VOLCANO THREATS AND RECENT ERUPTIVE ACTIVITY

2007 -
11/15/07 -
INDONESIA - Anak Krakatau volcano spewed smoke and flaming rocks hundreds of metres from its crater on Wednesday although it was not in danger of erupting. Its volcanic activity continued to fluctuate. Since Tuesday evening, a river of lava and red-hot rocks had been sliding down the slopes as far as 400 metres from Anak Krakatoa's crater. Despite scientists' estimations that the volcano was not especially dangerous at present, fishermen and visitors were warned to stay beyond a three-kilometre radius from the mountain because it would continue to rumble for some time. Meanwhile, at Mount Kelud "lava is constantly shooting out of the crater." The newly emerging lava dome is now up to 200 metres in diameter and stands 140 metres above the surface of the lava lake. Clouds of smoke billowed up to 2,500 metres into the air on Wednesday morning and ash covered a number of villages as far as 15 kilometres from the volcano's crater.

11/14/07 -
RUSSIA - Bezymyanniy Volcano - "The analysis of information, received during research of Bezymyanniy held recently showed that the latest eruption of the volcano on November 5 was caused not by movement of scorching magma masses in the entrails of the volcano, but collapse of the slope." The south-eastern slope of its dome was demolished - a significant sector of the volcano dome with the total volume of almost 200,000 cubic meters. Simultaneously, a fragment avalanche almost three kilometers long fell down from the slope of the volcano. In the last years Bezymyanniy was one of the most predictable of 28 active volcanoes of Kamchatka. Eruptions happened with a permanent interval of 5-6 months and were predicted with high accuracy of probability - up to 100%. And now only a month passed between eruptions registered on October 14 and November 5. Activation of the volcano came as a complete surprise for the scientists. "It is possible to establish change of dynamics of eruptions of the volcano Bezymyanniy and necessity of more careful study of its activity." Bezymyanniy is not dangerous for the settlements on Kamchatka peninsula. At the same time ash loops, saturated with small parts of magma material with the diameter of up to two millimeters, can threaten aviation. The volcanic ashes can cause poisoning of people and animals.

HAWAII - Kilauea volcano - the ongoing eruption from the east rift zone is a remarkable and fascinating sight. It is startling to see a river of lava coursing between broad levee walls that tower above the surrounding land surface. What the casual observer may not know, however, is that THIS IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND PHENOMENON. A perched lava channel HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. This makes it particularly difficult to forecast what might happen next. When the channel fills up, lava spills over the sides. These overflows are thin and, as such, cool very quickly. They typically travel no more than a few hundred feet beyond the channel. Thus, each overflow serves to build the channel levee up a little higher. If this happens enough times, the lava channel becomes elevated above the adjacent land surface. Since the lava channel began overflowing two-and-a-half months ago, it has developed into a mile-long channel perched some 37 m (120) feet above the pre-existing surface. Occasionally, the channel wall is not strong enough to hold back the huge weight of the lava flowing through the channel. The result is the failure of the channel wall, usually near the end of the lava channel. We have seen several of these breaches since August, each resulting in a significant drop in the level of lava in the channel as lava drains out.

11/13/07 -
INDONESIA - MOUNT KELUT - scientists Monday warned residents living on the slopes of the brewing volcano in East Java to keep their distance, after it spewed ash and lava despite a downgraded alert. Authorities last Thursday modified a warning that Mount Kelut was about to erupt, after it appeared that the volcano was only experiencing a slow eruption and was unlikely to explode. Volcanic activity is still high, however, with tremors continuing and a lava dome, created by lava oozing through cracks, emerging from the crater like an "island" and continuing to expand. "Lava is constantly shooting out of the crater...The island is now 250 metres (yards) in diameter and stands 120 metres above the lake surface." Smoke plumed up to two kilometres out of Mount Kelut on Sunday afternoon and ash covered a number of villages around the volcano.

11/09/07 -
Scientists say Yellowstone caldera may be filling with magma - The floor of the Yellowstone caldera has risen at a rate FASTER THAN HAS EVER BEEN OBSERVED BEFORE, according to a new study that gives further proof that "ground deformation" at the park resembles the gently heaving chest of a slumbering giant. The likely cause of the uplift is a volcanic intrusion of molten rock that has moved upward 50 to 60 miles and flattened into a pancake the size of Los Angeles a few miles below the surface. Meanwhile, further research is needed to investigate the role hot water and gases play in the mysterious rise and subsidence of Yellowstone. The new findings in no way should be construed as a harbinger of a natural disaster. "There is no evidence of an imminent volcanic eruption or hydrothermal explosion. That's the bottom line. A lot of calderas worldwide go up and down over decades without erupting." Still, the floor of the Yellowstone caldera rose 7 inches during the 30-month study period that concluded at the end of 2006. The 2.8-inch-per-year rate of uplift was much more rapid than had ever been observed since scientists began recording Yellowstone's ground movement in 1923. Previously, the most rapid uplift occurred from 1976 to 1985, when the bulge grew less than an inch a year. "Our best evidence is that the crustal magma chamber is filling with molten rock. But we have no idea how long this process goes on before there either is an eruption or the inflow of molten rock stops and the caldera deflates again...We haven't found any connection between the movement of magma and changes in hydrothermal activity observed on the surface." The ground deformation has not been uniform across the caldera, so that the bulge appears to move around like a restless cat under the blankets on a bed. GPS readings near Yellowstone Lake's north shore revealed slight subsidence during the first half of 2004, while 20 miles to the north at Norris at caldera's periphery, the floor rose. This motion reversed in July 2004, with the lake station recording rapid uplift over the next year. "There is a thought it comes from migration of hydrothermal fluids." “The uplift is still going on today but at a little slower rate.” There is no way to know when it will stop. Yellowstone’s recent upward motion of 2.8 inches a year may seem small, but is twice as fast as the average rate of horizontal movement along California’s San Andreas fault. Modeling suggests the molten rock injected since mid-2004 is a nearly horizontal slab – known to geologists as a sill – that rests about 6 miles (10 kilometers) beneath Yellowstone National Park. The slab sits within and near the top of the pre-existing magma chamber, which resembles two anvil-shaped blobs expanding upward from a common base. The slab is about 38 miles long and 12 miles wide, but only tens or hundreds of yards thick. The slab likely resembles a large, spongy pancake formed as molten rock injected from below spreads out near the top of the magma chamber. The pancake of molten rock has an area of about 463 square miles, compared with 469 square miles of land for the City of Los Angeles. Steam and hot water contribute to uplift of the Yellowstone caldera, particularly during some previous episodes, but evidence indicates molten rock is responsible for most of the current uplift.

INDONESIA - Thousands of Indonesian villagers began returning to their homes after government scientists said Mount Kelud, on Java island, was now unlikely to erupt. "The volcano no longer has the energy needed for an explosive eruption that would threaten the lives of people living nearby." Four volcanoes on the archipelago have been spewing smoke or lava in recent weeks, including Anak Krakatoa, the island formed by the huge Krakatoa eruption in 1883. As well as Kelud, Indonesian scientists also issued recent alerts for Mount Soputan and Mount Karangetan, both on Sulawesi island, to the north-east of Java. At the same time, Anak Krakatoa, which is situated in the straits between Java and Sumatra island to the north, is spilling lava onto its slopes.

11/8/07 -
INDONESIA - A massive island that has risen from the crater lake of a steaming Indonesian volcano consists of new lava that has gradually erupted from its core, a vulcanologist said yesterday. Mount Kelut in Indonesia’s East Java has been on high alert for three weeks, with scientists fearing the peak could explode, putting at risk thousands of lives. The volcano has been making an “effusive” eruption, meaning the energy release has been gradual and not strong enough to dramatically tear through the frozen magma left behind after the last eruption, which killed 34. “As the energy is not quite strong enough, the lava has only snuck through the cracks and continuously grown inside the crater’s lake.” The lava dome is now 150 metres in diameter. The lava could stop growing and form a large dome on the mountain’s peak, or it could spill over the edge and rush down Mount Kelut’s slopes.

11/7/07 -
INDONESIA - An island that has emerged in the middle of the crater lake of Indonesia's Mt Kelut may have been effectively plugging the volcano but it could be dislodged, scientists warned yesterday. The peak in East Java, whose slopes are populated by thousands of people, was put on high alert on October 16 but has not fully erupted, puzzling scientists who say it is impossible to predict what may happen next. "The island was visually captured by our CCTV (closed-circuit television) on Sunday, with smoke now pluming up to one kilometre from it.” They estimate that the 100m-long island loomed 20m above the surface of the crater lake. The temperature of the lake has soared so high it has broken measuring instruments. They still could not determine whether the island was new product or old lava from the 1990 eruption that had solidified at the bottom of the crater lake, more or less acting as a cork. It appeared to have been pushed up Saturday night, when volcanologists mistakenly thought an eruption was occurring, so they abandoned their posts. Overnight, continuous tremors shuddered underneath Kelut, with dozens of puffs of steam or smoke shooting into the air. “We are not taking a chance yet to get closer to study the volcano, although we think it is mostly steam coming out. This could go on or it could be that the volcano is keeping its energy for a bigger eruption.” Kelut appears to have altered its normal eruptive behaviour. “There seems to be a change in the volcano's character, from historical explosive eruptions to an effusive or slow eruption." Authorities have been trying to evacuate people living in a 10km danger zone around the volcano's peak but many have refused to leave or they return to their homes during daylight hours. Since record-keeping began, Mount Kelut's eruptions have claimed more than 15,000 lives, including an estimated 10,000 in a catastrophic 1586 eruption.
Workers were rushing to complete a system of dams at Mount Kelud [both spellings, Kelud / Kelut, seem to be correct] fearing an eruption could send a wave of superheated mud, rock and ash surging down its slopes. Volcanologists have warned that Mount Kelud is on the verge of a major eruption, with highly pressurized magma forming under its crater lake and smoke clouds shooting a kilometer (half mile) into the sky. Cement dams up to 20 meters (65 feet) high and six meters (20 feet) thick have been under construction for several months to channel the possible hot mud flows away from villages. If the volcano erupts while construction is under way, workers will rush to a nearby elevated road for safety. Tremors were continuing under Kelud's crater, with bursts of smoke and soaring temperatures in its crater lake.

INDONESIA - The Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait began to spew red-hot lava flares 500-700 meters into the sky from its southern crater yesterday. The volcano has been showing signs of increased activity for the past 15 days. From midnight to 6am Tuesday, the volcano produced 74 clouds of ash, followed by four deep volcanic quakes (lasting from 3-6 minutes), 20 shallow volcanic quakes and four tremors.

11/6/07 -
INDONESIA - On Monday, several volcanoes in Indonesia spewed hot ash, molten rock and clouds of dark smoke amid fears that a violent eruption could happen at any time. Mount Kelud, on the densely populated Java island, looked the most threatening as a dome of magma formed under a crater lake and soaring temperatures overheated monitoring equipment. "If it goes this time, it will be much larger than in 1990," based on the number of tremors and the lake temperature - both of which have soared beyond that of the period preceding the earlier blast. A few hundred miles away, Anak Krakatoa fired pumice and lava onto its slopes. At least one other of Indonesia's approximately 100 active volcanoes sent bursts of ash showering down on nearby villages. Experts said there was no connection between the heightened activity at the different volcanoes along the tropical archipelago.
INDONESIA - Rumbling Mount Kelud in East Java province spewed dangerous clouds of white smoke, containing CO2 gas and other poisoning gas on Monday. The shot of hot smoke reached up to 800 meters into the sky, while tremors, whose intensity had decreased, began to rise on Monday. It could be dangerous if the wind blows and carries smoke to the residential areas. Thousands of residents in the six-kilometer dangerous zone have been evacuated since the volcano has been on the top alert status last month. "The instrument recording the temperature was broken on Sunday due to high pressure. The latest temperature recorded was 77.2 degree Celsius."

11/4/07 -
INDONESIA - Mount Kelut - Seismologists issued a red alert on October 16 of an imminent eruption on East Java. Since Thursday scientists recorded 599 shallow tremors rocking the mountain's slopes, which indicated that magma pressure was increasing. Local residents in a 10-km (6.2-mile) zone around the volcano's crater are refusing to leave, citing the need to watch their homes and livestock, with many believing that if they keep quiet the volcano will not erupt. In an attempt to try and encourage them to safety, the government has set up outdoor cinemas and invited Indonesian pop stars to perform concerts, but locals have shrugged off warnings of a possible disaster.
Early on Saturday, centre officials said their monitoring instruments near the crater had shown an eruption, but this was impossible to confirm visually because of heavy cloud cover. Incessant tremors and a dramatic rise in the temperature of the crater lake prompted volcanologists at Mount Kelud to flee their post fearing for their safety. "Temperatures rose 2 degrees celsius in a day. This was an extremely sharp increase. On other volcanoes such phenomena would have resulted in heat clouds." Now Indonesia's volcano centre says Mount Kelud has not erupted. "There was no eruption. If there had been an eruption, our equipment near the crater would have been damaged."

11/2/07 -
INDONESIA - 4 volcanoes under eruption alerts & another has a lahar flood threat - Hundreds more people were evacuated from around Indonesia's Mount Kelud volcano in East Java yesterday after more than 600 hundred tremors were recorded in 18 hours. Authorities raised the alert at Mt Kelud, one of Indonesia's deadliest volcanoes, to maximum two weeks ago amid signs of an imminent eruption. “There have been more tremors than at the time we increased the alert to the highest level last month.” Magma is 700m below the crater and could shoot out if it has enough energy.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are at risk from volcanic lahar on Mount Guntur in West Java as dams built to collect the material on the slopes start to overflow. The amount of lahar, a mix of mud and lava, from Mount Guntur has swelled after heavy rains and as locals continued to mine sand and stones. “The volcano is active but there's no increased intensity. What we are concerned (with) is a possible flow of lahar from the dams. We already issued a recommendation for evacuation two weeks ago."
Indonesian officials were also closely monitoring three other volcanoes for increased activity. The second-highest alert has also been issued for Mt Anak Krakatau, which has been throwing up showers of ash. Alerts have also been issued for Mt Soputan, in North Sulawesi, which erupted last week spewing columns of ash 1000m, and Mt Karangetang off Sulawesi.

------------------
10/30/07 -
HAWAII - Lava flowing from a new vent on Kilauea's eastern flank is now feeding into a lava tube that could allow it to flow farther and faster. Geologists say the formation of lava tubes can be worrisome because they insulate the lava, which has advanced 1.5 miles from the end of the open lava channel. But Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's daily assessment maintains that there's no immediate threat. That means thousands of lower Puna residents currently remain at a safe distance. There needs to be a steady supply of lava for it to travel a long distance, but the level of the channel has fluctuated over time. Kilauea has been erupting for 24 years. On July 21, a new outbreak of lava occurred to the east of Puu Oo vent. It was the first time lava erupted in the area outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park since 1992.

10/28/07 -
INDONESIA - THIRD VOLCANO BECOMES ACTIVE - ANAK KRAKATOA - The Indonesian volcano known as the "Child of Krakatoa" has been spewing ash and smoke, prompting warnings of a possible eruption. The mountain in the Sunda Strait, 130 kilometres west of Jakarta, formed after the giant Krakatoa eruption of 1883 that killed tens of thousands of people and was the largest explosion in recorded history. "Activity at Anak Krakatoa increased yesterday [Friday] and there were several small eruptions. We have upgraded the alert level to the second highest." Anak Krakatoa is the third volcano to become active in recent weeks in Indonesia, a sprawling country of more than 17,000 islands. Indonesia has about 150 volcanoes. Krakatoa's massive 1883 blast, heard nearly 3,200 kilometres away in Australia, sent pyroclastic surges of gas and burning ash which, combined with a tsunami, wiped out 165 villages and killed at least 36,417 people. It destroyed two-thirds of the island of Krakatoa between Java and Sumatra.
Krakatau normally produces five tremors per hour. From Oct. 24 to 26, experts detected 20 tremors an hour. The volcano also spewed white-grey smoke plumes 80 to 200 meters high. Lava flow is yet to be seen so the status is not yet critical. The last time Krakatau was put on alert status was in 2000, when it emitted lava.

INDONESIA - MOUNT KELUT - A scientist warned on Wednesday that all indications pointed to the imminent eruption of Mount Kelut volcano on the Indonesian island of Java, despite few obvious signs of activity. Mount Kelut was put on high alert on October 16, triggering efforts to evacuate about 130,000 people living within 10 kilometres (six miles) of its crater. The mountain has been quiet for the past few days, with no drastic changes in the frequency and magnitude of volcanic and tectonic quakes affecting the area. The signs leading to an eruption usually follow the same pattern. "The trend is that the centers of the shallow volcanic quakes are moving closer and closer to the surface, and this is the normal pattern prior to an eruption. "They (the quake centers) are now less than one kilometre beneath the crater's floor but the mountain will only erupt when these are accompanied by shallow quakes of large amplitude and long, continuous tremors." Some villagers said they would not evacuate until told to do so by the 64-year-old spiritual leader. Geologists have said they expect an eruption of Kelut would lead to "heat clouds," searing gasses and volcanic debris rushing down the slopes. Kelud's temperature continued to rise on Friday, an indication that an eruption is imminent.

