Volcanic activity worldwide 12 May 2013: Popocatépetl, Tungurahua, Sabancaya, Copahue

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Volcano Discovery Sunday May 12, 2013 19:04 PM |

Current seismic recording from Popocatépetl

Current seismic recording from Popocatépetl

Current seismic recording at Tungurahua (RETU station, IGPEN)

 

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The activity continued to increase over the past days and CENAPRED raised the alert level to Yellow Phase 3 this morning. The volcano has been producing frequent sequences of continuous steam and ash emissions as well as discrete vulcanian-type explosions that throw glowing bombs to several hundred meters distance from the crater and create ash plumes up to about 2 km high.
A phase of strong volcanic tremor occurred today and a large SO2 plume visible on NOAA satellite data accompanies increase lava output rate.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Seismic and surface activity remain moderate with ash emissions and intermittent strong strombolian to vulcanian explosions which sometimes are accompanied by ground vibration and strong shock waves that rattle windows and doors in nearby areas.
An explosion on Friday produced and ash plume rising up to 30,000 ft (9 km) elevation. Ash falls have been occurring in areas of Santa Fe de Galán, Mocha, Sabañag, Tisaleo and Quero.

Sabancaya (Peru): Possible eruptions have started at the volcano. Pilots reported several volcanic ash plumes from the volcano in the past days although VAAC Buenos Aires could not identify ash on satellite imagery.

Copahue (Chile/Argentina): SERNAGEOMIN has recently raised the alert back to yellow after new small explosions occurred at the volcano and incandescence was observed at the summit crater. A small but persistent steam-and-ash plume has been rising about 350 m from the volcano. Interestingly, little change in the seismic activity has been noticed with the incandescence and explosions, so it is not clear whether this new activity is caused by fresh magma rising towards the surface.

 

Volcano Activity Summary for 12 May 2013:

Currently erupting:

Ambrym (Vanuatu): active lava lakes in several craters (updated 2 May 2013)
Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): ash explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Bas Dong Nai (Vietnam)
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): strombolian explosions, ash plumes up to 500 m, extrusion of a small lava dome with rockfalls (updated 6 May 2013)
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): continuous small eruptions (updated 6 May 2013)
Colima (Western Mexico): frequent explosions from growing lava dome, glowing rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows (updated 25 Apr 2013)
Dukono (Halmahera): thermal anomaly, probably small explosive activity in summit crater (updated 2 May 2013)
Erebus (Antarctica): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 21 Jan 2012)
Erta Ale (Ethiopia): active lava lake in northern pit crater, active hornito with intermittend flow in southern crater (updated 11 Jan 2013)
Etna (Sicily, Italy): ash emissions and strombolian activity at New SE crater (updated 27 Apr 2013)
Fuego (Guatemala): weak to moderate strombolian activity (updated 6 May 2013)
Gamalama (Halmahera): ash eruptions since 17 Sep (updated 17 Sep 2012)
Grozny (Iturup Island): fumarolic activity (updated 3 Apr 2013)
Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): possible lava lake in summit crater (updated 2 May 2013)
Karkar (Northeast of New Guinea): possible ash eruption on 1 February (updated 15 Mar 2013)
Kilauea (Hawai'i): lava lakes in Halemau'uma'u and Pu'u 'O'o, lava flows on coastal flat and weakly active ocean entries (updated 20 Apr 2013)
Kizimen (Kamchatka): growing lava dome, lava flow on eastern flank, avalanches (updated 25 Apr 2013)
Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): frequent small to moderate ash explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Manam (Papua New Guinea): strombolian explosions, lava flow on southern flank (updated 16 Apr 2013)
Nyiragongo (DRCongo): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 20 Apr 2013)
Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tanzania): spattering and lava flows of natrocarbonatite lava inside the summit crater (updated 9 Dec 2012)
Paluweh (off Flores Island, Indonesia): active growing lava dome (updated 6 May 2013)
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): continuing ash eruptions (updated 12 May 2013)
Rabaul (Tavurvur) (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): ash emissions, small explosions (updated 14 Mar 2013)
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): 0-3 weak to moderate vulcanian-style explosions per day, ash clouds up to 2-3 km altitude (updated 3 May 2013)
Sangay (Ecuador): no recent explosions reported (updated 27 Apr 2013)
Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): advancing viscous active lava flows, weak occasional explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): growing lava dome, ash venting and small to moderate explosions (updated 25 Jul 2012)
Shiveluch (Kamchatka): slow dome growth, occasional explosions and pyroclastic flows (updated 22 Apr 2013)
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): continuing lava overflows (updated 2 May 2013)
Tinakula (Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands): increased activity at the volcano (updated 8 Feb 2013)
Tolbachik (Kamchatka): effusion of fluid lava flows (updated 1 May 2013)
Tungurahua (Ecuador): ash emissions, explosions (updated 12 May 2013)
Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): strong strombolian activity (level 3), crater currently closed (updated 8 Apr 2013)

 

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