Volcanic activity worldwide 27 Apr 2021: Etna volcano, Popocatépetl, Reventador, Kilauea, Sakurajim…
Map of today’s active volcanoes
Etna (Sicily, Italy): After almost 4 weeks of calm since the last paroxysm (during 31 Mar-1 Apr), the New SE crater is again showing signs of coming back to life:
Two strong strombolian explosions occurred in the night of 24-25 April and in the morning of 26 April at the Southeast Crater, followed by weak glow and smaller occasional explosions since last evening.
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Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): (27 Apr) The explosive activity of the volcano continues characterized by near-constant vulcanian-type eruptions at roughly regular intervals of 2 per day.
Ash plumes reached approximately 8,000 ft (2,500 m) altitude and drifted E.
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Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): Ongoing vulcanian activity continues characterized by occasional ash emissions from the summit Ontake crater.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported eruption plumes that rose as high as 1.7 km above the crater rim and ejected bombs up to 600 m away from the crater.
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Kilauea (Hawai’i): Kīlaueaʻs open lava lake surface has shrunk by almost 25% over the past week, and gas emissions decreased as low lava output continues.
There is still liquid lava below the newly crusted areas on the northeast and southwest lake margins, but it loses some volume as it cools, degasses and compresses. As a result, the recently stagnant surface now sits 2-3 m (7-10 ft) lower than the active lava surface nearby, which itself has slowed its rise to only 0.5 m (1.6 ft) during the past week, only to regain its previous depth of 227 m (745 ft).
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Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): (26 Apr) Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report: VA NOT DETECTED
Reventador (Ecuador): (26 Apr) 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: DISCRETE VA EM to 15000 ft (4600 m)
Strombolian explosion at Etna’s New SE crater late on 26 April 2021 (image: Boris Behncke / facebook)
Kilauea volcano update: Lava Lake Shrinks Almost 25% In Past Week
On Thursday, April 22, HVO scientists observed the ongoing eruption at the Kīlauea summit from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u. This photo shows the active western portion of the lava lake, which appears to be in the process of shrinking again, with its northeast (upper-right) and southwest (lower-left) ends crusting over substantially. For scale, the distance from the western fissure (upper-left) to the nearest part of the main island in the lake (lower-right) is approximately 180 m or 590 ft. USGS image.
Kīlaueaʻs open lava lake surface has shrunk by almost 25% over the past week, and gas emissions decreased as low lava output continues.
There is still liquid lava below the newly crusted areas on the northeast and southwest lake margins, but it loses some volume as it cools, degasses and compresses. As a result, the recently stagnant surface now sits 2-3 m (7-10 ft) lower than the active lava surface nearby, which itself has slowed its rise to only 0.5 m (1.6 ft) during the past week, only to regain its previous depth of 227 m (745 ft).
Latest on Kīlauea, Eruption Day 128, Week 18:
-Active lake surface shrinking appears to continue as of this writing; our estimates based on photos and map area calculations yield reductions of ~20% in the southwest and ~5% in the northeast.
-Another Deflation-Inflation cycle begins today, after completing the third leg of a triple DI over the first half of the week. No ooze-up flows along crater walls during the past 2 weeks.
-SO2 last week measured between 300 and 550 tonnes/day (USGS), among the lowest measurements for the current eruption.
-Caldera continues spreading, according to USGS GPS, with a possible increase in the extension rate following the recent slow-down over the past month. Seismic activity still within background levels, still focused mainly below the summit and South Flank.
Join our weekly live video review of Kīlauea’s eruption! Broadcast at 5pm HST Tuesdays and archived, along with short video updates, on the Hawaiʻi PODD channel – including monitoring signals, photos & videos, time-lapses, geologic context and annotation, and discussion of live viewer questions.
#Kilauea2021
Source: Compilation and summary of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory activity updates & online data, April 2021
Etna volcano update: After almost 4 weeks of calm, New SE crater is showing signs of life again!
Strombolian explosion at Etna’s New SE crater late on 26 April 2021 (image: Boris Behncke / facebook)
After almost 4 weeks of calm since the last paroxysm (during 31 Mar-1 Apr), the New SE crater is again showing signs of coming back to life:
Two strong strombolian explosions occurred in the night of 24-25 April and in the morning of 26 April at the Southeast Crater, followed by weak glow and smaller occasional explosions since last evening.
It is too early to predict whether this activity will continue and possibly increase towards another strong eruptive phase with lava fountaining (or paroxysm), but it might very well do so. Volcanic tremor has been showing a gradual slow increase during the past two days.
According to volcanologist Dr. Boris Behncke from INGV Catania, ground deformation is still extremely low, compared to what was seen between the period of inflation (reflecting magma charging) during last autumn-winter and the deflation caused by the series of paroxysms in February-March.
Only Etna will know what is coming up next!
Current tremor signal (image: INGV Catania)
Suwanosejima volcano (Ryukyu Islands, Japan): sporadic explosions with ash plumes and night-time glow
Eruption from Suwanosejima volcano today (image: @mykagoshima/twitter)
Ongoing vulcanian activity continues characterized by occasional ash emissions from the summit Ontake crater.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported eruption plumes that rose as high as 1.7 km above the crater rim and ejected bombs up to 600 m away from the crater.
Incandescence from the crater was visible at night in satellite images.
The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level scale).
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency volcano activity update 27 April 2021
Glow at the summit Ontake crater visible from space (image: Sentinel 2)