INDONESIA - MOUNT SOPUTAN - The erupting volcano on Indonesia's Sulawesi island began spewing hot lava on Friday, a day after shooting ash some 1,500m into the air, an official said, although nearby villages were still not being ordered to evacuate. Mount Soputan volcano, which lies in North Sulawesi province, likely was producing a small lava flow, but authorities were unable to spot it because the crater remained covered by clouds. Soputan has been at a Level 3 alert since its last eruption in December 2006 due to its "short duration activity" - meaning it only experiences tremors for short periods before erupting, as was the case on Thursday morning. A Level 4 alert is only given when an active volcano is threatening the safety of people living nearby, but the villages closest to Soputan are eight kilometres away. "Historically, the lava trails from this mountain are a maximum of three kilometres."

New evidence dug from the shores of the Bay of Bengal supports the radical idea that it was a series of monumental volcanic eruptions that wiped out the dinosaurs, not a meteor impact in the Gulf of Mexico.

10/21/07 -
Typhoon KAJIKI was 505 nmi SSE of Tokyo, Japan.
Tropical storm KIKO was 147 nmi WSW of Manzanillo, Mexico.

10/26/07 -
CANADA - Intense volcanic activity appears to be behind hundreds of tremors in British Columbia's Central Interior, but the chance of a volcanic eruption is minimal, experts say. Attention was drawn to an area about 100 kilometres west of Quesnel when a series of micro-quakes reaching a magnitude of 2.7 were recorded over a number of days early in October. A group of experts agree that the micro-quakes were likely caused by magma, or liquid rock, deep in the Earth's crust in the region around the Nazko Cone, a small dormant volcano west of Quesnel. They said the intensity has levelled off to an ongoing series of micro-quakes — about 50 to 60 per day — with a magnitude of 1.0 to 1.5, but that the risk of a volcanic eruption remained low. The Nazko Cone is considered to be the easternmost volcano in the Anahim Volcanic Belt, a 600-kilometre-long line of volcanic activity that runs from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Quesnel area.

ITALY - New Zealand and American scientists will join Italian colleagues next week for the first-ever systematic investigation of submarine hydrothermal activity in the Mediterranean Sea. Over the past nine years they have found up to 60% of the 90 submarine volcanoes between the Bay of Plenty and Tonga are hydrothermally active. This means hot mineral-rich fluids are being expelled into the sea at about 55 of the volcanoes along the Kermadec Arc. In addition, metal-rich mineral deposits and communities of unusual marine life occur at many of these seafloor vents. The focus in the Mediterranean is the Aeolian Arc, a near-circular chain of about a dozen submarine volcanoes north of Sicily. The project will shed light on the area’s marine geology, which is not well understood. The area has a rich volcanic history and is known as the cradle of volcanology. The cluster of volcanoes located around the Tyrrhenian Sea – Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli – have been producing spectacular and destructive eruptions for thousands of years. Mt Etna in Sicily, the largest and most active volcano in Europe, is presently erupting. Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and has been in nearly continuous eruption for about 2000 years. It has given its name to a particular type of eruption – a strombolian eruption. Ancient seafarers knew it as the ‘torch of the Mediterranean’.

10/25/07 -
INDONESIA - Mount Soputan volcano on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sulawesi island has erupted, throwing columns of ash 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) into the air. The eruption did not appear to pose an immediate threat to residents, although ash had reached the nearest town. "From the data that we have, it is only spraying ash without other volcanic material." A few days ago the volcano was calm. The nearest village to Soputan, 2,175 km (1,351 miles) northeast of the capital Jakarta, is located 11 km from its crater. In August, Soputan also spewed ash and rocks. A local official said that no evacuation had been ordered. Last week, authorities evacuated more than 100,000 residents living within a 10-km (6-mile) zone around Mount Kelud volcano in eastern Java after warning it was liable to erupt.

10/22/07 -
INDONESIA - The risk of eruption at an Indonesian volcano on Java island has not passed and remains at high alert status, scientists said Saturday. "Tremors had calmed down from Mount Kelut since yesterday (Friday) but other indicators still show increasing magmatic pressure from the volcano's belly." Sensors sending real-time information from the mount's peak showed increased temperatures at the crater. Tremors rocked Mount Kelut for nearly an hour on Friday afternoon - usually a precursor of an eruption. Geologists have said the eruption would be comprised of "heat clouds" consisting of searing gases and volcanic debris rushing down the slopes, similar to the most recent eruption in 1990 that left 34 dead. Some 116,000 villagers have been evacuated from the fertile land around Kelut's slopes, but many have defied local officials' orders to stay away and returned home to tend their farms and to protect against possible looting. About to 130,000 people live in the 10-kilometre radius danger zone and a further 150,000 people live up to 30 kilometres from the crater.

10/21/07 -
PERU & CHILE - Volcanic structures monitored in the Andes via satellite show unexpected activity. The central part of the Andes situated between southern Peru and Chile bears 50 active or potentially volcanoes, spread along a 1500 km-long arc. These volcanic structures are very remote with abrupt slopes and are often cloaked in snow. Few studies have been made on them as such conditions make field surveying extremely difficult. Research projects on deformations of the earth crust, conducted in this region between 1992 and 2000, led to the detection of a long wavelength signal over the area's topography. This deformation would correspond to crustal inflation affecting the whole Lastarria-Cordon del Azufre complex. Although this volcano is not considered as active, as the last eruption dates back 9000 years, such inflation could express an underlying activity related to the dynamics of a functioning magma chamber. Between March 2003 and June 2005, new data led to measurement of inflation of about a centimetre affecting the crust over the whole Lastarria-Cordon del Azufre volcanic complex. A long wavelength regional-scale signal was found, covering a surface area of about 45 km long by 35 km wide corresponding to the entire volcanic complex. A short wavelength signal not previously identified was also revealed, but unlike the first, it was located at the smaller scale of the Lastarria volcano only. Two distinct hypotheses are envisaged to explain the emission of these two wavelengths. As the inflation measured at regional scale corresponds to a long wavelength signal, it has a fairly deep source, estimated by the geophysicists at between 7 and 15 km down. An inflation located at such a depth is highly likely to be generated by magmatic activity. The source of the short wavelength signal, located at about 1000 m beneath the summit of the Lastarria volcano, is more uncertain, however. Indications nevertheless suggest a link with the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. The hope is to obtain further information on changes of mass or density at depth, as a modification of gravity combined with a displacement of the terrestrial crust could indicate a filling or an emptying of a magma chamber and therefore confirm an underlying volcanic activity. If this turned out to be true, the Lastatria-Cordon del Azufre volcanic complex would be the only area under the Andes where the formation of large magma reservoirs has been demonstrated.

10/17/07 -
INDONESIA has raised the alert level for Mt Kelud volcano to the highest level, as residents started fleeing amid signs an eruption could be imminent. The number of volcanic earthquakes at Mt Kelud, 90km southwest of Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, had soared to more than 300 in a six-hour period from late morning. The alert level was raised to maximum “based on the seismic activity, deformation, visual observation and the temperature of the crater lake going up”. The crater lake has started to change colour indicating increasing sulphur levels. “On the east and the north of the lake, it has started to turn white with sulphur.” An estimated 350,000 people live within 10km of the volcano on Java island, growing coffee, sugar cane, pineapples and papayas on the rich volcanic soil or feeding their cattle on the volcano's slopes. “People are panicking as they are heading towards the evacuation areas. They are facing water and sanitation problems as the evacuation sites have not been properly equipped.”
On Oct. 7, locals were strengthening the levees that are supposed to protect them from boiling water that flows from the lake in the volcano's crater during eruptions. "Each river in the area has at least seven dams to hamper the flow of lahar (water and rocks). We are very well prepared for this. The dams will help people here feel more secure." "The volcano's explosive activity typically starts with a steam explosion - when surfacing magma meets ground water. Such eruptions produce hot mud flows, pyroclastic surges and flows."

RUSSIA - Bezymyannyi volcano, located in the Ust-Kamchatka District, erupted on October 15. Seismologists registered a sudden increase in activity of the volcano at 3:30 a.m. local time. Scientists think the giant volcano kept erupting for two hours. It threw out columns of ash to the height of 5 to 7 km. The ash shower covered dozens of kilometres around the volcano. The steam-vapour tail stretched 30 km from the crater. Eruptions of Bezymyannyi are distinguished by their explosiveness and shortness. The volcano activates once or twice a year. The last eruption happened in May 2007.

10/16/07 -
RUSSIA - Shiveluch Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula may be about to stage a large eruption. The Shiveluch volcano located in the north of the peninsula has intensified its activity and threatens with a new heavy eruption. Lately the volcano activity has increased and a heavy eruption is supposed to occur; it is supposed to be as heavy as the eruption in 2005, when the burning hot lava stream, about a kilometer wide and 25 kilometers long, erupted from Shiveluch and rushed down its slopes burning everything on its way. The seismic stations have already registered more than 400 local earthquakes near the volcano. The scientists suppose that some seismic events were accompanied with emissions of gas and ash about four kilometers high. The eruption of the volcano began in December 2006. The massive gas and ash columns rise above its crater from time to time. The volcano is not dangerous for the nearby settlements of the peninsula; however the emissions of ash threaten aircraft and the melting snow sometimes causes avalanching onto the Kamchatka Territory roads.

CANADA - Possibility of volcanic activty near Quesnel excites scientists - Scientists are headed to an area 75 kilometres west of Quesnel to install seismological equipment aimed at determining whether a "swarm" of small earthquakes are evidence of a forthcoming burst of molten lava - potentially the first volcanic activity in the province of British Columbia in two centuries. "The earthquakes are continuing, even today. We should have some answers soon." Last Wednesday existing seismological equipment located at Thunder Mountain began recording earthquake activity. Since then, there have been more than 100 small earthquakes - most of them magnitude 1.0 or less on the Richter scale, but as big as 3.1 - including an average of one per hour over the past 24 hours. The activity is located 20 kilometers west of Nazko Cone, which last erupted 7,200 years ago and is currently being mined for scoria, used for light-weight aggregate, landscaping and ground cover, and in agricultural and horticultural applications as a soil additive. Upward movement could be evidence the lava is working its way to the surface, causing small earthquakes as it muscles its way through the earth's rocks. "We don't know if it's caused by magma at depth or if it's tectonic - just an earthquake in an UNUSUAL area, because we haven't seen earthquakes here before. It may turn out to be a little swarm of earthquakes in an unusual spot, but it may turn out to the be reawakening of a volcano, which is really exciting." Even if lava is on its way, it could take weeks or months to reach the surface. It took Mount St. Helens in Washington about two months to finally blow its top in 1980.

PHILIPPINES - Six new vents on the slopes of Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province were found by volcanologists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology after an ash explosion early this month. Three vents were found to have been created at the southeast slope and another three at the northwest slope of the volcano. The addition of the six vents brought to nine the total number of active vents around the volcano. Two vents at the north, one at the south-southwest and another at the southwest had gone inactive. The vents could somehow help diffuse the activities of the volcano but it could also be a sign of intensified volcanic activities. The volcano spewed ash twice early morning of October 4, affecting majority of the villages of Bulusan town. Meanwhile, some residents of the village of San Roque, Bulusan expressed alarm after they observed some "bulging" on the ground. A ground deformation survey is currently being done by Phivolcs personnel.

10/14/07 -
INDONESIA - Mount Kelud volcano, which was put on the country's second-highest alert level last month, shows several alarming signs indicating it may erupt, the country's top volcano expert said. "I'm scared about Kelud. Kelud is now on the point of no return." The number of volcanic earthquakes at Mount Kelud, 90 km (55 miles) southwest of Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, has risen to as high as 23 in one day, compared with a maximum of 15 a day just before its last eruption in 1990. The volcano's "deformation" or expansion has increased, and gas and chemical levels have risen, while the temperature of the lake in the volcano's crater is climbing more rapidly, hitting 37.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, compared with 32 degrees in August. Experts in Bandung, a city in West Java which is circled by volcano peaks, have been monitoring Mount Kelud for weeks, after three other volcanoes erupted earlier this year in Indonesia.

PHILIPPINES - Successive mild quakes have hit Del Gallego town, Camarines Sur in recent days, triggering fears of a possible eruption of the Mt. Labo volcano. Residents experience up to three intensity III earthquakes in a day. The initial assessment of the local Phivolcs office that the quakes were not volcanic and were caused by a fault did little to assuage residents' fears.

RWANDA - Swiss scientists are helping the government of Rwanda to extract potentially lethal methane from a dangerous lake for much needed electricity production. The threat in the Lake Kivu area comes from billions of cubic metres of gas dissolved deep underwater that could kill large numbers of people if it were to escape. At present, the gas remains dissolved deep underwater as a result of high pressure and the extremely stable water layers of the lake, which limits exchanges between the bottom and surface zones. But if gas concentrations continue to increase or if a severe disruption happened - following a volcanic eruption or a major earthquake - large quantities of gas bubbles could rise to the surface, possibly triggering a massive gas eruption. The release of a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane gas could have catastrophic consequences on the densely populated shores of the lake where about two million people live. Hundreds of thousands could be asphyxiated. At present the lake is in principle "very stable" and it would need a huge earthquake or magma input directly in the bottom of the lake to trigger a gas eruption. However, extracting the methane is not without risks. "One thing that is important is to maintain the stable stratification of the lake because otherwise the gases could rise near the surface and this would increase the risk of catastrophic eruption."

10/12/07 -
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano sustained its restiveness Thursday, generating over a hundred volcanic quakes in the past 24 hours.

10/10/07 -
INDONESIA - Indonesian officials in two districts on the slopes of a volcano on Java island have been put on standby - with all leave cancelled - because of a potential eruption, officials said Tuesday. The order, which means they should not leave the districts, was issued "so evacuation and relief efforts can proceed smoothly. "There have been no significant changes, Kelut is still at the same alert status level." Mount Kelut has been placed on the second highest of four alert levels. It had been showing signs of increasing volcanic and seismic activities in past weeks, and the state volcanology office had warned of an eruption at any time. Signs of an imminent blow-out were much stronger this time than preceding an eruption in 1990. That was the last time the volcano went off. An estimated 15,000 people have been killed by the volcano in the last 500 years, including around 10,000 in a 1568 eruption.

10/10/07 -
WASHINGTON - Is Mount St. Helens winding down its three-year-long eruption or just getting ready for a quick cat nap? Scientists at the U.S. Geologic Survey in Vancouver are debating that very issue as the eruption's steady production of molten rock continues to slow. No one expected the eruption to last three years when the mountain rumbled back to life in late September of 2004 after an 18-year snooze. The post-eruption dome building of the 1980s lasted six years, but it occurred in fits and starts, not one continuous event. "This one has just been continuous and we haven't had any explosions since March 8, 2005, and that's been a surprise. This has just been a continuous extrusion of rock. We haven't seen this kind of cycle [before]." One theory for the difference is that the pool of molten rock driving this eruption is low in gas levels, making it less explosive. Another is that the slowdown is simply the start of the first "break" in the eruption, similar to periods of no activity during the 1980-86 dome-building events. When the eruption first started in October of 2004, 7.8 cubic yards of lava oozed out of the peak every second. The rate has declined to about 0.35 cubic yards. The volcano also has shifted the spot where it was producing new material during the past three years. At first new material appeared in the east end of the crater and then shifted to the south. Now, most of the new material is emerging from the southwest part of the crater.

10/7/07 -
ALASKA - Augustine volcano in the Far North has been muttering in its sleep, raising the possibility that the population center of Alaska may get ashed for the second time in less than two years. Augustine has blown its top five times in the past half century, most recently in January 2006. The last eruptive period launched in the fall of 2005 and ended in March of 2006. This time, a series of tiny earthquakes began trembling within the massif beneath the summit, possibly suggesting that a blob of viscous magma was wrenching and oozing through solid rock. On Sept. 22, AVO raised the aviation warning code to yellow and issued an advisory to the general public. "While significant, the current earthquake activity is much less energetic than that which immediately preceeded the explosive eruptions in January 2006." But Augustine continues to grumble, and AVO has issued additional statements every day since.

INDONESIA is racing to fix dams as Mount Kelud eruption on high alert - Indonesia was racing to strengthen dams and drainage tunnels Saturday to control a possible hot mud flow from Mount Kelud volcano. Laborers worked to strengthen and expand dams on the east of Java island to be able to hold back deadly mud flows if Mount Kelud erupts in the near future. More than 50 tents arrived Friday to house refugees should the incident occur. The center will distribute 50,000 masks to residents living near Mount Kelud. The government has also made preparations to evacuate about 24,000 people living just outside a danger zone, whenever the highest level of alert is announced. The alert was raised late last month to the second-highest level after sensors on its slopes picked up increased activity and a buildup of gases.

YEMEN - the volcano which erupted on the tiny island of Jabal al-Tair in the Red Sea on 30 September is still active. "It will take time to calm down." The volcano destroyed all the buildings of the naval base, which had to be evacuated as the eruption sent part of the island collapsing into the sea and covered the rest with lava. The authorities in al-Hodeidah, the nearest town on the mainland, have warned fishermen not to approach the island.

