose danger forplanes. Allconcerned services have been warned about it. Volcano’s activityhasbeen registered since the end of 2008. The previous period ofvolcano’sactivity was at the end of 1956 - the beginning of 1957, withno majoreruption. Powerful eruptions of Koryaksky Volcano happened3,500-7,000 yearsago, scientists believe.
RUSSIA- For the FIRST TIME IN 60YEARSsix Kamchatka volcanoes exhibit activity simultaneously. They areKoryaksky,Shiveluch, Bezimyanny, Gorely, Karymsky volcanoes andKlyuchevskaya SopkaVolcano. All of them are spouting steam and gasalmost simultaneously. Atpresent they are trying to figure out thereasons behind the increase ofactivity of the Kamchatka volcanoes.Experts assure that the volcanoes pose nohazard to life for the timebeing. But the gas and vapor releases do threatenaviation. For the timebeing only Shiveluch poses a threat. The volcanic ventis full-brimmedwith viscous lava. Scientists agree that Gorely volcano mightsoon eruptfor the first time in twenty-two years. Water temperature of thelakelocated on top of the volcanic mountain is rising, which may wellindicateoncoming eruption. The Gorely volcano is located 75 kmfromPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
PHILIPPINES -Restive MayonVolcano has recorded an increase in sulfur dioxideemission but this is nocause for alarm, according to the head of thePhilippine Institute ofVolcanology and Seismology. Sunday, the volcanoin Legaspi, Albay had 752 tonsper day sulfur dioxide emission - morethan double of its 362 tons/day emissionon August 21. Mt. Mayon onAugust 20 and 19 recorded just 248 tons/day and 210tons/day sulfurdioxide emission, respectively. “The increase in the sulfurdioxide isabove normal but not significant.” Thus, the evaluation of Mt. Mayonisstill at Alert Level 2 status (moderate unrest). Alert Level 2 means“astate of unrest which could lead to ash explosions or eventually tohazardousmagmatic eruption.” On the other hand, Mt. Mayon also recordedtwo volcanicearthquakes Sunday. Phivolcs had recorded 57 volcanicearthquakes from thevolcano from August 10 to 16. Mt. Mayon’s craterglow was at Intensity II andits steaming activity still remains atmoderate levels.
PHILIPPINES- The PhilippineInstitute ofVolcanology and Seismology on Friday recorded another surgein the activitiesof the Mayon volcano with 13 new volcanic earthquakesdetected by the seismicnetwork from its apparent lull early this week.There were a total of 68volcanic earthquakes from August 17 to 23recorded by the seismic network. OnFriday, sulfur dioxide emissionrecorded was as high as 615 tons per day, ahigh level compared to itsbaseline data of only 500 tons per day. Previousreadings were only 380tons per day last August 26 and 261 tons per day lastAugust 24. TheDefense Secretary after a briefing with the RegionalDisasterCoordinating Council, said he has already signed the requestedP1-million fundfor the purchase of emergency equipment. These itemswould prepare the farmersat Barangays Buyuan and Padang of Legazpi whomight be threatened by pyroclasticflow in case lava from the volcano’scrater collapses. Authorities areconducting rabies vaccination and massneutering of dogs owned by residentsliving along the slopes of MayonVolcano as a preemptive measure shouldfamilies be displaced byevacuation efforts once the alert level is raised.
July - Volcanoes 2009: - RUSSIA-The sudden eruption of a NEW GEYSER inRussia’s Far East has takenscientists by surprise, underlining thedistinctiveness of the remotebut threatened Kamchatka peninsula. The new geyser – dubbed “Prikolny”or “Peculiar” in English – has appeared in theKronotsky Nature Reserve,in Uzon Caldera, 14 kms away from the world-renowned Valley of Geysers.A reserve ranger was the first person to see the geyser – a column ofboiling liquid shooting three meters high. Research on the geyser’ssudden appearance is ongoing, although scientists already havepresented theories on its origin, including that serious changesaffecting the entireUzon thermal field caused its appearance, or thatit was created from rising waterlevels in the field’s spring.Currently, scientists are measuring the temperature of the water, theperiodicity of its cycle, its diameter, the depthof its undergroundstructure and its exact geographical position. “The geyser erupts every6 to 20 minutes, so is very convenient for observations.” ThePrikolnyGeyser is UNIQUE because it uses the same water over and overagain.Water from the five meter fountain gets back into the funnel andthen it"spits out" the same water again. There are four large geysersfields in the world: in Iceland, New Zealand, the US and Kamchatka. Thelast time anew geyser appeared on Kamchatka was in the 1960s, and inthe United States’Yellowstone National Park in the early 20th century.Altogether Kamchatka had100 geysers (20 of them of significant size)before a mudslide covered them in June 2007.
PHILIPPINES-The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Sunday saidit is studying the possibility of raising the alert level of MayonVolcano in Albay in the Bicol region after it recently showed signs ofincreased activity. The crater glow of the volcano has intensified fromlevel one to two which means the glow is visible with the naked eye.The increase in the crater glow means the magma activity inside thevolcano has increased. Aside from the crater glow, Phivolcshas alsonoted an inflation of the volcano's edifice in the ground deformationsurvey conducted this June compared to the 12 millimeter deflationrecorded inthe survey conducted last January. This also indicates anabnormal activity of the volcano. Meanwhile, in a 24 hour period,PHIVOLCS also recorded four low frequency volcanic earthquake. Alertlevel one however is maintained over Mayonvolcano. With the recentabnormal activity of the volcano, a sudden phreatic explosion ispossible. Phreatic eruptions are steam-driven explosions that occurwhen water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma,lava,hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits. The alert level can be raisedif there isa continuous increase in parameters such as seismic grounddeformation andsulfur dioxide emission rate. Mayon Volcano’s lasteruption happened in July until August of 2006 when the alert level ofthe volcano was raised to four.
HAWAII-After being buried by rubble from a series of vent collapses onTuesday, lava is bubbling back to life at Kilauea's summit. Geologistsmaking observations on the rim of Halema`uma`u Crater could again see asmall ponded lava surface and weak spattering deep within the vent.Thelava was visible overnight on the Webcam perched on the rim ofHalema`uma`u Crater above the vent. Meanwhile, the summit plume is"very thin and wispy" with a lower sulfur dioxide emission rate thanhas been typically seen over the past several months. The most recentmeasurement taken on July3rd recorded 360 tonnes a day compared to over800 tonnes a day that has been clouding the island in vog over the lastfew months. However, even at the lower emission rate, the volcano ventis still producing well over the 2003-2007average rate of 140tonnes/day.
