An increased thermal signal in the inner crater, identified in the satellite image today, indicates a new batch of magma in the volcano’s feeder pipe, remaining at high levels.
Hence, explosions are referred to as magmatic in origin, i.e. driven by fresh magma material. Most of the eruptions from the volcano have been considered as phreatic, i.e. ejecta consists solely of old country rock, indicating interaction between water and heated conduit-rocks rather than magma itself.
The volcano continues to produce minor, sometimes strong vulcanian-type eruptions accompanied by ash plumes with an average altitude of 11,500 ft (3,500 m) over the past week. The spewed ash has been spread to the northwest-northeast and east of the volcano over the past week.