HAWAII - Kilauea's lava flow doubled since July 21. The current vent on Kilauea volcano's east rift zone is putting out twice as much lava compared with to eruptive rate before July 21. The amount is three times Kilauea's long-term average. For many years nearly all of the lava flowed southeast to the sea. Since July 21 it has flowed inland to the northeast of the rift zone. Photos on the observatory Web site show an increasing amount of crust, or cooled lava, on top of the lava river from the vent. Lava volume and surface crust are factors that can affect whether localized flows might become long-distance flows that could threaten populated areas. A permanent crust would prevent cooling and allow lava to go much farther. So far the crust is not permanent, but is flowing with the lava. It is also thin, breaking apart easily. And the lava river's level rises and falls, which "does not promote good crust growth." But the crust has been growing.

10/5/07 -
INDONESIA - Hundreds of Indonesians have begun evacuating the slopes of a rumbling volcano in East Java following increased levels of toxic fumes and tremors. The country's volcanological survey raised Mount Kelud's alert status to the second-highest level on Sunday, following increased activity. A mix of carbon dioxide and toxic substances seven times normal levels has been recorded from the volcano in recent days, prompting authorities to isolate the area. "We have advised everyone to stay away within a radius of 5 km (3 miles) from the volcano in anticipation of an eruption that could take place any moment. We have reason to believe that the magma is very close to the crater's surface." About 100,000 people, mostly farmers, live on the slopes of Mount Kelud. Many people in villages nearest to the crater, located on the borders of the safe zone, have already left their homes. A 1919 eruption of Mount Kelud caused the lake in its crater to burst through the volcano rim and sent boiling water down its slopes, killing 5,000 people in 104 villages.

PHILIPPINES - Volcanologists in the Philippines have warned residents near Mt. Bulusan Volcano on Luzon Island's in Sorsogon Province, issuing urgent alerts concerning possible mud, ash, and 'lahar flows' after ash explosions early Thursday morning. A spokesman for Phivolcs urged those living near river and stream channels to evacuate to high ground. Recent heavy rains have increased the risk of flash floods and landslides. "Ground surveys... along the at the volcano's northeast flank... indicated a slight inflation of the volcano's edifice," a indication that the volcano is bulging.

NEW ZEALAND - The Department of Conservation is still declaring the upper parts of Mt Ruapehu high risk areas following last week's eruption and are urging skiers, climbers and trampers to keep out of these areas until further notice. DOC has declared the summit and Crater Lake area within a radius of one kilometre from the lake an Extreme Risk Zone. A High Risk Zone has been declared beyond the Extreme Risk Zone down to the top of the ski areas at Whakapapa and Turoa and including the lahar path down the Whangaehu River on the eastern side of the mountain. “A lahar can travel from the Crater Lake to the top of the ski areas in as little as 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the eruption. During last week’s eruption large rocks were thrown from one to two kilometres from the lake, and people are certainly at risk from these if further eruptions occur.” Ski areas will continue to remain open. This eruption was what is commonly called a hydrothermal eruption, caused by the release of pressure under the Crater Lake. It may have been a one-off event but further eruptions can not be ruled out as the open vent conditions under the Crater Lake re-establish themselves. GeoNet equipment detected a smaller volcanic event on Saturday night but the weather since then has prevented any further visual observations. While seismic activity has been generally declining since, further volcanic activity is still possible.

10/4/07 -
PHILIPPINES - At least 16 villages were blanketed with thick ash following two explosions of the Bulusan volcano early morning Thursday. At least two residents were rushed to a hospital in Sorsogon City due to ash inhalation. Cleaning operations were still going on with the help of firetrucks from the towns of Bulan and Irosin and Sorsogon City. The two explosions occurred five minutes apart at 1:34 a.m. and 1:39 a.m. No measurement of the height, however, was taken due to lack of visibility. There were 40 volcanic quakes and 8 short-duration harmonic tremors recorded during the past 24-hour observation period ending at 5:26 a.m. Thursday morning. Phivolcs earlier warned of a possible explosion of Bulusan following an increase in the number of volcanic quakes to 20 on September 28. The seismic events on Thursday were almost the same in character to the ash explosion last July 31.

YEMEN - The volcano that erupted on a small island off the coast of Yemen has again begun spewing lava and ash into the air Yemen's navy said on Wednesday. The volcano lies on the island of Jazirt Al-Tair in the Red Sea, about 130 kilometres from Yemen. Inactive for over a century, the volcano first erupted on Sunday after several earthquakes were felt on the island. The volcano has so far produced one kilometre long lava flows and blackened the water within 10 kilometres of the island. Six Yemeni soldiers, part of a garrison of 50 stationed on the island, were killed in the eruption, while another 15 were injured. On Monday Yemen’s coastguard said shipping had been unaffected by the eruption. (photo)

10/3/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists are divided over whether Mt Ruapehu's eruption will prove a boon for skiers and snowboarders by keeping more snow on the ground for next season. One glaciologist said a layer of debris scattered over the mountain top from last week's eruption would protect snow that would normally melt, leading to a better ski season in 2008 and beyond. "There are debris, ash and lahar deposits up there that are a few feet thick in some places. This year's ski season is almost over but it will help preserve the snow packet, maybe for years to come, which will be of interest to skiers." As the debris was blown away over the coming years it would leave a base that snowfalls could build upon. But another scientist doubts the eruption would have any effect on future ski seasons. Lahar flows covered only narrow patches of ground, no ash fell on Turoa ski-field and the thin layer of ash above Whakapapa could even accelerate melting. Ruapehu's ski-fields reopened on Thursday, two days after the eruption, but closed again on Sunday because of bad weather. There was a small volcanic earthquake on the mountain, measuring 2.2 on the Richter scale, about 11pm on Saturday.

PHILIPPINES - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is keeping a close watch over Mt. Bulusan after it recorded a sudden increase of 20 quakes at the volcano last September 28. The number of volcanic quakes, however, sharply went down to only seven on Tuesday. Officials reiterated calls for residents to keep away from the four-kilometer permanent danger zone and to be always on alert, especially during the rainy season, for volcanic flow from ash deposits on the slopes. The volcano last exploded on July 31 when it sent a five-kilometer column of ash into the air. Bulusan Volcano remains under Alert level 1.

YEMEN - The volcano on a Yemeni island in the Red Sea was spewing a deadly mix of lava and ash for the third straight day on Tuesday, after erupting for the first time since the 19th century. Three soliders had been killed during the eruption on the island of Jabal al-Tair, home to a garrison of 50 soldiers, and five others are missing. A team of volcanologists dispatched to the area reported that the eruption produced one kilometre (0.6 mile) long lava flows and blackened the water within a 9.7 kilometre (six mile) radius of the island. There had been considerable seismic activity around the island ahead of the eruption, the Yemeni defence ministry said on its website. It said an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale had been recorded on Friday.

KENYA - Scientists are warning of a volcano risk if the proposed construction of a controversial soda ash factory at Lake Natron in Tanzania is allowed to go on. A report released by the scientists said that Ol Doinyo Lengai, a volcanic mountain situated 14 kilometers from Lake Natron where the construction is planned to take place, shows signs of extreme instability. "The area has experienced a series of earthquakes in the last few weeks and these do also represent a major hazard to the planned production site." Eruptions at the active volcanic mountain have in the recent past been causing a spate of earthquakes in Tanzania, reaching as far as Kenya. "The actual crater area shows signs of extreme instability and any hazard evaluation has to consider the sudden failure." If an eruption occurs, at risk is a community of an estimated 10,000 to 20,000, which rely entirely on cattle herding. "A major explosive eruption, with the magnitude of events as documented repeatedly for the last 2000 years, threatens to annihilate the basis for Maasai persistence in the Natron rift area, the rift shoulders of the Crater Highlands and the adjacent Serengeti plain." Environmentalists already saw the project as a threat to Lake Natron's ecosystem. With the new threat of the volcano, it is not yet apparent what course the project will take. India's largest conglomerate of companies, Tata Chemicals, has set its sights on building a soda ash processing factory capable of producing 500,000 metric tonnes of soda annually at Lake Natron. The environmentalists say that the lake which is in Tanzania and touches the border with Kenya is the only remaining significant breeding site for the lesser flamingo, a species that forms the majority of the world's flamingo population. Despite the warnings from environmentalists, the Tanzanian government seems keen to go on with the planned construction and has already carried out an environmental impact assessment that gave the project a green light.

10/2/07 -
INDONESIA - Residents of Ngancar district are to be evacuated to Wates district following increased activity on Mount Kelud. More than 24,000 people live in the danger zone near Mt. Kelud's crater. The six villages to be evacuated are Sugihwaras, Sempu, Babadan, Ngancar, Manggis and Margourip.

YEMEN - A Canadian Navy spokesman described the volcanic eruption as "catastrophic." The eruption collapsed part of the island of Jabal al-Tair and covered the rest with lava. Six NATO ships searched for hours without success and were eventually told to stop by the Yemeni coast guard. "Just as we were leaving the area, about six miles offshore, we discovered a survivor drifting in the water. The first one went aboard the American ship and then Toronto recovered another survivor." The second survivor found was a 22-year-old private who had been in the water for about 20 hours. Four dead were also pulled from the Red Sea, officials said. Two people remain missing. It remains unclear whether the victims died from the eruption or drowning. The island last saw an explosive eruption in 1883. (photo)

RUSSIA - One of the most active volcanoes at Kamchatka - Shiveluch - threw out ashes on Sunday, the loop of which stretched 20km to the west and to the south-west. In one day over 300 local earthquakes were registered at the volcano. The most powerful of them was accompanied by emission of ashes from the crater to the height up to 4.6km over the sea level, scientists think. A thermal anomaly, the temperature of which was 38.6 degrees above zero on Celsius with ambient temperature minus 18 degrees, was registered on the volcano. Seismic stations register continuous spasmodic volcanic trembling. The last eruption happened in 1964, when the destruction of the lava dome happened and the volcano threw out over 1 cubic kilometer of volcanic material. Processes, happening on the volcano during the last decades, are similar to those which happened from 1854 to 1964 - during the period between the most powerful eruptions. By analogy it is possible to assume that in an interval of 100 years from the last powerful explosion in the crater of the giant, a new one will happen. Specialists who watch the behavior of the giant say that "no less than ten of such explosions happened in 1.5 thousand years."

10/1/07 -
YEMEN - A volcanic eruption off the Red Sea coast of Yemen spewed lava hundreds of yards into the air Sunday evening and at least 9 people were missing at sea. The eruption occurred on Jazirt Mount al-Tair, an island about 80 miles (140 km) from Yemen. A Defence Ministry official said the western part of the island had "collapsed" following the eruption. Naval ships were searching the surrounding waters for nine missing Yemeni soldiers who were stationed on the island. Several earthquakes felt on Sunday had triggered the eruption. "Three earthquakes struck the island around 1127 GMT on Sunday, and were ranging between 4.3 and 4 on the Richter scale." A Canadian frigate is conducting a search and rescue operation at the request of the Yemen coast guard. It said it was trying to locate nine people believed to be at sea in the area. Lava was spewing hundreds of yards into the air, with volcanic ash also rising 300 yards. The entire two-mile-long (three-km-long) island was aglow with lava and magma as it poured into the sea. A Yemeni geologist said the volcano had previously erupted in the 19th and 18th centuries, and is regarded as one of the Red Sea's more recent volcanic islands. ( photo )

INDONESIA - Indonesian scientists stepped up the alert level for a volcano in East Java and told people to stay away from the crater amid fears it is building up to an eruption. The alert for Mount Kelut was raised to the third of a four-level warning system on Sunday. It was based on recordings of increased seismic activity as well as rising temperatures in the crater lake and the shifting chemical composition of the water. The alert status had already been raised one step on September 11. Although its slopes are sparsely inhabited, the peak is a popular domestic tourist destination and is located on a densely-populated plain. Between September 26 and 29, 54 vulcanic earthquakes and nine tectonic temblors had been recorded, and signs were that their epicentre was moving closer to the surface. The lake on top of the volcano has also changed from its habitual greenish aspect into milky white, and gas is coming out. The chemical concentrate in the water had risen significantly over the previous months and the temperature of the lake was steadily rising. The volcano last blew in 1990. It has claimed more than 15,000 lives since 1500, including around 10,000 when it erupted in 1568. (photo)

NEW ZEALAND - Seismologists are warning that two earthquakes near Mount Ruapehu on Monday (local time) may be a sign of more things to come. A 4.5 magnitude quake was felt just after 3pm on Monday. It was centred 10 kilometres north-east of Turangi. The quake was 5km deep. Then at 6:20pm there was another small quake, measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale. It could be an indicator that we haven't seen the last eruption from Mount Ruapehu. Mount Ruapehu is showing signs of unrest, that in itself means it is important to be cautious about it.

9/30/07 -
HAWAII - Kilauea volcano continues to spew lava - An open lava channel is feeding a flow that has merged with another, and both are advancing along the southern edge of previous flows, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Friday. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's observatory are monitoring the ongoing dramatic change in the 24-year eruption of Kilauea.

9/28/07 -
WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helens just won't quit. Three years ago this month, hundreds of small earthquakes heralded the renewal of volcanic activity at the Cascade peak after an 18-year lull. Since then, the volcano has been a perpetual-motion machine. "It's been an amazing run. I never thought this eruption would last this long. And although things have slowed, there's no signs of it stopping any time soon...Mount St. Helens woke up in a hurry three years ago, which shows that we have to be prepared for what these volcanoes can do. You want to be ahead of the game by being able to detect even small changes." Tens of earthquakes are occurring daily compared with hundreds a year ago. The volcano's slowdown has allowed volcano scientists to give more attention to Mount Rainier, which is considered the Cascades' most dangerous volcano because it poses a threat to a large population.

NEW ZEALAND - Thousands of people have thrown caution to the wind and are enjoying a fine day of skiing on Mt Ruapehu despite the unexpected volcanic eruption just two days ago. The public has been warned to steer clear of the crater, but people were still hiking close to the rim and examining the lahars that were created after the eruption. "With it being the school holidays it's been quite fascinating for the young ones."

9/27/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Questions have been raised over how the eruption managed to evade the warning sirens around Mount Ruapehu. The eruption, which occurred at 8:23 on Tuesday night, blasted a stream of rock and ash out of the mountain, sending two lahars down the mountainside. One man was injured in the eruption and he lost part of his right leg after becoming trapped underneath a boulder. Authorities say the sirens installed on Whakapapa did not sound because at magnitude 2.8 the eruption's accompanying earthquake was not big enough to trigger them. Volcanologists have predicted there could be more explosions at Mount Ruapehu over the next five days and people are being warned not to go the upper levels of the mountain during this time. (photo)
On the edge of Ruapehu's crater, two men were in the Dome Shelter, 700m from the crater, when the eruption occurred. They were asleep in the hut, and they woke to the sound of rushing water and rocks coming through the door. The two men heard the eruption as a "massive boom". The door of the hut was blown from its hinges and mud and rock poured inside. A huge rock smashed into one man, crushing his leg. Conditions were freezing and everything in the hut was wet. "He has recovered from the worst degree of metabolic derangement that I have ever seen. His body had pretty much shut down and he was so close to death ... literally seconds from death." His body temperature was 25C to 26C and he was very close to cardiac arrest. "For the majority of the night he was a hair breadth away from dying...If there'd been any delays in any stage of the process, he would have been dead." (photo of the Dome Shelter almost completely submerged by mud and debris from the eruption.)

9/26/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Mount Ruapehu, famed as a key location in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has erupted, spewing out ash and rock that injured one climber. Last night's 10-minute eruption threw boulders up to two metres in diameter up to 2km from the crater. Ski lodges were evacuated and highways briefly shut down when the volcano erupted unexpectedly. The eruption, which sent a cloud of ash and dust to a height of 4.5km, could signal further volcanic activity or it could be a one off event. In March a mudflow, or "lahar", flowed down the side of the mountain after the crater lake overflowed. Yesterday's eruption caused two mudflows down the eastern and northern slopes of the mountain, which quickly petered out in thick snow. Boulders thrown by the eruption crashed through the roof of a hut where four climbers were staying near the summit. One climber suffered leg injuries and was taken down the mountain to hospital. Doctors are fighting today to save the injured climber's legs.
There was no lava in the eruption but the top of the mountain was blackened by mud and ash thrown out of the crater. The level of the crater lake had not changed with the eruption and a scientist did not think there was any greater risk of a breach occurring in the crater rim. However, he did predict more murmurs from the mountain before it settled down again. "Typically you'll have two or three smaller events over the next few days if this plays out like 1975." Volcanologists were not "totally surprised" by the eruption, as the crater lake had been cooling down over the past few months.

9/25/07 -
HAWAII - Far from the public eye, lava from Kilauea Volcano continues its creep toward civilization. The eruption that began July 21 is supplying lava to a channel now almost a mile long on the northeast flank of the volcano. Scientists are watching for the flows to turn to smoother and faster-moving pahoehoe, which could signal a more imminent hazard to communities in the Puna district. The flows, now in the Wao Kele o Puna rain forest, are heading downhill in the general direction of Kaohe Homesteads, Leilani Estates and Highway 130 but are at least seven miles away. The observatory's summary for hazards warns that although there are no immediate threats, "vent areas and lava channels are hazardous and conditions can change rapidly." (photos)

9/24/07 -
ALASKA - Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory report there's been increased shallow seismic activity at Augustine Volcano over the past week. The observatory has switched the aviation color code from green to yellow. Current earthquakes there are small, generally less than magnitude 1.0 and they are located at a shallow depth beneath the volcano's summit.