PHILIPPINES-The Philippines' most active volcano is rumbling again while emittingsteam and a strong glow at the summit crater thatcan be seen with thenaked eye. The frequency of volcanic earthquakes has increased on Mayonsignifying the possible movement of magma below the surface that couldlead to ash explosions and eventually eruption. The volcano in thecentral Bicol region spewed ash and lava from July to October 2006sending about 30,000 people away from their homes. Typhoon-triggeredmudslides along Mayon's slopes buried entire villages in December 2006killing more than 1,000people. Authorities on Friday said they haveraised a five-step alert systemfrom 1 to 2. Alert Level 2 means "astate of unrest which could lead toash explosions or eventually tohazardous magmatic eruption." Almost 7,000people living near MountMayon would have to be evacuated should the volcano's abnormal activityescalate to Level 3
The night skies over Britain will turn a deep shade of crimson this weekas the fallout from a Russian volcano blast hits the UK. Millions oftonnes of dust, ash and sulphur dioxide were thrown up to 30 miles intothe air when Sarychev Peak on Matua Island in the Kuril Archipelagoerupted last month. The blast created what experts call a‘volcanicaerosol’ - a colourful mixture of ash and sulphur compounds - in thestratosphere. This scatters an invisible blue which, when mixed withthe red light of the setting sun, produces a ‘volcanic lavender’, orvivid crimson/violet hue. Strong winds blew the soaring plume more than2,000 miles across the northern hemisphere before its effects werenoticed in Britain last Thursday. The RARE phenomenon has been caughton camera. Meteorologists say the sunset spectacle will last forseveral days, but will only be visible on clear evenings. It will thencontinue on its journey across the Atlantic and into the skies aboveNorth America.
PHILIPPINES- Mayon's rumbling sounds, its crater glowing at night, and snakessuddenly out of their pits. These are signs that the volcano’s eruptionis forthcoming. “We have been hearing rumbling sounds, witnessing thecrater glow at night, and seeing snakes in our farm just next to thesix-kilometer permanent danger zone." But some residents are stillwaiting for another sign: wells drying up. Right now, their wells “arestill filled with rainwater.” Other residents reported unusual dryingup of wells and they also smelled sulfurous substances. The past fewdays, wildlife has been restless along the slopes. Five new quakeepisodes recorded during the past 24 hours.Alert Level 2 still remains,meaning that the volcano is on a state of“moderate unrest” that couldeventually lead to a possible eruption. The6-kilometer danger zonearound Mayon and the 7-km danger zone in the southeast quadrant arestill off-limits to the public. Mayon has a sustained steamingactivity, which was visibly high on Tuesday.
PHILIPPINES-The restive Mayon volcano had four volcanic earthquakes Sunday. Thevolcano, which remains under Alert Level 2status, has recorded a totalof 43 volcanic earthquakes from July 6-12. Mt.Mayon’s crater glow alsoremained at Intensity II and its steaming activity isstill at moderatelevel. Mt. Mayon was placed under Alert Level 2 on July 10because ofthe increase in its activities since June 2009. Alert Level 2 means“astate of unrest which could lead to ash explosions or eventually tohazardous magmatic eruption.”
PHILIPPINES- Tourists were ordered off an island volcano near the Philippinecapital Tuesday afterseismologists detected ground shaking that theysaid could presage a minor eruption. "Significant volcanic and seismicevents have been detected over the past months" and the main crater ofTAAL "remains off limits tothe public because steam explosions maysuddenly occur or high concentrationsof toxic gases may accumulate."The tiny crater island is surrounded by alake that formed from a pasteruption. Scores of visitors cross the lake by boat every day beforemaking a short day hike to the crater lip. Taal is one of the country's22 active volcanoes with 33 known eruptions in recorded history.
Two weeks agoseismologists raised the second of a multi-stage volcano alert overMOUNT MAYON on the southern tip of the main island of Luzon followingincreased seismic activity.
TheDepartment of Public Works and Highways activated on Monday itsdisaster management team in Albay province in anticipation of a majoreruption of the Mayon volcano. Volcanologists monitoring Mayon said theeruption this year could be bigger than the 2006eruption.
ETHIOPIA -Recent volcano eruption in Ethiopia caused surface displacement in thearea. The volcano eruption on June 29 occurred in the area located at65-kms northwest of Semera, capital of Afar regional state. The volcanohas created about 4.5-kms opening within a 60-km-long dyke created inthe area in 2005. With the expectation ofmore volcanic events in theregion, DABBAHU-MANDA-HARARO IS THE MOST ACTIVE AREA ON THE PLANETRIGHT NOW. A number of volcano incidents have happened in the areasince 2005. Most of the volcanic eruptions that occurred in the regionremained beneath the surface of the earth; the recent one is the fourtheruption in Ethiopia since 2005. The eruption was a follow-up to thedyke created due to a similar eruption four years ago. Lava hasoverflowed from the dyke that covers 5-kms long and surfacedisplacement occurred following the eruption. The recent volcanoeruption also created small hills elevated from 30to 40 meters. Biggereruptions and earth quakes are expected to happen in the next fiveyears. The geologists urged responsible bodies in the region toconsider the issue in any of development activities being undertaken inthe area.
ICELAND -Magma intrusion might lead to KATLA eruption. Over the past threeweeks, tremors have been detected ten kilometers beneathEyjafjallajökull Glacier. These are similar topalpitations thatoccurred in 1994 and 1999, which were cases of magma intrusion.In 1999,the palpitations impacted the volcano Katla even if they did not causean eruption. "Volcanic activity under Eyjafjallajökull Glacier is knowntobe able to trigger eruption in Katla due to the proximity of thetwo."Seismic activity can cause Katla to erupt. “That is what happenedin 1821 when an eruption in Eyjafjallajökull Glacier lasted two years,eventually leading to an eruption in Katla in 1823.” It could takemonths to determine what is going on under the Glacier. “Theinvestigation took a long time in 1994 and 1999 but we are probablyfacing the beginning of a magma intrusion. We measure that bymonitoring the uplift of the terrain.
