Kategorie: Climate Change

The active lava lake and western vent, taken from the west rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea summit (Image: USGS-HVO)

Kīlauea, erupting since December 20, 2020, continues a gentle effusion of lava into its summit crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, adding to a slowly filling lava lake.

Latest on Kīlauea, Eruption Day 114:

-West Vent entry fully shifted north since March 22, following change on March 5-7

-Lava pulses trigger breakouts of entry lava tube and ooze-up flows from nearby crusted lake perimeter, both at the same time

-SO2 last week measured by USGS between ~850-1000 tonnes/day, within average range of the past 2 months

-Lava lake slowly fills around 1 m / 3 ft each week, now 226 m / 741 ft deep (USGS); still well below the inner-most crater rim and not visible from public areas on the ground

Discussion: Small changes around the west vent entry continue as the lava pathway evolves under the filling lake. Otherwise, no indications of any major change in the eruption are apparent in monitoring signals, and the low-effusion phase may continue as it has for the past 2 months.

Source: Compilation and summary of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory activity updates & online data, February, March & April 2021

Photo thread from yesterday’s recon to observe the impact of the ongoing eruption in the Red Zone. The town of Fitz Hughes (left) and Chateaubelair (right) showing the effects of ash deposits. (image credit: R. Robertson, UWI-SRC)

Fortunately for the island, no new major explosions have occurred during the past 12 hours and the volcano has been a bit calmer, with „only“ venting of small to moderate ash.
However, the risk of new large explosions remains high. The University of the West Indies (UWI) monitoring the situation detected a change in seismicity: „The pattern of seismic activity changed again, with the end of the episodes of high-amplitude tremor 2-8 hours apart.“

From the latest update posted on Twitter:

„Three episodes of tremor have been recorded since 6am, two of them lower-amplitude and the third, at about 5pm, was high-amplitude.

„The episodes continue to coincide with periods of enhanced venting or explosive activity.

„Observations made indicate that pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) had descended several valleys on the southern and western flanks of the volcano and had reached the sea at Morne Ronde, Larikai and Trois Loupes Bay.

„Extensive damage to vegetation was noted in an area extending from Larikai Bay to Turner Bay on the west coast.

„No other areas along the coast had been affected by PDCs but villages located on the eastern flank of the volcano had been affected by heavy ashfall.

„Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days with the chance of PDCs occurring.

Link: Visit the International Volcanic Hazard Health Network for volcanic ash information resources: http://ivhhn.org/information10″

Map of today’s active volcanoes

Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): (11 Apr) Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Tokyo (VAAC) issued the following report: ERUPTED AT 20210411/2320Z FL060 EXTD W OBS VA DTG:11/2310Z

Raung (East Java): 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: CONTINUOUS VA TO FL110 AT 12/1430Z MOV NW OBS VA DTG:12/1503Z to 11000 ft (3400 m)

Fuego (Guatemala): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 16000 ft (4900 m) altitude or flight level 160 and is moving at 5 kts in NW direction.
The full report is as follows: CONT VA EMS to 16000 ft (4900 m)

Sangay (Ecuador): Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report: VA NOT IDENTIFIABLE FM STLT DATA

Reventador (Ecuador): (12 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: PSBL CONTG VA EMS. to 15000 ft (4600 m)

Sabancaya (Peru): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Buenos Aires warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 24000 ft (7300 m) altitude or flight level 240 .
The full report is as follows: SPORADIC PUFF EMISSION to 24000 ft (7300 m)

Soufrière St. Vincent (West Indies, St. Vincent): Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Washington warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 10000 ft (3000 m) altitude or flight level 100 and is moving at 5 kts in NE direction.
The full report is as follows: CONT VO ACT WITH VA ALOFT to 10000 ft (3000 m)
…12 Apr:
Another huge explosion occurred from the volcano in the early morning hours at 4:15 am according to Civil Protection and the University of St. Vincent.
Pyroclastic flows were also reported – these are very dangerous, glowing turbulent avalanches of rock fragments and gas likely caused by collapsing parts of the eruption column that can travel many kilometers and destroy everything in their path. There is no data yet on how far and where exactly the pyroclastic flows traveled. We expect more information to come out in the near future, though.
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The dome is confirmed completely destroyed. An important question to find out is whether the magma that has now erupted explosively is different from the one that had been building the dome during the past months, and how much of it is still left able to erupt in more explosions.
A speculation is that the previous magma that had been building the new (now gone) dome until recently was actually older, more or less degassed magma left in the conduit from the previous eruption in 1979, gradually pushed out by a new batch of gas-rich magma rising from depth, and erupting now.

…12 Apr:
A heavy ash fall has blanketed the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and affecting the entire island by extremely poor visibility.
Strong ash and lapilli fall is occurring as far from the volcano as Argyle International Airport some 20 km away as National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) reported.
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A fresh scoria was also present in the ash collected at Rabacca river at about 7,4 km from the volcano.

…12 Apr:
An amazing recent satellite image shows dramatic morphological changes in the volcano’s summit crater: the first two powerful explosions on 9 April completely destroyed the 1979 and 2020-2021 lava domes and left a new deep vent.
…12 Apr:
An another vigorous explosive eruption occurred at 13:30 UTC yesterday detected by the satellite Copernicus.
The series of the massive eruptions continue at high levels and are characterized by impressive ash clouds that extended over the Atlantic Ocean advancing the Iberian Peninsula! Satellite-based measurements of SO2 concentrations in the atmosphere show the huge SO2 plumes ejected by Soufrière St. Vincent volcano.
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A spectacular dense and dark ash plume reached up to 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude that drifted towards the Barbados and further spread about 3,000 km to the E-NE of the volcano.
The warning bulletin of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) urge the residents with respiratory problems to take necessary precautions to remain safe and healthy.

Volcano Activity Summary for 12 Apr 2021:

Satellite image of Sabancaya volcano on 12 Apr 2021