9/20/07 -
COSTA RICA - Tuesday Volcan Arenal gave the residents and visitors an unexpected show. At around 10:12am, lava spewed out of the cone and down the southwest side of the mountain finally stopping around 1000 meters above sea level. It is no surprise that there is activity in the mountain, but typically the lava does not travel outside of the cone. It simply jumps out of the cone and back in to form a protuberance or bulge. This time the pressure on the protuberance was too much and the lava broke through to form a pyroclastic flow, which is an eruption of high-temperature gases, ash, and rocks. This time of year brings a lot of seismic activity to the area, causing quite a few opportunities for visitors to see some action. Although there was no dangerous threat, scientists are going to keep a close eye on the volcano. (photo)

9/18/07 -
INDONESIA - The 8.4 magnitude quake that struck off the coast of western Sumatra on Wednesday, and the series of aftershocks, spurred fresh magma movement in the volcanoes which lie close to the quake's epicenter. The massive earthquake triggered more activity in three volcanoes in the area, but all have since calmed down. "It is true that the shocks have spurred an increased number of tremors in surrounding volcanoes. The number of tremors indicate the movement of magma. If you ask me whether any of the volcanoes will erupt because of the shocks, my definite answer is no. There is nothing to worry about." Mount Talang - which lies just 30 km (19 miles) from Padang, the city nearest to the epicenter of one of the quakes - recorded almost 40 times the usual number of volcanic tremors a day after the quake. But activity on the volcano dropped dramatically the day after, and the number of tremors is now close to the normal six a day. Two other volcanoes, Mount Dempo and Kaba, in the worst-hit province of Bengkulu, have also calmed down after the aftershocks began to ease.

9/16/07 -
Global warming to trigger volcanic eruptions, scientists warn - British scientists are warning of another possible side effect of climate change: a surge of dangerous volcanic eruptions. Researchers say the melting of polar ice sheets from global warming and the resulting stress placed on the earth's crust from rising sea levels will increase eruptions in the years to come. There could also be an increase in undersea earthquakes and tsunamis. "There is already evidence for earthquakes in Alaska being triggered by unloading by ice. Also evidence of this volcano Pavlof in Alaska erupting in the winter when sea levels rise slightly due to weather conditions, just 30 centimetres. So, if we see one to two metres of sea level rise this century, accompanied by mass wasting of the glaciers in the polar region, so we can expect a response by the crust within the next few decades."

TANZANIA - authorities are persuading people in villages near Ol Doinyo Lengai to move to safer areas after the volcano erupted. Since July, areas around Ol Doinyo Lengai have been hit by earth tremors as a result of volcanic activity. The earthquakes caused panic in settled areas, including the Kenya capital, Nairobi. The mountain has spewed smoke and discharged lava since the beginning of September. The most powerful quake, on the afternoon of 17 July, was estimated at 5.9 on the Richter scale. The United States Geological Survey, which has been monitoring the tremors, said that available information was "not sufficient to determine if the current activity reflects a geologic process that might lead to a change in the eruptive behavior of Ol Doinyo Lengai".

NEW ZEALAND - Scientists have discovered a film of molten magma under the central North Island. As a result of the find, monitoring of the potentially explosive Taupo Volcanic Zone, the scene of enormous eruptions in the past, will be improved. It was thought magma lurked in unconnected pockets under volcanoes and geothermal zones, but new measurements have revealed the molten rock lies across a zone 50 kilometres wide and 160km long, northeast of Taupo. "The key is that it is like a continuous film wetting the surface. The wet surface is right across the Taupo Volcanic Zone, not just little blobs under each geothermal system or volcano." When the system is stable, a layer of hot rock with its small amount of magma provides the heat necessary to fuel more than 20 geothermal systems in the region. But if there is too much magma it can build up at shallow depths, eventually leading to a giant eruption. About 26,000 years ago such an explosion formed what is now Lake Taupo. Until now there had been little evidence about the extent of the magma system under the central North Island. "Eruptions from the Taupo area are enormous, the scale is difficult to imagine."

9/13/07 -
Indonesia's powerful earthquake may have affected the devastating mudflow from the mud volcano in East Java. The massive crater had been spurting more mud than normal in recent days. Nine villages - including thousands of homes, factories and rice paddy fields - have been buried by the mud, which started flowing from the site of a gas exploration well during drilling 3km underground more than a year ago. The increase in mud coincides with the series of earthquakes in tremor-prone Indonesia, but it is too early to definitively say the two were connected. "To say there's a link between the earthquake and increase in mudflow, we can not be certain of that. But, from what our eyes can see, the mudflow volume has increased in the past three to four days. The mud has overflown from the first ring dam, the one surrounding the mudflow's central source. There's also increase in sulfuric gas outflow." Yesterday's powerful quake, and strong aftershocks, "thankfully" had not damaged the dirt embankments containing the mud.
An artesian well in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, started spewing gas on Tuesday, raising concerns about possible explosions in the area. "After drilling about 30 meters, we found an UNUSUAL reaction. The water that we poured into the well to bring up ground water was absorbed after the appearance of some bubbles. Not long after that, gas started flowing out of the well." Worried about an explosion, an employee in the drilling division of Weather Ford inserted a 30-meter pressure pipe into the well and set fire to the gas to form a flare. "We hope the flare will burn all the gas and the well will produce water after running out of gas." The Balikpapan Environment Control Agency initially said the gas could run out within 14 hours. But 23 hours later the flare was still burning three meters in the air. The gas started flowing at 3:30 pm on Monday from the well, which had been drilled through four layers of top soil, coal, soil and coal. The gas was not poisonous, and smelled like liquefied petroleum gas. [anaother possible portent of the impending big quake?]

9/7/07 -
TANZANIA - Intermittent volcanic eruptions from Oldonyo Lengai Mountain in Arusha Region have caused panic and anxiety among villagers living nearby. The surrounding communities, especially those at Engaresero Village, who had previously defied a government evacuation order, are currently seeking assistance to move out, following days of mountain rumbling. Interviewed residents of the village, which is situated 16 kilometers from the mountain, confirmed seeing discharge of red-hot dust from the mountaintop on Tuesday night, coupled with tremors and explosions. The first explosion was heard after midnight on Tuesday. It was followed by another powerful blast Wednesday morning, which forced all residents to revisit their previous decision of sticking to their guns. Tourists who spent a night at Engaresero decided to cut short their visit after witnessing the flow of hot lava down the mountain, which covered all creeks located downhill. In July, volcanic activities were reported at Oldonyo Lengai, occurring almost at the same time as earth tremors in other parts of Tanzania. The affected regios are Arusha, Kilimanajaro, Mwanza, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam. Earth tremors also shook the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.

9/6/07 -
ALASKA - The Pavlof Volcano in the Aleutian rim continues to be active, puffing ash and spewing lava. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Cold Bay and Sand Point have been warned to look out for light ash. Scientists say the volcano could become even more active. They continue to warn that a large explosion could send ash above 15,000 feet, affecting air travel.

ITALY - Etna has showed a strong explosive activity, characterized by lava flows many hundred metres high. A thick column of ash has rained down on some towns of the Eastern side. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of the Catania division has communicated that during the night there has been a decrease of the volcano activity, that Etna has returned to normal conditions.

NEW ZEALAND - Fears that the next Mt Ruapehu lahar generated by an eruption could hit the whole mountain, putting lives at risk on the ski-slopes, have led to a redesign of the warning system. The lahar could flow down five catchments, not just one as it did on March 18 when the crater rim burst, sending 1.3 million cubic metres of water and debris down the Whangaehu River. The lahar warning system performed well. But it will be redesigned to cope with an emergency covering the whole mountain, not single catchments, as there is a significant chance that hundreds of people in crowded ski areas at Whakapapa and Turoa would be at risk. Eruption lahars are the most common on Mt Ruapehu, though only three have flowed through the ski areas in the past 50 years.

9/5/07 -
MOUNT ETNA has spewed out lava in its latest spectacular eruption. Sparks lit the night sky and a small stream of lava was flowing down the volcano into an uninhabited valley but there was no danger to villages lower down on the slopes. The wind blew volcanic ash onto several villages and officials said the airport of Catania, a city at the base of the volcano, would be closed during the night as a precaution. Etna erupts regularly but usually causes little damage to inhabited areas. (photo)
Etna Webcams

HAWAII - Hawaiian Island lava flows into UNUSUAL area - Civil defense officials and scientists who study Kilauea Volcano stress that the recent flow of lava into the remote Wao Kele O Puna rain forest poses no immediate threat to homes or populated areas, but the lava incursion does have an unsettling aspect to it. The slow-moving column of molten rock recently ventured into land rated as Lava Hazard Zone 3. By contrast, almost all of the flows in recent years were confined to the riskiest Zone 1 areas that are smack on Kilauea's East Rift Zone, or Zone 2 areas such as land immediately downslope from the rift zone. There are nine zones in all, with Zone 1 being the riskiest, and Zone 9 the safest. The incursion of lava from Kilauea onto Zone 3 land underscores the potential for damage in areas that the general public may not regard as particularly vulnerable to volcanic flows. The flow has moved in the general direction of Pahoa and the rural Puna subdivisions that have been the scene of rapid population growth during a building boom that has lasted for more than a decade.

RUSSIA - Ashy emissions erupted by the most northern active Volcano in Kamchatka – Shiveluch - have spread over 80 kilometres. 60 local earthquakes were registered during the last 24 hours. Some of the earthquakes went along with powerful gas-ashy emissions and episodic spasmodic volcanic tremor. The spouts of ash over Shiveluch volcano reached a height of 4.3-4.5 kilometres. According to the specialists, the volcano is not currently dangerous for the local populated areas but poses a threat to air flight safety, tourists, hunters, and fishermen in the area.

9/2/07 -
INDIA - Authorities in Arunachal Pradesh have sounded an alert after lava and hot gas clouds began erupting from the side of a hill. A RARE geological occurrence was reported from a hill slope near Kimin village, about 75 km north of state capital Itanagar. "Residents first witnessed a fire in the hill and afterwards it began spewing ash and sending debris down its slopes that appears like typical molten magma of a volcano." The phenomenon was first reported Aug 21 from the area where there was no human habitation. The nearest human settlement is located about a kilometre from the hill slope. "The debris found in the area was of different colours like black, green and brown. Some of the substances also appear like glass, besides burnt bricks and rocks. Such was the intensity of the heat from the flying debris that a high tension power pole near the site of the occurrence melted, resulting in power disruption." Residents in the area are panicking, with authorities sealing the area by deploying police and preventing people from going near the hill. "The site is lying dormant but not extinct, as the area continues to emit smoke and gas and also the nearby earth was found to be very hot." Experts from the Geological Survey of India have visited the area and collected samples for laboratory tests at their headquarters in Kolkata. "This is some sort of a fumerolic activity which could be the beginning of some activity inside the earth. The molten magma has probably oozed out owing to rise in temperature of at least 1,000 degrees centigrade." The laboratory test report is expected by the weekend. India's northeastern region is considered by seismologists to be the sixth most quake prone belt. "Evidence of volcanic eruptions some millions of years back has been found in a village named Lichi, about 15 km from the present eruption site. However, there are no historical remains of any volcanic mountain - either extinct, dormant or active in the region." GSI experts are camping in the area to observe the rare occurrence and have asked authorities not to allow locals to go near the site. "There has been no fresh oozing since Aug 21 although more such occurrences cannot be ruled out."

8/30/07 -
GALAPAGOS ISLAND - Darwin volcano has erupted on uninhabited Fernandina Island, at the far west of Ecuador's Galapagos Island chain. The eruption began at 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday following a 5.2 earthquake in the Beagle sector of Isabella island on the western flank of the volcano Darwin. The authorities planned a flight over the island to see if the eruption is a crack or comes from the crater. The Galapagos has experienced explosive eruptions, with lava flow lasting around a week. Fernandina is the tallest island in the archipelago. The last eruption happened in May 2005, leaving a large amount of lava down its southeastern flank.

8/24/07 -
ALASKA - officials say Pavlof volcano is continuing to erupt vigorously into its second week. Earthquake activity in the area, about 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, is steady and above normal. A webcam that was installed last weekend should be running soon, but technical problems with it are still being worked out.

HAWAII - Some in the Big Island community are concerned Kilauea's lava flows could start pouring into residential areas. The volcano's lava has headed safely to sea for most of the past 15 years. But since July 21, the volcano has been active in an inland area several miles uphill from homes and businesses. The flows pose no immediate danger, but it's hard to predict what might happen over the long term. Hawaii County's mayor says it's like a hurricane system developing 2,000 miles away - any scenario is possible.

MONTSERRAT - Two dozen Montserrat residents have been allowed to return to their homes near the Soufriere Hills volcano, six months after they were forced to evacuate by a growing lava dome. The last homeowners in the community of Old Towne are being allowed return to their properties for the first time since February, when the Caribbean island's exclusion zone had been extended north. But "should there be an increase in volcanic activity ... they must be prepared to move north at short notice." The announcement, which affected about 25 people, came shortly after reports that the risk from the volcano had lessened. Scientists had feared a lava dome on its northeast side could crumble, spewing hot gases, ash and rocks and threatening nearby towns. Roughly 50 other homeowners in a different section of Old Towne were allowed to return on July 20. The Soufriere Hills volcano sprang to life in 1995, killing 19 people, chasing away more than half the island's population and burying much of its southern half.

ICELAND - Geologists believe Mt. Hekla is going to erupt again in the next year or two; the last eruption was in 2000. Mt. Hekla is a faithful volcano, meaning it has erupted regularly, every ten years or so for over 1,000 years. Snow did not cling to its peak this winter, which indicates the mountain is heating up. Minor earthquakes, caused by volcanic activity inside Hekla, were measured this summer. They are expecting a small harmless spurt with minor lava and toxic gasses. Some of the prior eruptions were so extreme that they could be seen from Europe.

8/22/07 -
INDONESIA - Lava and hot gas clouds from Mount Karangetang volcano in eastern Indonesia are threatening more villages. Lava has already spread more than 1.5 kilometres down Mount Karangetang's western and southeastern slopes, where more than a dozen villages are located. "We've recorded volcanic tremors that indicates more lava will climb to the crater's surface. At least four more villages on the western slope are at risk of being swallowed by lava." Another hundred people have left their homes to join nearly 600 people who have already sought refuge in the nearest town. The alert status was raised to maximum at the weekend after hot clouds started moving eastwards, posing a threat to hundreds of people. Another volcano 175km south of Mount Karangetang has also been spewing ash and sending debris down its slopes. But Mount Soputan, which lies on the northern tip of the Sulawesi island, is not yet seen as a threat to nearby villages.

TRINIDAD - On Monday, delegates from several organisations journeyed to Mayaro to discuss with the residents the possible dangers of eruption from the off-shore mud volcano. The mud volcano began rising about three months ago, but residents say they had been calling on the authorities for some time to investigate a gas bubble spotted at sea, but no one did anything until an article appeared in the newspaper. When it was first seen it was an oil bubble that grew quickly, and it has been growing ever since. Officials said there was no danger to residents on shore.

ETHIOPIA - A volcano that erupted earlier this month in remote northern Ethiopia killed five people and drove more than 2,000 from their homes. The volcano, which rocked the arid Afar region bordering Eritrea and Djibouti for three days from August 12, also killed about 1,370 camels and goats. The eruption also opened a 10km crack in the ground and spewed lava 300m in the air. The Afar region is dotted with ancient salt mines and is for the most part inhabited by nomadic herders.

8/21/07 -
ALASKA - The eruption of Pavlof volcano along the Alaska Peninsula southwest of Anchorage continues to dribble molten rock down its slopes, trigger steaming lahars and spit small ash clouds into the air. The volcano awoke last week with a dramatic explosion that appears to have legs. The Alaska Volcano Observatory continues to rate the volcano's aviation hazard at the Orange level, meaning that the eruption isn't currently sending ash into flight zones but could at any time. Volcanic ash can damage or shutdown jet aircraft. Pavlof has erupted 10 (and possibly 13 times) in the past three decades, most recently in 1996. A surge in earthquakes beneath Pavlof on Aug 14 alerted scientists that it had awoken again. By Aug. 15, the volcano had begun erupting with lava, ash and steam. Cleveland Volcano - an Aleutian cone without its own seismic network - has also been sending ash into the sky. Korovin is stirring too. (photos)
Alaskan Volcano Observatory - activity is monitored in real time at 31 volcanoes in Alaska.

8/20/07 -
INDONESIA - Lava and hot gas clouds have begun erupting from Mount Karangetang volcano, threatening hundreds of people living in nearby villages. The alert status for Mount Karangetang was raised to maximum at the weekend after hot clouds started moving eastwards, posing a threat to hundreds of people. Mount Karangetang, on the diving resort island of Siau off Sulawesi and 2325km northeast of the capital Jakarta, is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. "At least hundreds of the 30,000 people living on the island are at grave risk. We have recommended evacuation for entire districts and we are pushing for the complete evacuation of at least two villages located 5km from the volcano's crater." Lava had already spread more than 1km down the volcano's slopes. Another volcano, 175km south of Mount Karangetang, has also been spewing ash and sending debris down its slopes. But Mount Soputan, which lies on the northern tip of the Sulawesi island, is no threat to nearby villages.