ETHIOPIA -A huge amount of lava has spewed in the remote volcanic complex inEthiopia’s Danakil Depression bordering Eritrea. The eruptive activitystarted in late June and the heat from the spewing lava wasf irstdetected by space-based thermal sensors. The area is home to mainlynomadic herders. So far there have been three other eruptions of theManda Hararo volcanic field since the first volcanic activities inmodern times beganthere in August 2007. However, the current eruptionis being accompanied by dense plumes of sulphur dioxide gas. Theeruption killed five people and hundreds of livestock and forced 50,000nomads to flee. This active volcanic area is an extension of the EastAfrican Rift Valley. The exact mechanism of the rift formation is stillunder debate among scientists. Evidence suggests that the East AfricanRift System (EARS) assumes elevated heat flow from the asthenosphere(the liquid layer of mantle), which is causing a pair ofthermal“bulges” in central Kenya and the Afar region on theEritrean-Ethiopian border.EARS is one of the geologic wonders of theworld, a place where the present tectonic forces could possibly createnew plates by splitting apart old ones.
RUSSIA's northernmostactive volcano churned out ash to a height of some 5,000 meters (23,000feet)in the country's Far East late on Saturday. The Shiveluch volcanoon the Kamchatka Peninsula last erupted in December 2006 and has beenactive ever since. They registered over 170 tremors within the area in24 hours. "Some of them were followed by powerful ash bursts andavalanches." Volcanic activity over the past two-three years hassignificantly altered the contour of the volcano, with the craterincreasing in size by 50% and the slopes becoming far steeper. Thereare more than 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka, 29 of them active.
INDONESIA -Anak Krakatoa, the killer volcano that claimed 36,000 lives, stirs oncemore. An amateur photographer has captured new images of there-awakening of the world's most famous volcano. Last month he capturedthese images of the waking monster and even caught a violent stormpassing over the new cone. The ticking time-bomb can be seen spewingash into the Indonesian sky between Java and Sumatra where it lies onthe Sunda Strait.Lava can also be seen trickling down the side of thenew slopes that have quickly grown to a towering 360 metres. It nowmeasures half of the size of the original mound that ended so manylives. 'These volcanoes repeat explosions like that of 1883 many timesduring their life. The common opinion is that Krakatoa will becomeagain really dangerous when it reaches the size it had been in1883. Itwas two-times taller than now.' Anak Krakatoa is emerging from theremains of the former giant beast which blew itself apart. The originaleruption not only killed thousands in fire, but also sparked a tsunami.The huge wave was caused by masses of rock falling into the water belowas the volcano-island destroyed itself and collapsed into the ocean.Many more perished suffering from the effects of falling hot ashes andpoison gases which smothered the surrounding lands. The reborn volcano,Anak, has been steadily growing out ofi ts predecessor's remains since1927. In November 2007 it started violently erupting again butislanders thought they had escaped another potential disaster wheneverything went quiet last year. This spring, however, the new mountainstarted rumbling again. The eruptions have become so fierce they lightup overhead clouds and draw in violent thunderstorms as the atmospherechanges.
June - Volcanoes 2009:INDONESIA -One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes is threatening to erupt,officials said Monday, as they ordered residents in nearby villages toleave. The alert status of Mount Karangetang was raised to the highestlevel after it started spewing lava and hot ash hundreds of yards(meters) into the air. The volcano on Siau, part of the Sulawesi islandchain, last showed signs of intense activity in July 2006, when 4,000people were evacuated. It has spit out ash and lava several times sincethen, but no serious injuries have been reported. The last deadlyeruption was in 1992, when six villagers were killed.
INDONESIA -Mount Sangiang, a volcano in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara has beenclosed for hiking. There have been sounds of eruption since lastThursday. The mountain's status is on alert. Since last month, 13quakes occur every day with white smoke coming out from the mountain.
COLUMBIA -Colombia's Galeras volcano erupted on Monday for the second time in 24hours, showering villages in the surrounding area with ash, but causingno damage or injuries. Authorities ordered 8,000 residents to evacuatethe area. No immediate impact was reported on the country's coffeecrops. Galeras, which has registered minor eruptions in recent years,is closely observed because of the threat it poses to nearbypopulations. Eight eruptions have rattled the volcano so far this year.
Super volcano may be brewing beneath Mount St Helens -Peering under the volcano has revealed what may be an extraordinarilylarge zone of semi-molten rock, which would be capable of feeding agiant eruption. The measurements revealed a column of conductivematerial that extends downward from the volcano. About 15 kilometersbelow the surface, the relatively narrow column appears to connect to amuch bigger zone of conductive material. This larger zone was firstidentified in the 1980s, and was found to extend all the way to beneathMount Rainier 70 kilometers to the north-east and Mount Adams 50kilometers to the east. The new measurements show an apparent conduitconnecting this conductive zone to Mount St Helens. If the structurebeneath the three volcanoes is indeed a vast bubble of partially moltenrock, it would be comparable in size to the biggest magma chambers everdiscovered, such as the one below Yellowstone National Park.
RUSSIA - Avolcanic eruption on a remote Russian island north of Japan has createda giant ash cloud that threatens passing airplanes. The eruption ofSarychev Peak on uninhabited Matua Island, part of the Kuril Islandsarchipelago in the North Pacific Ocean, began overnight Thursday-Fridayand is still underway. It has formed an ash cloud eight kilometers(five miles) high which has spread 310 kilometers to the west.
CHILE-Chaiten volcano - It lay dormant for 9,000 years before eruptingspectacularly without warning a year ago, spewing ash 12 miles into theair. And now, Chaiten volcano is threatening an entire town in Chile’ssouthern Patagonia region. Still, some residents of the town of Chaitendefy orders to move. In February, the volcano exploded with renewedfury and split open a one-kilometer gap on the south side of thevolcano’s dome, prompting the government to order an indefiniteevacuation for the roughly 200 residents who had returned over the pastyear. Scientists say the volcano could remain active for decades.Chilean officials also announced that this year they would begin torebuild the provincial capital six miles to the north of Chaiten, inSanta Barbara, a coastal village with a port and high mountains toshield it from the volcano. But about 70 Chaiten residents stubbornlyrefuse to leave, living day to day without running water orelectricity, as their lawyers attempt to prevent the government fromforcibly removing them. At least 10 times a day, there are earthquakes,with recent tremors measuring as high as 4.2 on the Richter scale.
