Volcanic activity worldwide 20 Dec 2023: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Ibu, Duk…

Map of today’s active volcanoes

Reykjanes (Reykjanes peninsula (SW Iceland)): The decreasing activity at the eruption site continues.
As we reported in the last update, small fire fountains had continued from three eruptive vents. Meanwhile, the situation has changed, and the activity has been limited to two fissure vents. The main protagonist of the eruptive episode has become near-constant spattering rather than fountaining itself, which dominated the activity so far. Gas slugs burst at vents, generating strombolian-style spattering of molten pyroclasts and gradually constructing a new cinder cone around the vent, typically described as a „new volcano“. The most intense activity continues at the southernmost vent so far.
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Emissions of incandescent, fluid lava by spattering and lava flows continue to feed the field of lava towards the east, but there are several lava arms as well advancing west-northwest of the Stóra-Skógfell. Based on satellite images acquired yesterday, scientists estimate the lava flow area to be about 3.7 km2.

…20 Dec:

Wowww!! Drone footage of the eruption in Iceland from https://t.co/XDkdhpVonj. Stunning!!! https://t.co/AyYb2SJTUq pic.twitter.com/zk8NliXJfp

— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) December 19, 2023

…20 Dec:
A new hazard assessment map for Grindavik area has been published by the Norwegian Meteorological Agency due to the ongoing eruption.
The danger in the highest risk zones has increased significantly as the eruption commenced.
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The highest danger zones:
1 – orange

…20 Dec:
A new lava flow model of the ongoing eruption was published.
The video shows the lava flow development until the evening of 25 December.
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Lava could reach Grindavíkurvegi on Christmas Eve

…20 Dec:
The low-level activity at the eruption site goes on.
New overflight images hint that three eruptive vents are erupting now, located southeast of Stóra-Skógfell. It seems that five eruptive vents have been merged and reduced into three ones. This also affirms one of the webcams pointing right on lava fountains. If you backward the video several hours, e.g. up to at 17:00 local yesterday, you can clearly see pulsating constant fountaining from five fissure vents, whereas early this morning, only one-to-two intermittent lava fountains have been occurring.
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The lava continues to spill out from vents and keeps the flow field on both sides of the fissure active. The lava flows mostly east direction, but there are several lava arms as well advancing west-northwest of the Stóra-Skógfell.
Since the eruption commenced, about 320 earthquakes have been recorded, of which an event M 4.1 at 23:25 local time yesterday has been the strongest so far.

Ibu (Halmahera, Indonesia): (20 Dec) Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 8000 ft (2400 m) altitude or flight level 080 .
The full report is as follows: VA TO FL080 OBS MOV SE AT 19/2340Z OBS VA DTG:19/2340Z to 8000 ft (2400 m)

Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): (19 Dec) Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000 ft (4600 m) altitude or flight level 150 .
The full report is as follows: VA TO FL150 OBS AT 19/2240Z MOV W OBS VA DTG:19/2240Z to 15000 ft (4600 m)

Dukono (Halmahera): (20 Dec) Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 11000 ft (3400 m) altitude or flight level 110 .
The full report is as follows: VA TO FL110 OBS MOV SSE AT 20/0050Z OBS VA DTG:20/0050Z to 11000 ft (3400 m)

Kanaga (Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska ): (19 Dec) The Alaskan Volcano observatory have reported that a small explosion was detected overnight on 18th December (2231 Alaskan Standard Time; 0731 UTC 19th Dec) on local infrasound and seismometers. No ash emissions have been detected by satellite. Elevated seismicity ifs ongoing. Aviation colour code has been updated to YELLOW; Volcano Alert Level raised to ADVISORY.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 19000 ft (5800 m) altitude or flight level 190 .
The full report is as follows: ONGOING VA EMS to 19000 ft (5800 m)

Santiaguito (Guatemala): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000 ft (4600 m) altitude or flight level 150 .
The full report is as follows: NEW VA EMS to 15000 ft (4600 m)

Fuego (Guatemala): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000 ft (4600 m) altitude or flight level 150 .
The full report is as follows: VA EMS CONT to 15000 ft (4600 m)

Sangay (Ecuador): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 21000 ft (6400 m) altitude or flight level 210 .
The full report is as follows: to 21000 ft (6400 m)

Reventador (Ecuador): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000 ft (4600 m) altitude or flight level 150 .
The full report is as follows: NEW VA EMS to 15000 ft (4600 m)

Sabancaya (Peru): Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Buenos Aires (VAAC) issued the following report: continuous ash emissions

Volcano Activity Summary for 20 Dec 2023:

Stunning aerial view of the current eruption site and Grindavík (bottom right) (image: Volc-Han-ology/twitter)