HAWAII - A major lava bench along the coastline of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the ocean this week, possibly shaken loose by several earthquakes. The East Laeapuki delta, an unsteady feature built by lava from the Kilauea volcano flowing into the ocean, has disappeared. Nearly 44 acres of the bench vanished, perhaps because of a 5.4-magnitude earthquake or high surf caused by Hurricane Flossie. "We had a report from a tour pilot that East Laeapuki bench had collapsed. It's totally gone."

8/17/07 -
ALASKA - One of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc could be working toward a massive, explosive eruption that could affect air travel, scientists said Thursday. Satellite images of Pavlof Volcano taken Thursday showed strong thermal readings, consistent with what the Alaska Volcano Observatory is calling a "vigorous eruption of lava" at the volcano about 590 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula. The volcano lies directly in the path of hundreds of daily international flight paths, and an explosive eruption could severely interrupt those operations. Seismic activity is high at the volcano, with about one tremor recorded every minute. Mudslides — called lahars — caused when lava melts snow on the peak, have triggered some seismic activity as well. The mudslides took place on the southeast side of the volcano, an area inhabited by few, if any, people. Pavlof is about nine miles from Pavlof Bay, a popular fishing ground, but at the moment it isn't posing an immediate threat. Hazards the volcano could present include light ash fall on nearby communities, mud flows, lava flows and hot debris avalanching on the volcano's flanks. Several small towns are in the area, including King Cove, about 35 miles to the southwest, with a population of roughly 800, and Cold Bay, nearly 40 miles southwest, with a population of about 90. The ash plume was visible from King Cove, but none was falling on it yet. "What we think we're in for is several months of low-level eruptions punctuated by a few large and explosive events." A string of eruptions took place during the 1970s and 1980s, but the last one took place in 1996, making this 11-year period the longest it has gone without an event. A series of ash explosions and lava eruptions took place for several months after the last eruption. During past eruptions, sporadic lava flow has gurgled out for several months.

8/16/07 -
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - Dangerous gas is bubbling out of the mud volcano. The Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Marine Affairs has warned fishermen and other boaters to stay away from the mud volcano off the east coast of Trinidad as it is emitting methane, a flammable gas. This situation could be hazardous if the gas was ignited. The volcano has grown 45 feet over the past four months and is now within four feet of breaking the sea surface.

ALASKA - Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula is erupting. Eyewitnesses on several ships reported seeing incandescent blocks falling down the east-southeast flank of the volcano Tuesday night. The observatory had already raised its aviation alert code for the volcano from yellow to orange, and the alert level from advisory to watch, based on heat readings by weather satellites and an escalating swarm of earthquake signals from sensors on the mountain. A pilot reported a weak ash plume extending five miles southwest of the summit at about 8,400 feet elevation. Scientists said the eruption could become stronger at any time. Immediate hazards around the volcano include light ashfall on nearby communities, mud flows in local drainages, and lava flows and avalanching of hot debris on the upper reaches of the volcano. Attention was first drawn to the volcano, 37 miles northeast of Cold Bay, when earthquake activity increased abruptly on Tuesday. Similar patterns of seismicity occurred before eruptions in 1996, 1986, 1983 and 1981.

ETHIOPIA - A volcano in north-east Ethiopia's Afar region erupted over the weekend, leaving two people missing and forcing hundreds to flee. The volcano spewed lava on Sunday, forcing mainly salt-mining Afar nomads living around the mountain's range to escape. "The volcano at Alama'ari locality in the Afar regional state forced residents of the nearby villages of Dayulu and Gomoyta to flee for their lives, two among them are still missing. People living in nearby mountain ranges were also forced to retreat." The volcano's name was not given, and it was not immediately clear if it was Mount Arteale, the only active volcano in Ethiopia, which erupted some two years ago. Arteale had been largely dormant for the previous six decades, but started to spew molten lava after a series of earthquakes rattled the region in September 2005.

INDONESIA - A volcano on Indonesia's Sulawesi island has shot smoke into the sky and heat clouds down its slopes. A column of smoke soared 1,500 metres above Mount Soputan and clouds of gas shot down its western slope. The activity isn't considered dangerous, as no volcanic earthquakes were registered and the mountain is sparsely populated.
Another volcano, Mount Karangetang, only 175 km north of Mount Soputan has shown increased activity since last week, prompting officials to raise its alert status one notch on Saturday.

8/13/07 -
RUSSIA - The Shiveluch volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East is emitting ash to the height of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet). In the past twenty-four hours, about 170 local tremors have been registered around Mount Shiveluch. The volcano began erupting in December 2006. Satellite photos show that clouds of volcanic ash are spreading to the distance of 90 km (56 miles) southeast of the volcano, posing a threat to air flights.

8/12/07 -
INDONESIA - More than 500 people have been evacuated from the slopes of Mount Karangetang which has been spewing lava and hot clouds on the northern Indonesian island of Siau. Lava and hot clouds emerged from the peak of the mountain on Friday. Hotclouds - clouds of high temperatures that slide down the slope at high speed burning everything in their path - killed three when it last erupted in 1997. Five years earlier, hotclouds left seven people dead.

ALASKA - It's been a relatively quiet year for Alaska volcanoes. There have been no major eruptions, yet. But those who watch the steaming giants along Alaska's ring of fire have noticed some interesting developments. It's been more than a year since the eruptions on Alaska's most active volcano ended. But on a flight over Mount Augustine this week, the mountain continues to simmer, spewing a steady steam. Geologists say, if anything, the volcano is cooling down from its eruption last year. Currently, the observatory is more concerned about Cleveland Volcano, way out on the Aleutian Chain. Low-level eruptive activity continues there. No villages are in the immediate vicinity and the real concern is for aviation on cross-pacific flights. "Our satellite analysts began seeing evidence of increased ground temperature right at the summit of Cleveland Volcano. It's a very steep-sided cone with a steep, walled crater at the top and that prompted us to elevate our alert level because this meant that new lava might be reaching the surface, which increased the possibility of a big explosion."

ICELAND - Researchers at the University of Iceland have discovered two rift zones on the Reykjanes ridge. Upon this discovery, they have uncovered a NEW TYPE OF VOLCANO UNLIKE ANY IN THE WORLD. This may be the most significant geological discovery in the last 40 years. The University of Iceland and the University of Hawaii conducted a research expedition along the ridge, which is in the sea southwest of Iceland, in mid-June in a search for more answers about the ocean floor. With this discovery, it will be possible to trace the geological history 24 million years into the past. In addition, this finding will help geologists to understand how the hotspot under Iceland and the rift zone interact. The rift zones have been moving southwards and that movement will continue for the next millions of years.

Yellowstone volcano not ready to blow - Out of 148 American volcanoes, the U.S. Geological Survey ranks Yellowstone's as the 21st biggest threat. Last year, the park experienced 1,202 earthquakes, albeit minor ones. The park's newest safety inspector had to evacuate the park office after steam vents shot 4.5% carbon monoxide-level gas up through the floor cracks. Five bison dropped dead in 2004 from toxic gasses emitting from the surface of the park. Outbreaks of earthquakes, changes in gas emissions, ground deformations - they're all signs of a potential volcano eruption, and they've all occurred at Yellowstone National Park, but they aren't happening in a confined area nor at a rate alarming enough to predict that there's going to be a supervolcanic eruption anytime soon. Studies at the 2.2-million acre national park show that a catastrophic event like a caldera-forming volcanic eruption is the least likely to happen.

8/10/07 -
GUATEMALA'S Fire Volcano erupted Thursday, spewing lava, rock and ash near the colonial city of Antigua and some of the Central American country's most famous coffee farms. Seven families were evacuated from their homes near the volcano, about 27 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Guatemala City. The villagers were unharmed. "Last night, the situation was quite serious, and we declared an orange alert. We will remain in the area to monitor the situation." No damage was reported to the plantations, where coffee beans are beginning to mature. Fire Volcano is part of a chain of active volcanoes along the edge of Guatemala's Maya Indian highlands.

8/9/07 -
INDONESIA - The powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake that shook Indonesia's main island of Java early Thursday could trigger activity at some of the islands many volcanoes. The undersea quake, centred about 110 kilometres (70 miles) east of the capital Jakarta and off the north coast of Java, occurred just after midnight (1700 GMT), rattling buildings and sending panicked residents onto the streets. The quake struck at a depth of about 290 kilometres, too deep to unleash a tsunami. But it was felt as far afield as North Sumatra to the west and in Bali about 880 kilometres to the east. "We are closely monitoring Mount Ceremai and Mount Slamet. If the pressure at the volcanoes is quite high, it may trigger volcanic activity." However, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the probability of such an event was low.
The Indonesian Geology Agency has predicted five volcano eruptions for the country annually as it sits on a highly vulnerable zone. An estimated 129 active volcanoes are spread across the sprawling archipelago. The country's volcanoes account for 13% of all the volcanoes worldwide. Last month, the 700-meter-high Mount Gamkonora in West Halmahera, North Maluku, unexpectedly erupted, causing thousands to temporarily flee their homes. Agency officials Sunday remained on warning as the Papandayan volcano in Garut, West Java, and Merapi volcano in Yogyakarta were registered as being in a "cautious" status. Another volcano, Soputan in North Sulawesi, is in a higher "alert" status.

8/8/07 -
HAWAII - Kilauea lava takes UNUSUAL direction - the latest lava burst from the July 21 eruption site in the Puu Oo vent at Kilauea crater. But this one's going in a different direction - toward the northeast. It's the FIRST TIME IN 21 YEARS lava from Puu Oo has taken that route. Usually it flows to the south. "At the very front of the flow it's moving across older lava that erupted in the early days of Puu Oo between 1983 and 1986. We believe that the tip may have just started to go into the forest that is just beyond those earlier flows." The 'river' of lava has carved a channel three and half miles long. The widest point is 200 to 300 yards across. Along the way it has burned and buried some "lava islands," outcroppings of greenery growing in old lava rock. There's no telling when the lava river will stop growing or flowing, but scientists say it is showing signs of slowing down. (photo)

8/6/07 -
INDONESIA - An Indonesian official warned tourists and villagers on Sunday to stay one kilometer (0.6 miles) back from two craters on a smoking volcano that are spewing poison gas. "We don't want fatalities in Mount Papandayan," citing an incident last month in which poisonous fumes on neighboring Salak Volcano killed six school children camping on the mountainside. Activity at the volcano, one of the country's most active, has increased in recent days, but a major eruption is not believed to be imminent.

WASHINGTON - A second Web camera aimed at Mount St. Helens is now online from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. This new high-definition camera allows visitors to get a sharper and closer view of the growing lava dome and displaced glacier within the crater. The current camera will remain and become the “classic” VolcanoCam view. You can find the old & new cameras at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh.

8/5/07 -
HAWAII - The formation of "perched lava ponds" at Kilauea's newest fissure is the latest phenomenon to intrigue scientists studying the long-running eruption. The ponds appeared July 21 at the fissure on the northeast side of the Pu'u 'O'o cone. It's the first time lava has surfaced in that area since 1999. Since the fissure began, at least three "perched" or elevated pools of lava have developed and overflowed to feed longer flows. The largest is 650 feet in diameter and almost 65 feet high. Perched lava ponds are somewhat uncommon because they require a fairly constant flow of lava and the right terrain. The ponds form when slow-moving lava flows into a relatively flat area and spreads outward into ponds instead of forming a channel. As the outer edges cool, levees are created, capturing newer lava. Sooner or later, the ponds overflow, and with each episode, the levees thicken and grow taller. The pools can collapse, drain or harden, creating a flat formation that resembles a frozen water pond. The ponds are extremely dangerous since the edges can break anytime and inundate surrounding areas. The eruption area is closed to visitors. Kilauea has been continuously erupting since Jan. 3, 1983. (photos / video)

8/3/07 -
ICELAND - A series of small earthquakes around Upptyppingar north of Vatnajökull since this February has prompted speculations from geologists that a volcanic eruption could be imminent in the area. A particularly intense sequences of quakes occurred during the nights of July 31 and August 1. Around 130 small quakes were reported during that period. Geologists believe the quakes are related to movements of magma underneath the surface and if they continue with increasing power a volcanic eruption might take place.

INDONESIA - disaster authorities on Thursday raised the alert level over Mount Papandayan in West Java province after volcanic activities were recorded in recent weeks which may be signs of imminent eruption. Continuous minor tremors were recorded near the volcano and temperatures around the volcano have shown signs of increase. "The volcano visibly spewed white thick smoke as high as 50 meters." The volcano's last eruption was on November 21, 2002.

PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon remains active two days after it shot a column of ash high into the air, volcanologists said Thursday.

TIRNIDAD & TOBAGO - The bubbling disturbance in the sea off Point Radix is a mud volcano mount which poses no immediate threat to people, experts confirmed yesterday. They also sought to quash rumors that the disturbance could generate a tsunami which could affect the seaside villages along the east coast of Trinidad. The waves being generated pose a threat only to sea-going vessels. Officials have not recorded any changes to the sea level, the seabed or even the marine life in the immediate vicinity. More work needs to be done before proving or disproving that this volcano and the one inland at Cascadoux Village lie along the same fault.

8/2/07 -
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano fell silent on Wednesday, a day after it spewed a huge column of sulfuric ash and pebbles. 46 earthquakes have been detected in the Bulusan volcano since then. Steam and ash continue to pour from its summit. The Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology says another eruption will take place at any time, and it warned local residents to be alert for volcanic mudflows if heavy rains fall on Bulusan's slopes.

8/1/07 -
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - residents are scared as mud volcanoes are rumbling along the coast. East coast residents living near the emerging mud volcano island in the Atlantic Ocean are very fearful. Fishermen are afraid that their boats will be sucked in if they get too close and beachfront residents in Ortoire Village are worried that a large scale eruption could trigger tsunami-like waves. In the neighboring village of Cascadoux Trace, a long dormant inland mud volcano has begun rumbling too and is rising faster than ever. Several smaller bubbling holes have emerged in the village near the coast, about eight miles from the growing mound in the sea. "We would like the experts to come here and tell us if this thing is connected to what is happening in the sea." Ponds are bubbling, part of the road leading to the village is pocked with holes, some with bubbling mud. Ten years ago in the area, the Piparo mud volcano blew out with ferocity.

PHILIPPINES - The latest explosive episode of Mt. Bulusan was "phreatic" or driven by enormous steam pressure and was the biggest since its initial eruption in June last year. Phivolcs said its constant monitoring of Mt. Bulusan failed to give warning signs of the latest eruption. The ash-laden cloud following the eruption was carried by the prevailing "habagat" or west-northwest wind towards the towns of Magallanes, Juban, Casiguran, Castilla, Bulan, Gubat and Barcelona. Officials ordered the evacuation of villages near Mt. Bulusan. The ash cloud was visible in Legazpi City, some 80 kilometers from Mt. Bulusan, and might dump ash in some parts of neighboring Albay Province in the north.

7/31/07 -
PHILIPPINES - The Bulusan volcano in the central Philippines spewed ash early Tuesday, blanketing fields and villages as far as five kilometers (three miles) away, but there was no immediate sign of a major eruption. Mount Bulusan has been showing signs of unrest with on-and-off ash and steam explosions since March 2006. The latest burst sent ash falling five kilometers (three miles) west of the volcano, which is in Sorsogon province about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila. Television reports said the ash column caused panic in the surrounding area, with residents running out of their homes. Since it last ejected ash on May 12, the mountain's northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded.

7/30/07 -
TANZANIA - Members of the Maasai community living around Oldonyo L'engai mountain of Ngorongoro have refused to vacate the area, despite recent advisory from local authorities, that the active volcano in the vicinity may erupt due to ongoing tremors. The local residents said that some experts have just assured them that the volcanic mountain will not erupt in two centuries time. The Maasai have also expressed their surprise regarding what they described as recent 'speculations' that the L'engai Volcano had both 'erupted' and 'caused damage.' The residents refuted reports of serious eruption, though they admitted that the Mountain had been releasing some fumes in the last ten days. Being the epicenter for the ongoing series of earthquakes, the area around the L'engai has been suffering from constant tremors and rumblings, however as far as the local residents are concerned, it is a 'normal' occurrence and doesn't necessarily spell danger. As it happens, the entire area surrounding both Oldonyo L'engai and the adjacent Lake Natron have, since last week, been experiencing a number gigantic earth movements resulting in rocks catapulting into the air. Oldonyo L'engai is the only volcano in the world that erupts Natro-carbonatite, a highly fluid lava, containing almost no silicon. About 15 tremors have so far rocked the area and out of those 13 were minor quakes, while the two that struck on July 15 were so big that some of the ridges criss-crossing the vast landscape cracked and threw out huge rocks, some of which hit and damaged a number of residential houses in the vicinity. Similar incidents have been reported in Engaruka parts of Monduli where the surrounding hills have been sending huge rocks down due to the quakes. However reports were refuted that some school buildings in Engaruka had collapsed due to the volcano. Only one house suffered deep cracks but it was due to tremors, not the volcano. Two girls of Orkum village were hit by rocks while drawing water from a deep valley. The tremors caused the rock above to fall below where the children were. They both suffered only minor injuries. This is also contrary to some reports that the children had been scalded by volcanic lava. A March 2006 major volcanic eruption was the first ferocious eruption to be recorded since 1966.