ITALY -Giant volcano smoldering under the sea of Santorini - The under-watervolcano, Columbus, situated 6.5 meters south-east of Santorini in theAegean sea, is being observed with great interest by Greek and Germanscientists. They have registered constant earthquakes of 4 Richter, hotair eruptions and continuous changes in the sea floor around thecrater. The volcano is 470 meters high and reaches down to 17 metersbeneath the sea floor. Its crater’s width is out of proportion - 1.5kilometers. Complex submarine equipment has shown that Columbus’svolcanic activity never stops. It is the reason for the frequentearthquakes and constant changes in the surface around the crater. “Thedistortion of the sea floor is minor but it can be seen on the walls ofthe crater and in the 10-15-kilometers perimeter around it.”
COSTA RICA -alert Level 3 as Arenal Volcano spews vapor. Scientists raised thevolcanic alert of the Arenal Volcano in the north-central region of LaFortuna from 2b to 3 on a 4-level scale on Friday. Level 3, or “yellowalert,” means a probable eruption or strong changes in the eruptionpatterns in the next 10 days, upcoming weeks, or few months. Arenalcould show “significant variations in the development of the volcanicprocess,” which could result in “an explosive eruption or damaging lavaand rock flows.” Scientists reported an increase in vapor explosions,known as phreatic eruptions, since early March. After two and a halfmonths of such activity, pyroclastic flows – fast moving currents ofhot gas and rock – could begin to occur, one of the reasons for thealert.
RUSSIA- Avolcanic eruption in Russia's Kuril Islands is diverting jets toAnchorage. Sarychev Volcano has been erupting since late last week. Aspokesman for Anchorage's main airport says it has received about adozen diverted Asia-bound passenger and cargo flights since Sundaynight. Airport staff on Wednesday called it a "turnabout of volcanicimpacts," referring to the Anchorage airport's previous loss of flightsduring eruptions of Mount Redoubt.
INDONESIA -Mt Anak Krakatau`s eruptions record tremendous increase. Smalleruptions of Mt Anak Krakatau, the volcano in the Sunda Strait nearLampung province, through Wednesday were reported to have recorded atremendous increase during the past few days, while the status of thevolcano remained at the third level of alertness. At least 828 smalleruptions were recorded to have happened on the volcano with 63volcanic quakes, 434 tremors and 366 times of emission in the past sixdays. The frequency of the quakes and small eruptions took place everythree minutes. At present, the condition of Mt Anak Krakatau is in astate of danger, as it spewed glowing lava like gravel with atemperature at 600 degree Celsius. The increasing eruption was markedwith white smoke billowing from the mountain`s crater in a height of800 meters to the north. In response to increasing seismic activityaround Mt. Anak Krakatau, trekking and hiking activities have beenbanned in the area. The mountain, which experienced increasing seismicactivity since April this year has been erupting on a daily basis."There are strong indications of increasing seismic activitiesincluding the emission of hazardous gas." The volcano`s activity was onFriday marked by 182 eruptions coupled with 11 volcanic quakes, eightdeep volcanic tremors, 54 shallow volcanic shocks, 44 tremors, and italso spewed smoke 29 times. But none of the phenomena posed a directthreat to human life. There were even 2-minute tectonic shocks but alsonot dangerous. Learning of the rising activity, some coastal residentsliving close to Mount Anak Krakatau were reported to have evacuated toBandarlampung for fear of imminent eruption of the volcano due to theincreased volcanic activity. "The distance between our village and AnakKrakatau is more than three miles, but the sound of eruption that itproduces is very loud, like the sound of a cannon in the middle of thesea. So far it has never emitted such loud blasts and we have beenobserving that it has often discharged molten lava." Fishermen havebeen afraid of fishing around the volcano and the Sunda Strait over thepast week. The best-known eruption of Krakatau culminated in a seriesof massive explosions on August 26-27, 1883, which were among the mostviolent volcanic events in modern and recorded history. The eruptionwas equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT - about 13,000 times the nuclearyield of the Little Boy bomb that devastated Hiroshima during World WarII and four times the yield of the largest nuclear device everdetonated.
May - Volcanoes 2009:INDONESIA -Volcanologists at Mount RINJANI in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Provinceclosed the mountain as eruptions intensified since Monday (April 27).On Sunday, repeated explosion were heard since 5.50 AM local time, butactivities have been escalating since Saturday (May 2) afternoon. TheMining and Energy office of West Nusa Tenggara Province reported acrater began to form at the eastern slope of the mountain. Theeruptions had not caused terrible impacts “but a small crater began toform” in the eastern part of the mountainous area at Mount Baru Jari.On Saturday (May 2) volcanic ash and smoke eruption have reached toabout 8.000 meters. The eruption is the latest major one recorded infive years. The last huge eruption was in 1994.
INDONESIA -Mount BARUJARI, a volcano in the middle of the crater lake of MountRinjani on Lombok Island, continued to emit volcanic ash and smoke onSunday. But the eruptions were relatively smaller than those onSaturday. “The eruptions are almost like firecrackers, but the volcanois safe." The volcano, sprayed hot ashes into the Segara Anak, thecrater lake contained within Mount Rinjani. The lava did not pose adanger to people because it was quite far from the nearest village inSenaru, Bayan subdistrict, in North Lombok. The volcano last erupted inSeptember 2004.
ALASKA -Seismic activity at Mount Redoubt increased over 24 hours on Sunday anda steam and ash plume rising above the volcano increased in sizedramatically in the 9 o'clock hour Sunday night. The activity "appearsto be gaining intensity. Seismic activity has increased markedly in thelast 24 hours, showing stronger volcanic tremor and more frequentrockfall events." Late Sunday night scientists said that an explosiveeruption is now more likely in the next few days than it has been inthe last few weeks. The alert level remains at orange. Redoubt has nothad an explosive eruption since April 4 when the volcano created an ashfall along the Kenai Peninsula. An eruption on March 28 forced theclosure of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for about 20hours. The first series of explosive events began March 22 when Redoubtended months of anticipation with six powerful blasts.