7/29/07 -
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - The submarine volcano located five miles east of Trinidad, off Radix Point, poses localised threats only to boaters. The Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago said it received reports from divers two months ago of activity in the area and over that period the extrusion of mud "appears to have built up a 15 metre (50 feet) high mount which is now just below the water surface". (photo)

7/27/07 -
RUSSIA - Residents of Kamchatka in far eastern Russia are on alert for yet another volcano eruption. With two volcanoes continuously active for the past 11 years, the Russian Academy of Sciences is warning seismic activity has intensified at a third volcano, the Bezymyanny. An eruption occurred at Bezymyanny in May with heated gas, steam and rock fragments pouring down the volcano slope onto the village of Klyuchi some 25 miles away. Weak tremors have been recorded on the surface of the volcano along with a minor thermal anomaly that exceeds the air temperature by some nine degrees. Monitoring of the Bezymyanny volcano has been continual because eruptions occur quite suddenly approximately twice each year.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - The roiling waters in an area larger than a football field off Trinidad's east coast may be a sign of a growing mud volcano on the ocean floor, which is emitting methane gas along with mud and sediment, experts believe. The gas bubbling to the surface could decrease the buoyancy of the water and sink any ships that venture near. At the center of muddy brown water, waves are foaming and the water appears to be bulging. (photo)
The mud spewing out of the sea 8km off the eastern coast of Trinidad could form a temporary island. The mud is pouring out of an opening or several openings in an underwater hill or mountain at a depth of 12-15m near the Point Radix coast. “It's probably looking more and more like a mud volcano. Waves are breaking around it, which suggests that it is just below the water surface, so it's only a matter of time when it breaches the surface. Even if a so-called island is formed, it will eventually submerge because it is made of mud and is loose." A similar event occurred in 2001 off Erin Bay in the southern region of the oil and gas-producing twin-island nation, when a mud volcano rose 1.5m above sea level, creating an island that collapsed after several days. In 1997, a mud volcano erupted on land, burying 10 houses in the central village of Piparo. Villagers had reported rumblings days before. Trinidad's eastern coast is a major area for oil and gas exploration and several companies have flown over the Point Radix coast to determine whether the mud eruption would affect their exploration operations.

HAWAII - A magnitude 3.2 earthquake shook the lower east rift zone of Kilauea Thursday morning at 8:59 a.m., but it isn't clear if the quake will have any effect on the ongoing eruption. The earthquake was centered beneath Pu'ulena crater at a depth of about two miles. The eruption that began on July 21 from a series of fissures east of Pu'u 'O'o is continuing, with lava mainly ponding in the area surrounding the fissures. However, one fissure is still supplying lava to an 'a'a flow that is moving slowly southeast. Scientists warned the vent areas are dangerous, and access to the eruption site is closed.

7/26/07 -
HAWAII - The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, citing severe hazards in the region, has closed the entire Kahauale'a Natural Area Reserve to public access. The hazards are associated with the three erupting volcanic vents on Kilauea's East Rift Zone. Specific threats include numerous large cracks that are continuing to form in the area, the threat of wildfire from the lava flows, toxic fumes and the likelihood that lava contained in ponds above ground level will spill suddenly, overcoming anyone who may be nearby. Additionally, areas around the Pu'u 'O'o vent, the previous eruption site, are collapsing, The eruption is not doing serious damage to the forest, largely because current flows are are running out over lavas that flowed in the area from 1986 to 1992. "At this point, it's flowing over flows of 15 years ago that do not have much vegetative cover." ( Fissure webcam)

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - Odd - Undersea Volcano? - Fishermen and small craft operators have been warned to avoid sailing offshore at Point Radix, Ortoire as emergency agencies investigate reports of an active underwater volcano. Authorities issued safety warnings for ships and other vessels to exercise caution off the Point Radix coastline. However, they say it is too early to say what the nature of the activity out at sea is. The suspected volcanic activity was discovered some five miles off Point Radix on Monday. An exploratory expedition to the area was only able to get within 500 feet of the activity. “We were unable to get closer to the activity because of the strong currents associated with the system which started to swirl the boat as we got closer.” At one time, the activity appeared to be pulling the boat toward it. Yesterday, Point Radix residents expressed fear about the phenomenon which could be seen by binoculars as a white foamy circular line in an ocean of blue. The activity had been evident for some time but appeared to intensify over the past few days forcing fishermen to stop going out at sea. “I just pray that what happen in Montserrat don’t happen here." One resident doubted the activity was a volcano and suggested it may be a strong ocean current. “If it were a volcano, it wouldn’t have a long trail behind.” Another villager stated the activity was not a volcano but an “oil vein.” The Head of the Seismic unit noted the activity could not be termed as being volcanic and could not be compared to the Montserrat volcano.

7/25/07 -
KENYA, TANZANIA - Tremors were reported on the weekend in parts of Kenya including Nairobi. The vibrations were less intense compared to the tremors experienced in the last two weeks. The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcanic mountain in northern Tanzania that is at the epicentre of the tremors is still spewing fires. Families living around the volcanic mountain are living in fear following the eruption that has been happening in the past 10 days. A number of houses and schools near the mountain have been destroyed by the tremors and eruption. Thousands of wildlife including lions, wildebeest, giraffe, zebras and gazelles have migrated. Helpless locals were trying to come to terms with the effects of the eruptions and tremors. "We are living in fear. We have never experienced tremors of such magnitude before. We don't know where we can go." Residents have been sleeping in the cold since the tremors started 14 days ago. A number of pregnant women have given birth prematurely due to the impact of the tremors. "It shakes everything. Spews fires and leaves small neighbouring hills tumbling down." Residents said they feared no help would reach them in time if the tremors continued, due to impassable roads and a poor communication network in the area.

7/24/07 -
COSTA RICA - scientists are keeping an eye on Turrialba Volcano, on the Caribbean-slope, where thousands of small earthquakes have occurred over the past couple of days. The volcano recently registered more than 2,000 “mini-earthquakes” too faint to be felt by residents. “This seismic activity is characterized by its low frequencies and it is associated with an intense flux of gas and steam through volcanic channels.” Experts, who continue to study the volcano, believe it's possible it could experience a mild eruption, spewing sediment and materials accumulated in its crater, but not lava. Turrialba is an active volcano that last erupted lava in 1866.

RUSSIA - The seismic activity has intensified at Kamchatka’s Bezymyanny volcano. There are weak tremors on the surface and a minor thermal anomaly, which exceeds the air temperature by approximately nine degrees. As a rule, Bezymyanny erupts once or twice per year. Although eruptions are sudden, researchers predict them rather precisely. The latest eruption of Bezymyanny occurred last December. The active phase lasted for several hours, and the volcano emitted an ash plume to the height of 15 kilometers. The volcanic dust reached the village of Klyuchi, 40 kilometers away from volcano, and 300 grams of ash fell per one square meter. The volcano settled down within two days. It has not been that active since then, and there is no danger to local villages. Meanwhile, another two Kamchatka volcanoes, Shiveluch and Karymsky, are erupting. Shiveluch, which is located near the Klyuchi village, emitted ash to the height of 4.5 kilometers on Sunday. Karymsky may be also emitting ash, but these emissions cannot be monitored visually. The volcano, which has been erupting for more than eleven years, since January 1996, is located far away from populated areas. It is about 100 kilometers away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The activity of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano has quieted. The volcano was emitting lava and ash since the middle of this February. At present it sporadically emits gas and steam. There is no danger to locals. The strongest eruption of Bezymyanny in modern history was the crater explosion in 1956. The volcano, which used to be 3,080 meters high, emitted one cubic kilometer of substance within a brief period, and became 280 meters shorter.

HAWAII - Lava continued to flow from a set of fissures east of Pu'u O'o crater on Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Molten rock began oozing in the remote area known as the east rift zone on the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday for the first time in 15 years. Scientists have set up a Webcam in the area, but visibility has been poor because of the weather. A few glimpses overnight showed lava feeding channeled flows and a lava pond at the far eastern edge of the flows. "So far this is a very low-energy style of eruption. It is not clear how long this eruption at this particular site will occur. That's really the question." Last month, lava broke through the ground in a rain forest northeast of Kane Nui o Hamo after scientists recorded hundreds of earthquakes indicating magma, or underground lava, was shifting beneath the surface. That eruption site has grown quiet. The latest eruption is not directly related with the earlier one. "There's been a passage of about a month's time. They're completely different parts of the rift zone. They're not part of the same supply of magma to the surface."

7/22/07 -
HAWAII - Lava is erupting east of Pu’u O’o crater on Kilauea volcano for the FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS. Activity within the crater began to wane and the crater floor started to drop just before midnight Friday. “Sometime after midnight, a new fissure eruption started to the east of Pu’u O’o between the crater and Kupaianaha.” Scientists couldn’t investigate until Saturday because of rain and fog from Tropical Storm Cosme but after daybreak they confirmed an eruption was occurring along a set of fissures extending one mile eastward from a point about 495 feet east of the crater’s east rim. A three-week eruption in the same area in November 1991 produced a lava flow that traveled 3.6 miles southeast toward the Royal Gardens subdivision.

TANZANIA - Hundreds of families around Ol Doinyo Lengai volcanic mountain in Tanzania are spending nights in the cold following earthquakes that have hit the area. On Thursday, the Tanzanian government declared the mountain out of bounds for tourists. A number of schools, houses and roads had been destroyed by the tremors. "I have lived here since I was born but I have never seen anything like this. It is as if the world is ending." The mountain has been spewing fire in the past nine days. The tremors have also destroyed neighbouring hills in the area, interfered with the flow of rivers into Lake Natron, and forced some wild animals to migrate. Tourist camps near the epicentre of tremors have been dismantled. Tanzania's Lake Natron has been the epicentre of the seismic waves which have hit the northern part of the country and several areas in Kenya. At least 15 tremors have been felt in Arusha, which is 100 kilometres from both Lake Natron and Ol Donyo Lengai. The strongest one rocked the area on Tuesday evening and measured 6.0 on the Richter scale.

7/20/07 -
TANZANIA - Thousands of villagers living around Mount Oldonyo Lengai in Ngorongoro District have fled their homes following a volcano eruption triggered by the earth tremors that have recently hit most parts of the northern zone. Sources say more than 1,500 people, mostly Maasai herdsmen from Ngaresero, Orbalal and Nayobi villages, have abandoned their homes following the tremors. "We heard roaring sounds before the volcano started discharging ashes and lava. Thank God, nobody was injured although smoke is still visible at the top of the mountain." This is the world's only active sodium carbonite volcano and also the only one that spews natrocarbonatite lava. Natrocarbonatite lava usually contains almost no silicon and is much cooler in temperature than other lavas. Two earthquakes rated as moderate hit the Oldonyo Lengai volcanic mountain at 11:42pm on Sunday and at 12:10am the next day. Yet another tremor, this time measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, hit on Tuesday evening. This is the second volcanic eruption to occur in the northern zone since the one in March 2006, which also saw a number of villagers flee their homes for their safety.
Several mud-walled houses belonging to the Maasai herdsmen collapsed following tremors triggered by the volcanic activity. Lava is flowing from one side of the mountain, causing panic among the villagers. Many villagers have been spending nights in the cold and are terrified. "They have started moving their animals in fear that the situation may get worse." Plans are under way to evacuate some 5,000 villagers. "Ol Doinyo Lengai is a live, volcanic mountain. It erupts almost annually but we are surprised that this time it has been accompanied by an earthquake and this is worrying us."

7/17/07 -
INDONESIA - Thousands of people who fled their homes around the slopes of smouldering Mount Gamkonora volcano in Indonesia have been told it is safe to return after authorities downgraded the alert status. Mount Gamkonora, on the north-east island of Halmahera, was put on top alert last week, meaning experts believed an eruption could be imminent. "We have downgraded the alert level because the seismic activity of the volcano has somehow grown much quieter and there have only been fumes emitted from the crater." The smoke curling from the crater has been very weak, reaching just 50 to 100 metres high, and the tectonic quakes registered have been very small. Last week, smoke stretched four kilometres into the air. Nearly 9,000 people were evacuated from their homes around the arid slopes of Gamkonora to safe shelters in anticipation of a possible eruption. The office says there is still a chance that the volcano could make small emissions of smoke or other material, but any eruption would not be dangerous or reach settlements.

RUSSIA - Seismic activity of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has reduced to the background level. The volcano the eruption of which had started on February 15 is now relatively calm. Volcanic tremor has stopped; no earthquakes are registered. It produces only minor spews of vapour with a small content of ash from the crater. The Klyuchevskaya Sopka peak of activity was registered in the period from April to the beginning of July. Major hot lava flows (1000 degrees Celsius) were coming down the slopes. Lava was melting the glacier and water and mudflows were coming down the volcano slopes. Residents of the Klyuchi settlement located 32 kilometres from the volcano heard the volcanic roar. Volcanic dust fallout was registered in this settlement, as well as in Kozyrevsk located 45 kilometres from the gain mount. Incandescence could be observed during the night above the volcano. It spewed volcanic bombs to a height of 300 kilometres over the summit. Such phenomena have now stopped.

JAPAN - the ecosystem of Miyakejima island, devastated by the 2000 eruption of Mount Oyama, is finally re-emerging. Exactly seven years after a series of eruptions sprayed volcanic ash across the island 180 kilometers south of Tokyo, forcing the small population to evacuate, the twittering of birds can be heard again around the Tairoike pond in the south of the island. In February 2001, only about 50 birds were seen on the 1-km path around the Tairoike pond. From around May 2002, when hundreds of caterpillar moths emerged, the number of birds began to increase. But a continuous flow of volcanic gas is suffocating the once lush forests across the island. Many trees, including cedar and sudajii have died and turned white. More and more dead trees can be seen in the east and southwestern parts of the island, where winds spread the poisonous fumes. Some trees had sprouted buds in the first year after the eruption, however, within another two to three years they began to die. At low altitudes, even tall trees are starting to perish. At the same time, grass plants that are less vulnerable are beginning to emerge. As a result, the island, once dense with groves, is becoming a patchwork of vast grassy meadows. The upheaval is making life difficult for varieties of birds that thrive in dense forests, but it is proving to be an advantage for others. "The island's current ecosystem is halfway toward recovery from the volcano eruption."

7/15/07 -
INDONESIA - Mount Gamkonora volcano resumed shooting out flaming rocks on Friday, while thousands more people fled the mountain in the remote east of the country as ash clouds showered nearby villages. After a quiet spell, a series of volcanic earthquakes jolted the area around Mount Gamkonora, which started emitting towering columns of ash and smoke last week. The flaming material spitting from the volcano, which towers above the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, indicates magma is close to the crater's surface. "After 18 hours of no activity, we have spotted five consecutive volcanic quakes this morning [Friday]." The alert status on the volcano remains at a maximum of four and officials fear the mountain is building up for a bigger eruption. Clouds of smoke and ash have also grown thicker again, obscuring the volcano. 13 villages were covered in a thin shower of volcanic ash, forcing thousands more people to move into crowded makeshift shelters, or to stay with friends and relatives in neighbouring districts. "Strong winds have carried clouds of volcanic ash in a radius of 15 kilometres from the crater's rim and it's heading northwards, posing a health hazard to many." Around 2,450 families or 12,500 people had been evacuated, many suffering respiratory problems.

7/13/07 -
INDONESIA - rumbling Mount Gamkonora volcano in eastern Indonesia spewed ash and lava Thursday, as authorities expressed fears that a shift in winds could send hot clouds of volcanic debris onto villages below. Thousands of people have been evacuated and others have been told to stay away from the eight-kilometre danger zone along the mountain's slopes. Mount Gamkonora on Halmahera island has put authorities on the highest alert since Monday, and lava and debris have spilled from its mouth for days. Hot clouds of ash were shooting more than 1,000 metres into the sky on Thursday, a slight decrease in activity. Authorities are worried that potential shifts in wind could send the debris over villages along the western flank of the 1,630-metre peak. A large eruption within the next few days is still possible. (photo)

7/12/07 -
INDONESIA - Activity at Mount Gamkonora volcano appeared to have eased slightly as hundreds more people were evacuated from its arid slopes. Mount Gamkonora on Halmahera island in North Maluku province has been spewing rocks, ash and smoke into the air since Monday and experts fear an eruption could be imminent. "In the first six hours of today (Thursday), we have registered only one earthquake due to an eruption and another due to the release of smoke. There are indications that the energy level is weakening," however heavy cloud obscured the volcano's peak, making visual observation difficult. A further 1,100 people were evacuated from 11 villages to safe shelters overnight.

7/11/07 -
INDONESIA - Thousands of Indonesians have been evacuated from the slopes of Mount Gamkonora volcano that is spewing out hot ash and smoke in the east of the country. The alert in North Maluku province has been raised to its highest level amid fears a major eruption could be imminent. Scientists have reported seeing fire and ash clouds rising as high as 4,000m (13,100ft) since Monday. Some 8,400 villagers have been moved to special camps away from the volcano. However, scientists are warning that lava could still reach the camps if there is a large eruption - and have advised residents to wear face masks to protect themselves from the ash clouds. Some 2,000 people are reported to have chosen to remain within the 8km (five mile) danger zone.
Mount Gamkonora has started spitting out flaming rocks and sending showers of sparks into the air, indicating the volcano is likely to erupt. Although less smoke and ash were spotted today, flaming material started to appear on Tuesday evening, indicating magma was approaching the crater's surface. An eruption has become more likely. "We may see lava spillages soon. An eruption is likely... However, pressure has lessened, so it won't be a massive one." The last major eruption of the volcano is said to have taken place in 1673.