INDONESIA -Besides Mt Baru Jari, several volcanoes in Indonesia have shown anincrease in activities recently. Mt Slamet in Central Java sprayedthick ash last week, covering the nearby regencies of Tegal andPurbalingga. On April 24, Mt Anak Krakatau, located in the SundaStrait, also showed increasing activity, with 237 small eruptions. Thisstarted on April 15, with 156 small explosion and 25 volcanic quakes.Earlier last month, Mt Kerinci, the highest mountain in Sumatra, alsosprayed ash, covering areas in the Kerinci regency of Jambi province.Small eruptions continued throughout the month. In March, Mt Semeru,which, at 3.676 meters above sea level is the highest volcano in Java,also showed increased activity with several small explosions andtremors. Residents in regencies around the mountain, including Lumajangand Malang in East Java, were told to be on alert. Dukono, a volcanoon the Indonesian island of Halmahera, released a plume of ash andsteam on May 3. The plume continued a pattern of intermittent activityin an ongoing eruption. Dukono is a complex volcano with multiplesummit peaks and overlapping craters. The volcano’s remote locationmakes reports of its activity rare, but it ranks among Indonesia’s mostactive volcanoes.
ALASKA - Getready for another possible eruption from Redoubt within the next fewdays as activity at Mount Redoubt is again increasing. Late Tuesday,seismic activity at Mount Redoubt intensified from discrete, repeatingevents to continuous tremor.
HAWAII - Thevog (volcanic smog) covering the islands is the WORST IT HAS BEEN INYEARS, American Lung Association officials said. A combination of lightwinds out of the south and the eruptions at Kilauea Volcano created thesituation.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -The volcanoes in the central African nation could be about to erupt,threatening Goma, which has a population of more than half a millionpeople. Scientists found evidence of intense volcanic activity —including tremors, pools of lava and plumes of smoke — at two volcanoesnear a major city in eastern Congo, and said some residents had fledfor fear of an eruption. The two volcanic peaks are Nyiragongo andNyamulagira. "The eruption could be tomorrow, or the day after — or atany other time." The Nyiragongo crater is only 11 miles (18 kilometers)north of Lake Kivu, where Goma is located. 1.3 million people arethreatened by the two volcanoes, including the residents of Goma, thevillages surrounding it and the inhabitants of Gisenyi, located acrossthe Rwandan border. "The villagers living near Nyiragongo have alreadyleft their villages after they saw the volcano shake today. Theythought it was already erupting." Nyiragongo is listed as one of theeight most dangerous volcanoes in the world and its lava can flow at upto 24 miles (40 kilometers) per hour.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -Fears are rife that Mount Nyamulagira in the Democratic Republic ofCongo may soon erupt. This comes on the heels of a significantincreased volcanic activity around Goma in the east of the country.Residents say by day, the air in the city is thick with volcanic dust.By night, residents can often see the red glow of burning lavatrickling out of the summit of the nearest volcano, Mount Nyiragongo.Significantly increased temperatures have been recorded around MountNyiragongo recently and a larger than usual cloud of volcanic dust wasbeing thrown into the skies. However, it is Mount Nyamulagira that islikely to erupt.
RUSSIA - TheShiveluch Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula released a smallplume of vapor as the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission andReflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead on May10. Shiveluch exhibited above-normal seismic activity from May 6 to May12, and ash plumes may have reached a height of 6.7 kilometers (22,000feet).
SAUDI ARABIA -Rumblings from Al-Ais volcanoes send villagers into state of panic -Rumblings from the direction of extinct volcanoes in Al-Ais, which washit by a series of tremors over the last couple of weeks, sentvillagers in the area into a state of near panic in the early hoursThursday. “Most of the local people spent the night in a state ofextreme anxiety when a thunder-like rumble was heard." Despite repeatedreassurances from the Saudi Geological Survey that there was nothing toworry about; the provincial branch of the Civil Defense is battle-readywith personnel and equipment to face any eventuality. Civil Defenseteams have been patrolling villages where tremors were experienced toreassure people. The teams are also checking the safety of buildings inthe region. Al-Harrah Mountain was the source of the rumbling noise andthe epicenter of the recent tremors. The mountain, with its jet-blackstones and sand devoid of any flora and fauna, diffused an air ofeeriness all around. The tremors were due to subterranean volcanicactivity in the Harrat Al-Shaqqah area. The SGS registered 11 seismictremors since last Tuesday in Al-Ais, the biggest of which measured 3.7on the Richter scale. A US scientist currently visiting the Kingdomdismissed the tremors as usual underground activity that did not poseany threat to the safety of people living in the area. “The tremorsexperienced in some villages in Madinah province are normal and notdangerous. It is normal underground movement along a fault line.” SAUDIARABIA - Saudi authorities evacuated five western villages on Mondayafter tremors hit a volcanic region in the past weeks raising concernsof possible eruptions. A 4.68 earthquake hit the region on Sunday."There was a large quake, the largest so far." Al-Ais, 150 km (100miles) northeast of the Yanbu on the Red Sea, is not close to the oiland petrochemicals facilities. The region lies on a fault line, andnewspapers reported that in the past few days magma levels had raisedto 4 km (2.5 miles) below the surface from 8 km. Fears of an eruptionin dormant volcanoes in al-Ais have sent panic stricken residentsvoluntarily fleeing to the holy city of Medina and Yanbu last week.
A massive underwater mountaindiscovered off the Indonesian island of Sumatra could be a volcano withpotentially catastrophic power, a scientist said Friday. The mountainwas discovered earlier this month about 330 kilometers (205 miles) westof Bengkulu city during research to map the seabed's seismic faultlines. The cone-shaped mountain is 4,600 meters (15,100 feet) high, 50kilometers in diameter at its base and its summit is 1,300 meters belowthe surface. "It looks like a volcano because of its conical shape butit might not be. We have to conduct further investigations." He deniedreports that researchers had confirmed the discovery of a new volcano,insisting that at this stage it could only be described as a "seamount"of the sort commonly found around the world. "Whether it's active ordangerous, who knows?"
April - Volcanoes 2009:CHILEThe eruption of the Llaima volcano in Chile intensified Sunday, blowingash four miles into the sky and prompting more evacuations. Llaim beganspewing lava on Friday night in a fresh bout of activity. A toweringcloud of ash was drifting toward Argentina, extending 62 milessoutheast of the volcano. “The volcano continues to permanently erupt,with explosions, lava flows and ash. More people were evacuatedovernight because of the risk of mud avalanches as the lava melts snowon the volcano.” The crater of Chile's erupting Llaima volcano isblocked with debris that could prompt a pressure build-up and renewedexplosions of lava, experts warned on Wednesday. Llaima began spittinglava in a fresh bout of activity on Friday night. It belched ash 4miles (7 km) into the sky during the weekend, prompting the evacuationof 123 people from the surrounding area. Activity died down and thereis now a much smaller ash cloud but national emergency office ONEMIsaid the situation remained critical. The cone of pyroclastic material,essentially molten rock, had built up and now jutted above the crater,extending the height of Llaima to 10,630 feet (3,240 meters) above sealevel from around 10,397 feet (3,169 meters) previously. "It would bemuch better if the crater were unobstructed, so it can release energygradually and slowly." The volcano's eruptive activity is very erraticand could quickly surge.