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskaya Volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula released another plume on July 9.

WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helens, which has been steadily and quietly erupting for almost three years, offered a stark reminder Friday night that it retains its capacity to surprise. This time, scientists believe a sun-baked glacier is stirring up trouble. Remote acoustic flow devices detected a sudden increase in stream flow near the top of Loowit Falls north of the volcano’s crater between 6 and 9 p.m. Friday. By 5 a.m. the next morning, the level of turbidity — the muddiness of the water — spiked on the North Fork of the Toutle River almost 20 miles away. By Sunday morning, bystanders reported a cloud of mud in the Cowlitz River at Kelso. “Our speculation at the moment is that some water burped out of the glacier. The exact cause right now, we don’t know. But it certainly wasn’t rain-induced.” The glacier accumulated along the base of the rounded crater wall. It wrapped itself around the old 876-foot-tall lava dome, which emerged in a series of eruptions between 1980 and 1986. Since then, a burgeoning new lava dome has eviscerated the glacier. The new dome has split the glacier into two arms, radically upended it, and shoved its two arms on the downward slope to the north. “Clearly, it is changing. It’s much more fractured, and it is moving to a lower elevation. The farther north it moves, it’s going to get a little more out of the shadow of the crater rim.” Meanwhile, the eruption of lava continues unabated.

7/10/07 -
INDONESIA - A volcano in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku erupted Monday spewing hot ash and black smoke up to 4,000-metres into the sky, prompting government authorities to urge residents in endangered areas to flee. Mount Gamhonora volcano on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province, about 2,380 kilometres north-east of Jakarta, has become increasingly active in the past days. On Monday the volcano erupted belching hot ash from its crater and sending volcanic materials to nearby areas. The volcano's alert status was raised to the highest level - that means villagers in 10 villages within an eight-kilometre radius must flee. Frequent tremors have been recorded from Mount Gamhonora's crater since Sunday.

INDONESIA - authorities have begun the mass evacuation of thousands of people as the Mount Merapi volcano on the island of Java begins to show signs of increased activity threatening to send streams of lava towards residential areas. But many people have refused to abandon their homes and crops. The volcano has been rumbling for several weeks, and has now begun to issue clouds of volcanic ash and lava. Authorities have raised the level of danger to code red. [CAUTION - I haven't yet found any other news corroborating this information.]

HAWAII - Lava is again flowing steadily into the Puu Oo crater at Kilauea Volcano, the main source of lava at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the last two decades. "Both east and west vents were again active and a new stationary, fuming spot developed early Sunday morning. The level of the lava pond continues to rise." The east vent had been active for several days. The west vent "seemed to sputter back to life" over the weekend. There is a continuing flurry of earthquakes in the upper east rift zone and Kilauea summit continues to inflate. The tiltmeter on the north side of Puu Oo cone recorded 7 microradians of inflation over the past week. Seismic tremor levels spiked twice Saturday night.

Thousands of new volcanoes have been found in the oceans - The true extent to which the ocean bed is dotted with volcanoes has been revealed by researchers who have counted 201,055 underwater cones. This is over 10 times more than have been found before. The team estimates that in total there could be about 3 million submarine volcanoes, 39,000 of which rise more than 1000 metres over the sea bed. "The distribution of underwater volcanoes tells us something about what is happening in the centre of the Earth." Satellites can detect volcanoes that are more than 1500 m high because the mass of the submerged mountains causes gravity to pull the water in around them. This creates domes on the ocean's surface that can be several metres high and can be detected from space. But there are a multitude of small volcanoes that have gone undetected. The only way of identifying them is to manually find their outline on sonar measurements taken from ships. Researchers were surprised to find that the density of small volcanoes dropped in the area around Iceland, as Iceland is known to be a hotspot for volcanic activity. Another surprise was that they found fewer volcanoes on the seabed around Hawaii, another volcanic hotspot. The findings may mean that researchers need to re-assess their understanding of how submarine volcanoes are formed. In 2006, a team of researchers from Japan discovered a new type of volcano which also defied conventional theories of volcanism. The "petit-spot" volcanoes, aged between one to eight million years old, did not sit at tectonic plate boundaries or over volcanic hotspots.

7/9/07 -
INDONESIA - poisonous fumes from an Indonesian volcano have killed six teenagers who were camping on the mountain. Families of the victims have refused autopsies but the dead are believed to have been poisoned by gases from one of two craters on the volcano. The six were found with blood and foam on their mouths and noses. Media reports say the victims, between 14 and 16 years old, were among about 50 students spending the weekend on the mountain. Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other nation and climbing them when they are not especially active is a popular pastime. Salak, where the teens died Saturday, is just south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and is one of the country's most popular peaks.

7/6/07 -
INDONESIA - the environment minister says hundreds of hectares of land inundated by sludge from a mud volcano in East Java could be rehabilitated for raising catfish. The government remains focused on trying to stop or slow the mud, which has been spewing out of the ground near the city of Surabaya since May last year. But he says if that is not possible, there is evidence to suggest that catfish can be raised in ponds made of the mud, and this could provide a livelihood for people who used to farm in the area. Damage done by the mudflow is estimated at more than $3 billion.

PHILIPPINES - The Department of Public Works and Highways in Bicol will virtually "fence" Mayon Volcano with an experimental structure to lessen the impact of lahar floods during heavy downpour and typhoons in Albay. Some Php 770 million worth of calamity mitigating structures would be built around Mayon this month as part of the government's aggressive rehabilitation programs on areas devastated by five typhoons last year, notably super howler "Reming." Some 1,500 people were buried alive last year by rampaging lahar mudflows and washed away by boulder-carrying flash floods. A boulder dike will soon rise around Mayon Volcano that would protect populated areas. They can not yet give assurance these structures are safe, but engineers are claiming the project would lessen the impact of lahar floods to a greater extent compared to mere dredging activities. The structures would include boulder dikes, river re-channeling or dredging, reviving of eroded and damaged waterways and revetments. The disaster mitigating structures would include the restoration of the Yawa River system and the reviving of the Padang river channel, the dredging and rechanneling of the Tagas-Binitayan river in Daraga town and the restoration of the Camalig-Guinobatan-Libon river basin that would flush flood waters out to San Miguel Bay in Camarines Sur.

HAWAII - Activity at Big Island's Kilauea is heightening as the eruption of the island's youngest volcano entered a new phase. Lava flowed Monday on the collapsed floor of Kilauea volcano's Pu'u O'o crater. Magma is ponding near the center of the crater. With lava once again flowing across the collapsed floor of the Pu'u O'o crater, the Kilauea volcano eruption that began in 1983 may once again present a spectacle for visitors to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. It could take awhile for that lava to once again flow from the crater all the way into the ocean, since the floor of the crater collapsed by at least 330 feet during the eruption pause. Lava was last seen at the Poupou ocean entry on June 20, but the supply of magma to Pu'u O'o apparently was temporarily cut off during a swarm of earthquakes that began June 17. Magma then was diverted into the upper East Rift area, causing the rift zone to expand by nearly 3 feet. A small eruption on June 19 from the upper East Rift covered almost 2 acres with lava, but quickly stalled. The eruption from Pu'u O'o has been nearly continuous from 1992 to 2007, and the recent pause was the first stall in the eruption since Dec. 15, 2000. The current Pu'u O'o-Kupaianaha eruption of Kilauea is the most voluminous outpouring of lava on the volcano's East Rift zone in the past 500 years. The eruption has added nearly 500 acres to Kilauea's southern shore, destroyed 189 homes and other structures, and buried long stretches of highway.
Webcam

SPAIN - Compared with anything that had gone on before in living memory, the second quarter of 2004 was frenetic at the Mount Teide volcano when its seismic activity looked like it was going into overdrive and scarcely a day passed without news of tremors or rumors of plumes of smoke. Since then the mountain has been fairly quiet. A couple of weeks might pass, then a spate of small, imperceptible trembles occurs and the rest is silence. They might be tiny, but those tremors are not being ignored. Far from it. El Teide is “a high risk volcano beneath which activity is taking place.” “Something’s going on with Mount Teide and it has prompted a host of investigators from home and abroad to take a look and see what might be happening. There are Spanish scientists from a number of regions as well as teams from Italy, Switzerland, the UK, Mexico and the USA all working on the data as it comes...Mount Teide could go any way. It could close down and go back to sleep for another extended period, or it could become wide awake. The only certainty we have is that the volcano is showing signs of activity and however you analyse them all the statistics available appear to indicate that there is a problem in Teide’s magmatic system.” One of the most puzzling pieces of information to have emerged - and one which could prove to be highly significant - is that the whole archipelago isinching its way towards Africa. All of it, that is, except for Mount Teide itself and its immediate environs, dead centre of the island, which is moving in the opposite direction. It’s still too early to say what that might mean. But one might expect that something’s gotta give. The outward sign of the inward titanic geological struggle are some deformities and subsidences in certain mountainous areas over Santiago del Teide.

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskoy Volcano in the north central region of the Kamchatka Peninsula is blasting ash up to 32,000 feet in the air, and has diverted air traffic headed toward the Far East. This is the LARGEST ERUPTION TO OCCUR IN THE NORTH PACIFIC IN A DECADE. Klyuchevskoy’s been erupting since January, but the largest explosions in the eruption began June 28, 2007. These explosions created a 1,360-mile-long band of ash, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Aleutian Islands, clogging well-used air routes with volcanic ash that can prove deadly for aircraft. Volcanic ash moves quickly through the atmosphere. Although Klyuchevskoy is located in Kamchatka, its ash crossed the Bering Sea and reached Unimak Island in the Aleutians within one day.

7/3/07 -
RUSSIA - The tail of ashes from the eruption of the volcano Kluchevskoy at Kamchatka spread for two thousand kilometers and reached the coast of Alaska. Above the crater of Kluchevskoy, which is considered the highest active volcano in Eurasia, the latest column of ashes rose in height up to 8.5 km. The tail of ashes spread hundreds of kilometers above the Bering Sea. Seismic stations in the area of the volcano registered volcanic trembling and local earthquakes. Lava-streams flow down the slope at temperatures over one thousand degrees Celsius. There is no danger to settlements of the peninsula. At the same time, melting of glaciers at its slopes under the influence of lava can cause the descent of powerful mud streams, threatening people and equipment in their path. Emissions and tails of ash present a danger to aviation when volcanic ashes get into the turbines of planes.

7/1/07 -
HAWAII - Kilauea Volcano remains quiet following last week's brief eruption, and scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are excited about that. Earthquake swarms started several miles east of the summit June 17, lava erupted in an unusual location June 19, and then a lot of sulfur dioxide gas came to the surface as other activity slowed down. The series of events indicated magma coming from deep in the earth, then shunting east to the eruption. "One mystery right now, though, is the disparity between how much magma we believe is still entering the volcano from the mantle, and the fact that no new lava and very little gas has been erupted at the surface for over a week...magma is still being supplied at a rate of 100 OSPs per day, where is it going, and what might happen next?" The magma created a new underground route for itself last week, a process called an intrusion. The result was a brief eruption above ground and a new, armlike dike underground. How much magma remains in the dike, how much went into the normal rift between the summit and Pu'u O'o, and how much is in the storage area under the summit remain uncertain.

6/28/07 -
HAWAII - On the Big Island, all is quiet at Kilauea volcano as officials try to determine if its safe for the park to re-open Chain of Craters road. After the recent activity, firefighters were examining the area near the lava breakout on the Napau trail. Most of the vegetation in the forest was scorched and fire crews found lava spatter plastered to vegetation more than 100 feet from the breakout.

6/22/07 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Mount Tavurvur volcano has been experiencing a high level of activity for the past few days. However, the acting director of Rabaul Volcanic Observatory says there is no indication of any build-up that might lead to a big bang like last October. The October 7th blast caused windows some 12 kilometers away to shatter. The latest activity between Tuesday and Thursday saw four main explosions which produced shockwaves that rattled windows of houses in Rabaul town and surrounding areas. They also caused five high-frequency earthquakes and dozens of low-frequency tremors. The explosions showered the flanks of the volcano with lava fragments. The ash clouds from the explosions rose about two kilometres before being blown out to the northwest, resulting in moderate ash fall in Rabaul areas like Ratavul, Volavolo and Nonga villages.

HAWAII - A third large crack has formed on Kilauea, park officials said Wednesday. The fissure, spotted in an area a few miles southeast of Kilauea’s summit, is near two others found since hundreds of small earthquakes were recorded in the area Sunday. The fissure was spewing steam, but was not oozing lava as the others did. Heat from the fissures could spark a fire.

6/21/07 -
HAWAII - Lava has oozed from a new location on Kilauea. Researchers on the island of Hawaii — the Big Island — had been looking for a new lava breakout point after hundreds of small earthquakes were recorded Sunday, suggesting that underground lava was shifting beneath the surface. The small outbreak oozed about 150 feet, from a 600-foot-long fissure, in a forest about eight miles southeast of Kilauea’s summit.
This latest phase of Kilauea's eruption could possibly endanger some plant and animal species native to Hawaii. The area where the lava flow surfaced contains the park's 2,500 acre East Rift Rainforest. The area is home to the endangered I'o, or Hawaiian Hawk, found only on the island of Hawai'i. The lava flow also threatens a number of rare plant species including Hawaiian lobeliads, mints, ferns, and a rare jewel orchid.
Map of the new lava area (Episode 56) and the areas where cracking has occurred.
Earthquakes within Hawaii's Mount Kilauea have slowed but underground lava movement is making the Big Island slightly bigger. A brief eruption of lava on Tuesday along the island's southeast coastline moved land an inch or so farther seaward as a result. A series of earthquakes last weekend alerted scientists of underground lava movement and an 825-foot fissure opened about 8 miles from the summit. Observations made from helicopters showed "the whole crater floor itself is sort of collapsing inward. It must be due to the lack of support from the magma." The floor of the crater dropped about 65 feet. Portions of Hawaii Volcano National Park were closed and park crews repaired cracks caused by the hundreds of small earthquakes - one 3 inches wide - on the Chain of Craters Road.

INDONESIA - experts are dealing with a massive water spray from the ground near a mud volcano on Java. The five-metre high spray began before dawn on Saturday at a restaurant in Jatirejo village, near the mudflow area. A team is trying to channel the water to a river to prevent it from flooding the area because it may submerge the village, highway and railway. There have been about 60 incidents of water or gas spurting from the ground near the so-called mud volcano, which erupted in May last year, inundating an area of some 600 hectares, but this spray is the biggest so far.

RUSSIA - Kamchatka Peninsula's Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, that has been erupting since February 15, has shown signs of growing activity. About 00:00 hours local time Wednesday /11:00 hours GMT Tuesday, the Klyuchevskaya Sopka ejected a spout of ash to the altitude of 9,000 or so meters. The spouting could not be observed visually, as the crater of Eurasia's largest active volcano is coated in dense clouds, but data from satellites confirmed that a trail of the spout spread 80 kilometers westwards at the altitude of about 7,000 meters. Also, the fallout of ash precipitation was registered in the town of Kozyrevsk located 45 kilometers away from Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Surveyors have registered 124 seismic events near the volcano since Tuesday morning, including volcanic tremor of up to 83.9 mkm per second. Klyuchevskaya Sopka's activity has made it difficult to do correct seismic monitoring of two neighboring volcanos - Shiveluch and Bezymyanny.

6/20/07 -
HAWAII - Kilauea Volcano's vents at Pu'u 'O'o continued their dramatic collapse Monday while the earth nearby expanded, both clues that an underground flow of magma has probably been diverted and might burst to the surface in a new area. The pace of earthquakes, likely caused by the shifting magma, slowed overnight. "For that much magma to be intruding or forced into the rift zone, something's got to give as the magma makes room for itself." Parts of the Pu'u 'O'o crater rim to the southwest that have been collapsing during the past several years suddenly dropped an estimated 30 to 50 feet, and the level of lava within the East Pond in the crater has also dropped to "a much lower elevation." That collapse at Pu'u 'O'o and the apparent stall in the lava flows from the crater area to the ocean strongly suggest the magma flowing into Pu'u 'O'o has been blocked or diverted elsewhere in the East Rift Zone, much as it was during similar events in 1997 and 1999. The deflation of the Kilauea summit continued, which combined with the ongoing earthquakes suggests magma is still leaking out of the summit magma reservoir into the upper East Rift Zone.
Scientists on the Big Island observed a new lava eruption at Kilauea volcano's upper east rift zone Tuesday morning following another swarm of small earthquakes. The small outbreak of lava oozed from a fissure in the forest nearly four miles west of Puu Oo and eight miles southeast of the Kilauea summit. "The outbreak appeared to be a short one that had been over for at least a few hours by the time it was seen this morning. This may be related to the abrupt eastward migration of earthquake epicenters into this area noted between 3:45 and 5 p.m. yesterday. Small earthquakes continue to occur in the area at low levels."