ALASKA - Asatellite is tracking a sulfur dioxide cloud emitted by the April 4thMt. Redoubt eruption. The cloud will probably move across NorthAmerica in the days ahead. Keep an eye out for volcanic sunsets.
INDONESIA Threevolcanoes around the country are currently on alert status and another11 have shown signs of increasing activity in the last month, anofficial said on Sunday. Officials had raised the status of Mount Ibuin Maluku Province in December 2008, Mount Semeru in East Java Provincein early March and Mount Karangetang in North Sulawesi Province inmid-March. They have no predictions of imminent eruptions, but warnedlocals to stay outside a two-kilometer radius of each volcano due tothe increasing activity. “They are now dangerous for local residents.Karangetang is dangerous for its great deal of volcanic ash, Ibu forits molten lava spray and Semeru for its eruption activity. We aremonitoring them intensively because there has been no sign ofdecreasing activities.” Indonesia has the highest number of activevolcanoes of any country in the world.
INDONESIACoastal residents living close to Mount Anak Krakatau, off the SundaStrait in Lampung, have evacuated to Bandarlampung out of fear of animminent eruption of the volcano due to increased volcanic activity,despite the fact that its alert status remains at two out of four.Mount Anak Krakatau has been producing small eruptions over the pastweek. “The distance between our village and Anak Krakatau is more thanthree miles, but the sound of eruption that it produces is very loud,like the sound of a cannon in the middle of the sea. So far IT HASNEVER EMITTED SUCH LOUD BLASTS and we have been observing that it hasoften discharged molten lava.” Fishermen have been afraid to fisharound the volcano and the Sunda Strait over the past week. Residentsin Punduh Pidada say they have not heard eruptions as huge as thoseover the past week since Anak Krakatau was classified as active. Thelast time it showed signs of activity were in mid February, when iterupted up to three times a day. The seismograph at the Anak Krakatauobservation post in Hargopancuran village, Rajabasa district, SouthLampung, has recorded 126 eruptions weekly, including 23 deepunderground, 82 shallow and 149 hot cloud discharges. Visualobservation shows grayish ash formations between 200 and 800 metershigh.
INDONESIAThe volcanic activity of three more mountains - in West Sumatra,Central Java and East Nusa Tenggara - is on the rise, leadingauthorities to remind residents living in the surrounding areas to beon the alert. The activity of Mt. KERIINCI, the highest in Sumatra, hasincreased since Sunday, exploding loudly and spewing ash up to 400meters high. The mountain, which is located on the border of WestSumatra and Jambi, continued spewing ash on Tuesday.
INDONESIAResidents and government officials were preparing late on Monday for amajor eruption from Central Java’s Mount Slamet volcano after the earthstarted shaking at a rate of 95 tremors a minute. "Even though theearthquake activity is increasing, we have not yet decided to raiseSlamet to the highest alert level, or a was status, as we think thedanger level will continue to fluctuate.” The mountain, 215 kilometerseast-southeast of Jakarta, continued to spew bursts of lava and emithigh levels of volcanic ash, which had caused some nearby residents tosuffer upper respiratory infections. “The mountain has sprayed moltenlava up to 600 meters into the air and we have recorded bursts ofvolcanic ash up to 112 times within a six-hour period.” The Volcanologyagency is also currently monitoring 11 other volcanoes across thearchipelago that has shown signs of increased activity over the lastmonth.
March - Volcanoes 2009:JAPAN -One of Japan's most active volcanoes has erupted, spewing out lava anddebris as far as 2kms away. The Sakurajima volcano, near the southerncity of Kagoshima, belched lava seven times from 5.22am. "It's possiblethat the volcano will step up activity, and we have issued a warning toresidents living nearby." The volcano, about 950km southwest of Tokyo,continued to spout fumes, although they were down from an earlier highof 1,200m.
NEW ZEALAND -There has been an enormous eruption in an underwater volcano about 300kilometers from the Bay of Plenty. Using underwater mapping devices,scientists have found evidence of the eruption by the Rumble IIIVolcano near the Kermadecs. Rumble III, which is part of the250-kilometre South Kermadec Ridge, rises 2300 meters from the seafloor. Until 2007, its summit was within about 200m of the sea surface.However, scientists on a research ship that has just spent two weeksinvestigating underwater volcanoes have found a "startling change" inthe shape of the summit, which has reduced in height by about 100m. Thevolcano has endured a "fairly catastrophic" eruption. A map made in2007 showed an 800m-wide crater near the top, but the new map now showsthe crater had been filled and the nearby summit cone had shrunk. "Thissuggests there has been a major eruption that collapsed the summit coneand filled the adjacent crater." The eruption is consistent with thefact that a number of the 90 submarine volcanoes along the Kermadec Arcare highly active. Some of the volcanoes along the 2000 kilometerunderwater chain, which runs northeast of New Zealand between the Bayof Plenty and Tonga, are as big as Mt Ruapehu.
COLUMBIA- authoritiesordered inhabitants to evacuate the area around the Galeras volcanonear the Ecuadorian border. It erupted and showered ash over severalvillages in the southern province of Nariño without taking any victimsor causing material damage. The peak located some 700 kilometers (435miles) southwest of Bogota was on orange alert since Thursday, and onSaturday the category was raised to red alert, signifying imminenteruption or eruption in progress.
INDONESIA -Mt. Semeru has been spewing lava and volcanic ash. The alert status hasbeen raised from third to second highest level. The Indonesia Red Crossbegan preparing around 400 volunteers Friday in anticipation of thepossible eruption of the nearby Mount Semeru. The volunteers weredistributed to the four districts of Poncokusumo, Ampelgading, Dampitand Tirtoyudo, the areas nearest to the volcano, the highest in Java.The four districts, located on the northern, western and southernslopes of the volcano, are considered the most vulnerable if aneruption takes place. The volunteers were tasked with establishingareas for possible evacuation spots for survivors. "We have alsoprepared military tents that we can use as refugee tents in the eventof a worst-case scenario." Hot lava is expected to pass throughPronojiwo in Lumajang regency in the event of an eruption.
INDONESIA- Mt.Semeru has been spewing lava and volcanic ash. The alert status hasbeen raised from third to second highest level. Hot lava is expected topass through Pronojiwo in Lumajang regency in the event of an eruption.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO-a mantle plume - an upwelling of intense heat from near the core of theEarth - may be bubbling to life beneath Nyiragongo, an active Africanvolcano, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “This is the mostfluid lava anyone has seen in the world. It’s unlike anything comingout of any other volcano. We believe we’re seeing the beginning of aplume that is pushing up the entire area and contributing to volcanismand earthquakes." The lava, which resides in the world’s largest lavalake - more than 600 feet wide inside the summit of Nyiragongo -, hasisotopic compositions of neodymium and strontium which are identical toancient asteroids. "This suggests that the lava is coming from a placedeep inside the Earth where the source of molten rock is in itspristine condition. Because the Earth’s crust is undergoing constantchange via tectonic motion, weathering, and resurfacing, its chemicalcomposition has been dramatically altered over its 4-billion-yearlifespan, but the Nyiragongo magma source in the deep mantle has not."That magma source is thought to retain some of the solar system'soriginal make-up of elements, and this is what Basu and his colleaguesbelieve they have detected in Nyiragongo’s lava lake. Scientistsbelieve mantle plumes can last hundreds of millions of years, and thattheir heat can create phenomena such as Yellowstone National Park orthe string of Hawaiian Islands. Nyiragongo’s frequent eruptions may bethe birthing pains of a similar plume and the possible beginning of newlarge-scale geological formations in the region. Other well knownfeatures of the region also point toward the idea of a growing plume.Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002, sending its super-fluid lava down itsslopes at more than 60 miles per hour toward the nearby town of Goma,destroying 4,500 buildings and leaving 120,000 homeless.
ALASKA-Mount Redoubt volcano has exploded anew, hurling ash and smoke highinto the atmosphere. At 4.24am AEDT today, the volcano began kickingout fresh debris, now reaching nearly 20,000 meters above sea level.The Alaska Volcano Observatory described the blast as "a majorexplosive event".
ALASKA -MountRedoubt has erupted again, spewing an ash cloud 50,000 feet up into theair. The volcano had a significant eruption at 1:20 a.m. Saturday. Theash is expected to move north toward the Alaska Range, missingAnchorage which is about 100 miles from the volcano. The observatorysays after the eruption, it detected strong seismic activity lasting 20minutes or more followed by an hours-long low-level tremor.
February - Volcanoes 2009:JAPAN-Mount Asama volcano has erupted, spewing smoke almost 2km (1.3 miles)into the air and causing ash to drift over parts of the capital, Tokyo.There were no reports of injuries or damage in the sparsely populatedarea around the mountain, 145km north-west of Tokyo. Chunks of rockfrom the explosion were found about 1km from the volcano. Residentsliving within a 4km radius of the mountain have been urged to becautious. No lava flows could be seen. The last major eruption of MountAsama took place in September 2004, when it spewed ash and rock as faras 200km away. A huge eruption in 1783 caused widespread damage andkilled about 1,500 people.
ALASKA-Mount Redoubt still hadn't blown its stack as of Sunday evening, butsome awesome stuff was happening high atop the restless volcano. Twoholes -- one more than the length of a football field across -- haveformed in Drift Glacier below the summit. Each of the holes, known asfumaroles, is blowing steam and volcanic gas 2,000 feet into the air. Avast sunken area known as a "collapse feature" also has appeared inrecent hours. And a thin mudflow is streaming down the 10,197-footmountain. It takes immense heat welling up within the volcano to makethe giant holes and other features in so brief a time. Redoubt couldexplode at any time -- or take its sweet time and keep us in suspensefor days or weeks. It also could simmer down and never erupt, thoughthe chances of that are lower. If it does blow, Anchorage and the KenaiPeninsula could be showered with ash. Volcanologists detected asizeable quake at 5:37 a.m. Sunday with characteristics suggesting themovement of underground fluids. "Redoubt Volcano southwest of Anchorageshook with thousands of small earthquakes Thursday, then erupted andshot a cloud of ash seven miles high."
Caribbean Faces Tsunami Threat -In the first documented major earthquake in the Caribbean, Jamaica'sPort Royal was devastated on June 7, 1692. The city was turned upsidedown by massive tsunami waves that dumped the harbour's ships onto theonce bustling streets and sucked the dead bodies and bones fromuprooted graves out into the harbour. Scientists have evidence of atleast 10 significant tsunamis in the northern Caribbean since 1492. All10 have been triggered by earthquakes caused by friction along theboundary of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. Thisboundary, which lies along the north coast of Hispaniola, extends for3,200 kilometres from Central America to the Lesser Antilles. The lastmajor Caribbean tsunami took place in 1946 and killed about 100 peoplein the Dominican Republic. Since then, things have been ominously quietand due to the clockwork-like nature of the region, scientists arewondering when, not if, another tsunami will strike. Despite proposalsto build an early-warning system in the Caribbean following the deathsof over 225,000 people in the 2004 Asian tsunami, there is no suchsystem yet in place. A tsunami early-warning system for the Caribbeanregion may come into place by 2011. However, this means that the 40million inhabitants of the Caribbean will have no forewarning in themeantime and no contingency plans should a tsunami take place. Thebiggest danger comes from all the way across the Atlantic. A geologicaltime bomb that will create the extraordinary phenomenon known as amega-tsunami is located on one of the Canary Islands, just off thecoast of North Africa. One flank of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on theisland of La Palma could be plunged into the ocean by the next volcaniceruption. "If the volcano collapsed in one block of rock, weighing 500billion tonnes, it would create an undersea wave 2,000 feet tall.Within five minutes of the landslide, a dome of water about a mile highwould form and then collapse, before the mega tsunami fanned out inevery direction, travelling at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour.""When one of these comes in, it keeps on coming for 10 to 15 minutes."Between nine and 12 hours after the collapse of the island, wavesbetween 20 and 50 metres high will crash into the Caribbean islands andthe eastern seaboard of North America. Some fear La Palma couldcollapse at any time. "The thing about La Palma is we know it's on themove now." Scientists believe the chunk of land is slipping slowly intothe water and think it is highly likely that another eruption will makethe entire western flank collapse.
JAPAN, RUSSIA-Twovolcanoes in Japan and another in eastern Russia erupted overnight,spreading ash as far as the Philippines and Vietnam. Seven minoreruptions occurred at Mount Sakurajima on Japan’s southern island ofKyushu, throwing rocks up to 2 kilometer. Eruptions at Mount Asama incentral Japan and Karymsky Volcano on the Russian peninsula ofKamchatka were also reported. There were no reports of damage orinjuries. “I woke up after midnight to the sound and shake of theeruption,” said a resident who lives about 20 kilometers away fromAsama. “The sound was as if an airplane was taking off nearby and itcontinued for 30 minutes.” The eruptions occurred in a region wherefour tectonic plates, the Eurasian, Philippine, North American andPacific meet.
Yellowstone National Park, USA-Ageophysicist says an earthquake swarm that occurred under YellowstoneLake a month ago was the second most intense swarm on record inYellowstone. More than 800 earthquakes occurred between Dec. 26 andJan. 8. Many of those quakes were too small to be felt. Even so,University of Utah geophysicist Robert Smith says it was the mostintense swarm recorded in Yellowstone since a swarm that rattled theWest Yellowstone area in 1985. The earthquakes could even change theroutine rise and fall of the Yellowstone Caldera. The caldera, a 37- by25-mile volcanic feature at the center of the park, rests upon a magmaplume that extends roughly 400 miles beneath the Earth's surface.
COLUMBIA- Amajor eruption of Colombia's highest volcano, the Nevado del Huila,seems imminent. This was revealed by experts and authorities onThursday. A fly-over performed on Wednesday showed a large 'dome' oflava hanging over the volcano, which could indicate that an eruption isabout to occur. As such, those living in the danger area were orderedto evacuate immediately. "The volcano has a significantly strong domeand we don't know when an eruption could occur." It is however certainthat the dome is still growing which means an increased level ofdanger. The Nevado del Huila began showing activity in 2007, afterhaving remained dormant for more than 500 years.
INDONESIA -Mt. Kelud spews poisonous gas, lava - Foreign and local sightseerscontinued pouring into Kediri's popular tourist destination of Mt.Kelud on Saturday, despite the regency's warning to steer clear of thevolcano, now spewing poisonous gases and lava. Local authorities haveprohibited locals and visitors from approaching the restive mountainsince it started emitting gases and lava late Friday. The poisonousgases could be dangerous if strong winds carried them into humansettlements.
A volcano near southwest Colombia'sborder with Ecuador erupted on Saturday, leading the government toissue a "red alert" for the region. Galeras volcano has erupted severaltimes since it became active again in 1989.
ALASKA Redoubt volcanoin Alaska still rumbling as eruption watch continues. If Alaska's MountRedoubt is going to blow its top, will it hurry up already? For weeks,the volcano has rumbled and grumbled and scientists remain reasonablysure an eruption -- the first since a long series of them in 1989-90 --will occur. But the tempestuous 10,200-foot peak 100 miles southwest ofAnchorage, towering above the Cook Inlet across from the KenaiPeninsula, is keeping scientists and Alaskans guessing. On Monday therewas "elevated seismicity dominated by ongoing volcanic tremor andoccasional small earthquakes."
January - Volcanoes 2009:COLUMBIA -A possible new eruption of the Nevado del Huila volcano forcedauthorities to evacuate villages and settlements at risk of beingflooded in case of an eruption.
ALASKA- Redoubtvolcano alert rose to orange, indicating that an eruption may beimminent. New seismic activity at Mount Redoubt, 100 miles southwest ofAnchorage, has increased significantly and may be the prelude to aneruption, "perhaps within hours to days," the Alaska VolcanoObservatory reported Sunday. Mount Redoubt volcano in Alaska expectedto erupt 'within days' - "Mount Redoubt is still rumbling andsimmering, prompting geologists to repeat their warning that aneruption may be imminent." It would not be a pleasant period inAnchorage if Redoubt were to blow its top, if its previous eruption isany indication. Geologists monitoring Mount Redoubt for signs of apossible eruption noticed that a hole in the glacier clinging to thenorth side of the volcano had doubled in size overnight - and now spanthe length of two football fields. By Saturday, they had confirmed thearea was a fumarole, an opening in the earth that emits gases and steamthat was increasing in size at an alarming rate. They also saw waterstreaming down the glacier, indicating heat from magma is reachinghigher elevations of the mountain. "The glacier is sort of fallingapart in the upper part."
YELLOWSTONE –IsYellowstone's 'super volcano' about to blow up? The super volcano inYellowstone Park, which includes parts of the states of Wyoming, Idahoand Montana, is making its presence felt. On New Year's Day, thesituation was so alarming that geologists called for an immediateevacuation of an area within a radius of 325 kilometers around thenational park. At a rate of four tremors per hour, an eruption appearedimminent. The tremors have subsided slightly since 1 January, but itwould appear the beast is slowly coming awake. The volcano's caldera,which accounts for much of the park's terrain, measures about 40 by 60kilometers. About 10 kilometers beneath the surface, a giant reservoiris slowly filling up with magma. Through cracks and fissures, some ofits heat rises to the surface in the form of steam and gas, creatingthe geysers the park is so famous for. Since a few days ago, it hasbecome abundantly clear this volcano is no longer dormant. "Yellowstonesits atop a reservoir filled with a highly viscous sort of magma, whichcannot simply flow away through cracks, which means that the gasesproduced by the magma cannot escape and the pressure keeps building.Also, the magma wants to rise up; after all, the gases it containsreduce its specific gravity, and at some point in time the layers ofrock on top the reservoir will simply be blown away in a giganticexplosion." In the week prior to 28 December, the number of tremors inthe area steadily increased to a maximum of 103 a day. In the weekafter, the number was still 10 a day. Park rangers and visitors couldfeel the tremors for miles around. Similar series of tremors have beenregistered before. In 1985, and also in 2004, the tremors came so hardand so fast, they were nearly impossible to count, and the ground inthe park was so hot, that it melted the soles on people's shoes. Threethousand moose did not live to tell the tale. But the tremorseventually subsided. The next major alert was raised in 2007: thebottom of the volcano's bowl-shaped caldera was rising by sevencentimeters a year, clear evidence of mounting pressure in the magmachamber underneath.
BibleClass123.com Volcanoes 2009