6/19/07 -
HAWAII - Hundreds of small earthquakes that suggest that magma is on the move under the surface of the Kilauea volcano sent scientists and national park officials scrambling over the weekend and prompted the RARE closure of most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The earthquake swarm began at 2:15 a.m. Sunday, with more than 260 recorded in 17 hours. Another nine were reported on the island of Hawaii between midnight and 4 a.m. Monday, as well as one 26 miles offshore. The largest of those registered a 3.2 magnitude. Eleven campers and some livestock were evacuated from portions of the park as rangers monitored the UNUSUAL earthquake activity for signs of a shift in the ongoing Kilauea eruption. Fresh cracks were reported in nearby roads. A Park Ranger said it was the first time she could recall since about 1999 that seismic activity caused by underground magma movement prompted the park to take such extensive precautions. The center of the earthquakes was about a mile southwest of Mauna Ulu, but during the day, the hub of the seismic activity migrated about 3 miles down the east rift zone toward Pu’u ’O’o, the source of an ongoing eruption. At the same time, the summit area of Kilauea volcano began to deflate or contract, another clue that magma is shifting from beneath the summit to some other part of the volcano. All the activity raised concerns for the National Park Service, which closed the 18-mile Chain of Craters Road that visitors normally use to reach lowland areas where lava flows into the sea. With the apparent new movement of magma, the concern was that if lava suddenly burst to the surface in an unexpected area, it could cut roads and trails, spew poisonous fumes or start brush fires that could pose a threat to visitors. “Assuming that our inference is correct” — that the earthquakes signal magma movement — “the magma could head to the surface at any time.”
The earthquake swarm near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has slowed to fewer than 10 small tremors an hour from 100 per hour Sunday morning. National Park Service rangers opened the 11-mile Crater Rim Road and summit trails in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Monday. The 18-mile Chain of Craters Road remains closed after cracks opened across it on Sunday. The earthquakes, which data indicate are being caused by magma moving underground, are occurring mostly between Pauahi and Makaopuhi craters near the volcano's East Rift Zone. At least 10 of the quakes Sunday morning were magnitude 3.0 or stronger. "She seems to be calming down. It's a very young volcano. We've had ongoing eruptions for 25 years." "The summit is continuing to deflate, but that is slowing as well. We think it may mean magma is sort of readjusting itself." Measurements show steady deflation of Kilauea's summit and a wider rift zone to the east near the Makaopuhi crater.
Tiltmeters in the summit area recorded steady deflation for a second day on Monday, more than 40 microradians since early Sunday, and the observatory said the rate of deflation increased "slightly" following a Monday afternoon quake swarm. Monday afternoon's increase in earthquake activity between Makaopuhi and Napau craters, farther east than previous quakes, lasted about an hour. All data indicate that an intrusion of magma started in the Mauna Ulu area early Sunday morning and moved slowly 5 km (3 miles) east along the rift zone throughout June 17. Monday afternoon, the intrusion moved a bit farther east in a burst of earthquake activity starting at about 3:45 p.m. USGS personnel inspected the Puu Oo vent, source of lava for years, and reported that the crater floor had dropped about 20 meters. One route for the lava, called the Petunia tube, was found no longer to be active. It should be noted that Puu Oo lava flow stopped after similar seismic activity in 1997 and again in 1999, only to resume days or weeks later. GPS receivers near the most intense seismic activity recorded further widening across the rift zone near Makaopuhi crater. Total widening was 28 inches since all of this began early Sunday. An observatory field crew spotted new cracking between Mauna Ulu and Makaopuhi. On Sunday afternoon, observers noted many rockfalls from the south wall of Pu`u `O`o cone and collapse of the crater floor around the vents. January vent collapsed at 4:30 p.m. Monday morning after the sun rose, Pu`u `O`o crater was steaming; the floor was still there but the January vent and Drainhole pits had enlarged.
Live panorama webcam of Pu`u `O`o vents, Kilauea Volcano.

6/18/07 -
HAWAII - A swarm of more than 250 shallow, relatively small earthquakes jolted the upper East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano Sunday, prompting the National Park Service to evacuate tourists and campers on the chance that the quakes might signal a dramatic, unexpected change in the ongoing eruption. Chain of Craters Road, Hilina Pali Road and much of Crater Rim Drive will remain closed through the night. Park officials will reassess the situation at 8 a.m. today. The earthquake swarm began at 2:15 a.m., and there have been small earthquakes about every minute or so, starting at about 6 a.m. "It looks like the rift has expanded a bit, possibly to accommodate magma, and the earthquakes are accompanying that process." An intrusion of lava into new underground cavities in the volcano could cause the magma to escape to the surface at a new, unexpected area of Kilauea. The earthquakes are coming so close together that USGS instruments were combining the magnitudes of the some of the temblors and overstating the size of some of the quakes. In one case the instruments incorrectly reported a quake of a magnitude of greater than 5.

6/13/07 -
ETHIOPIA - In the Danakil depression, also known as Afar, in Ethiopia, sits the Dallol volcano. It's situated below sea level and its upwelling springs create sulfur and mineral salt formations of epic beauty. It's one of the hottest places in the world with temperatures sometimes over 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The Danakil depression is a plate tectonic triple junction where three pieces of the Earth's crust meet. The three crusts pulling apart from one another creates stress on the rocks, producing cracks, faults, volcanoes and hot springs in the region. It's one of two places on the Earth where a midocean ridge can be studied on land. (click on the "SCROLL" arrows for 8 photos.)

6/3/07 -
INDIA - A lava-like substance was found after a minor fire broke out in barren land at Chhegaon Makhan village, officials said Saturday. "The fire was about three feet high and emerged near Indra Colony last night. About one-and-a-half kg of the lava-like substance was found accumulated at one spot. The substance created holes in a radius of roughly 5 m. The incident terrified people. The area is in Pandhana tehsil where plate tectonic incidents have taken place earlier." The Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology former Director-General said that the substance ought to be analysed as Pandhana is in the Narmada Fault zone. "Scientists' opinions are being sought."

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskoy Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula has been blasting ash into the sky and burbling lava down its flanks, producing a well-monitored hazard to air traffic along the North Pacific Rim. Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say the "explosive-effusive eruption" has slightly eased this week, but another blast could send ash more than five miles high at any time. Klyuchevskoy is one of 29 very active Kamchatka Penisula cones. (photos)

5/29/07 -
RUSSIA - The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is spewing a major ash column to a height of up to seven kilometres (more than four miles) above sea level. There is no danger to nearby settlements. Major incandescence is observed at nighttime above the volcano summit. Hot volcanic bombs are spewed from the crater every five-ten seconds. The spews height reaches 500 metres. Several lava flows heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius are descending on the slopes. “At least three such flows are clearly visible.” Lava is melting the glacier and water and mudflows are coming down the volcano slopes, but they pose no direct danger for the Klyuchi settlement. The volcano roar and explosions could be heard in this settlement. House windows have repeatedly been shaken by massive explosions from the volcano.

INDONESIA - A massive concrete dam 15 storeys high would be built around Indonesia's disastrous "mud volcano" under the latest proposal to stop toxic sludge spewing from its core. Under the plan, the mud building up in the dam would eventually be so heavy that it could act as a counterweight to the sludge trying to emerge from the crater, blocking off the flow. "If this technique is successful, the area will be ready to be rebuilt into a new city. This is the future for the area, according to the civil engineers." The wall encircling the volcano would be 10 metres thick and 120 metres in diameter. The wall itself would consist of two separate fences of thick steel pipes encased in concrete up to 48 metres high. The dam would also have a machine to extract water from the mud, with the liquid moving down a massive chute for piping to a nearby river. Expected to take eight months to build, the dam would also feature a geology museum and a park, estimated to cost US$5.6 million. The plan comes after engineers spent two months trying to plug the volcano by dropping concrete balls on chains into its yawning crater. That initiative has been suspended and the mud building up behind dirt and rock embankments is being channelled to the river nearby.

5/28/07 -
INDIA - About six-kilometre area of Talakundha forest in Tamil Nadu has been gutted in a fire, which is suspected to have broken out from a small volcano. The fire and smoke from a crater in the forest continue to spread. Hot black coal-like material, possibly magma, can be seen inside it. "We received information that a large amount of smoke was emerging from the forest. Initially, I thought it might be a forest fire. But when fire services went there, they saw a huge fire and smoke coming from the forest, and due to the heat, trees were falling down. We still cannot make out what has caused this. If the same situation continues, a major fire accident may take place," said a fireman. "This seems to be very dangerous and also the gas coming out from the earth is causing nausea to people in the vicinity". The forestland seems to have collapsed by about five-six feet because of the volcano-type situation. Geologists said methane gas could be coming out of the craters, which causes dizziness and nausea. Locals said they have been seeing the fire in the forest for the past one month. Some village elders even said that their ancestors had talked about similar fire some 100 years ago in the vicinity. The only active volcano in India is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. There has been no official confirmation so far as to whether there is a volcano or not. [see yesterday's ODD category for another smoking crater, also in India.]

HAWAII - Buy oceanview 'property' in Hawaii, move in 10,000 years from now - Lo'ihi Development Co. will soon start offering oceanview lots that speculators won't even be able to stand on for many millennia. That's because they're currently submerged more than 900 metres below sea level - on an underwater volcano called Lo'ihi, located about 32 kilometres southeast of the Big Island. For an introductory price of $39.95, buyers will receive a brochure and a "deed," but much like Internet groups that claim to sell stars, they probably can't call themselves owners. A photo of the sales office is a raft in the middle of the ocean. Scientists don't really know when, or if, Lo'ihi volcano will break the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Many guess about 10,000 years, but it could be much longer than that.

5/25/07 -
HAWAII - Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is putting on a show again, spewing lava into the ocean. The newest eruption from the Pu'u O'o vent began flowing into the ocean on May 16th. New land is being created as the lava solidifies off the coast. Kilauea has been erupting continuously since January 1983. (Video)

PHILIPPINES - Residents of Irosin town in Sorsogon province in Bicol are starting to feel the "wrath" of Bulusan volcano as some of them reported smelling sulfur from it. This developed as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology noted bulges in the grounds at the volcano's south sector, indicating magma flow underneath. There were 62 volcanic quakes and an increase in sulfur dioxide levels in Bulusan in the last 24 hours. Officials appealed to residents near the volcano not to steal the instruments Phivolcs had installed near the volcano.

COLUMBIA - On April 26th, facing the risk of possible new eruptions from the Nevado del Huila volcano, the Nasa indigenous authorities in Tierradentro resolved that 2,307 families in the Tierradentro reservations should leave their sacred territories to safe identified locations. On May 3, the indigenous authorities reported that to date, 1,792 families had been relocated. There is information that indicates that to date, 100 people from the Caloto and Tóez reservations have not left from their shelters. In addition, there are reports that another 30 inhabitants of the reservations are returning daily to care for their belongings. The instability of the system continues, and it's possible that new eruptions will occur.

INDONESIA - Magicians and others performing spiritual rites have been banned from throwing amulets and sacrificial animals into Indonesia's massive "mud volcano" for fear of making the disaster worse. Hundreds of people have visited the ocean of mud devastating Sidoarjo, in heavily populated East Java, in a bid to end the seemingly unstoppable flow of thick sludge since it first broke through the earth a year ago. People who came to pray and conduct rituals to try and halt the mud - sometimes from as far away as Australia, France and China - usually ended up making things worse. "Really, whenever they throw the head of a bull, or goat, or cow, the embankments surrounding the place will leak. Rituals of magic-filled things, or amulets, or things like that are prohibited now. Not long after they throw things in, the embankments would leak." People also need to seek permission before they cast spells over the mud. "Even the Indonesia Paranormal Association came here. But none of the rituals had any effect, it just made it worse." Experts have raised fears mud sediment could eventually choke the river mouth and trigger flooding in Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya, during future rain seasons. Surabaya, which lies north of the disaster zone, could face flooding within in the next two years if nothing is done to reduce the sedimentation.

5/24/07 -
RUSSIA - The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed a major ash column to a height of up to eight kilometres above sea level. The plume is moving to the southeast. There is no danger to nearby populated localities. Klyuchi settlement is located 32 kilometres from the volcano and no fallout of volcanic dust has been registered there. However, the volcano roar and explosions can be heard in this settlement with a population of about 5,000. “House windows are trembling from them.” Two lava flows over two kilometres in length are observed on the volcano slope. They are melting the mount’s glacier at a height of about three kilometres. Phreatic explosions occur when the hot lava with a temperature of 1,000 degrees comes in contact with ice. Volcanic bombs are spewed from the crater to a height of up to 500 metres.

PHILIPPINES - After finding lahar deposits in Bulusan Volcano in Bicol, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned Sorsogon residents to take precautions. The volcano has at least three cracks from where steam came out. But what prompted them to issue the warning was the lahar deposits that may endanger villages around the volcano when the rains come. Weather forecasters expect heavy rains to come in the next few months because of the La Niña phenomenon. The United States and the United Kingdom warned their citizens against travel near the Bulusan volcano. The alert level has been raised from “1" to “2" by Phivolcs. “There is a four-kilometre Permanent Danger Zone within which no entry is allowed. Furthermore, areas beyond this zone which are downwind are likely to be affected by ash falls." Alert Level 2 indicated evidence of “magmatic intrusion that could eventually lead to an eruption." Earlier, the embassy noted both Mayon volcano in Albay and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Oriental are on Alert Level 1. It noted the general public is prohibited from entering the four-kilometre radius Permanent Danger Zones around the two volcanoes. “You should avoid the areas surrounding the volcanoes as sudden steam and ash explosions may occur."

PAPUA NEW GUINEA - The hundreds of people who fled their home on Siassi Island in Papua New Guinea are refusing to return home until they get an assurance that the volanic eruption which drove them to higher ground at the weekend won’t happen again. Reports from the local disaster and emergency centre in Morobe province say up to two thousand people fled their home after the eruption on nearby Ritter Island. A resident on Siassi Island, Stella Aitova, says they’re still waiting for the experts to assess the volcano and people won’t return home until then.

5/22/07 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Up to 2000 villagers have fled to higher ground from their seaside homes on Siassi Island in Papua New Guinea, for fear of tsunamis, after a volcanic eruption on nearby Ritter Island. There were no reports from the island of casualties, but sea surges reportedly destroyed four houses and a boat following Saturday's eruption. "They reported waves and the level of the sea rising. They still hear rumbling noises and see smoke coming out of the island and had a few tremors last night." The islands lie between the PNG mainland and the island of New Britain. The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory and the Geophysical Observatory did not pick up indicative seismic activity of the eruption on their equipment. Minor eruptions occurred on the uninhabited Ritter Island in 1972 and 1974. In 1888 half the island collapsed in an eruption that triggered massive tsunamis that claimed an estimated 3000 lives on surroundings islands and the PNG mainland. On April 2 this year an 8.1 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami in the northwest Solomon Islands that killed 52 people and left thousands homeless. Many are still camped on higher ground above their destroyed seaside homes. Aftershock quakes measuring above 5.0 magnitude continue to shake the region.
There was no seismic activity in the area to indicate that the eruption was imminent, catching the Rabaul Volcanic Observatory by surprise. Ritter Island is an active volcano. The island is spewing ash and smoke. Thousands of people on the eastern side of the Siassi Island in Morobe province are homeless after fleeing to higher grounds after the nearby active Ritter Island blew up. Reports from the area confirmed that tidal waves created by the eruption smashed into Kabi and Kampalap villages on the eastern part of Siassi Island, flattening four houses and sending about 10,000 local villagers fleeing to the hills for safety. Reports did not say whether tidal waves generated by the latest eruption were as destructive to other small islands in the area and parts of the East and West New Britain provinces. The aftershocks from the latest volcanic eruption could trigger further tsunamis and it was advisable for the people in low lying villages and areas to move to higher grounds for their safety.

RUSSIA - The Klyuchevskaya Spoka volcano on Kamchatka is emitting ash to the distance of 30-360 kilometers at the height varying from 6.5 through eight kilometers. A minor amount of ash has fallen in the village of Klyuchi, 32 kilometers away. Villagers could hear the volcano roaring, yet could not see it because of thick clouds. There is no threat to the Klyuchi population. The seismic activity of Klyucheskaya Sopka remains high. Over 220 tremors occurred over the day, and it was impossible to monitor the seismic activity of another two active volcanoes, Shiveluch and Bezymyanny. This eruption started on February 15. Lava is pouring down for nearly two kilometers and the volcano’s snowcap is melting. Meanwhile, an eruption of the Bezymyanny Volcano, also in Kamchatka, started on May 12. The volcano emitted steam and ash. Visual monitoring of the volcano was impossible as clouds were thick, but satellites confirmed a thermal anomaly. Heated gas, steam, water and rock fragments poured down the volcano slope, and an ash emission stretched northeastward. Volcanic ash fell down in the Klyuchi village, which is located 40 kilometers away. “The ash fall was rather large, about 320 grams per one square meter, which shows that the eruption was strong. It seems that the volcano emitted ash to the height of nine kilometers.” In the opinion of some experts, Bezymyanny is calming down. The latest prior eruption occurred in December 2006 and was very strong. Bezymyanny erupts once or twice a year. On another Kamchatka volcano, Shiveluch, activity started on December 5, 2006. Shiveluch volcano emitted ash to the height of 6,000 meters, and volcanic stones tumbled down volcano slopes. The nearby villages are not in danger.

5/21/07 -
PHILIPPINES - scientists raised the alert level on restive Mount Bulusan volcano on Sunday after detecting increasing signs of activity that could be a precursor to a new bout of explosive eruptions. The volcano in Sorsogon province, about 390km southeast of Manila, has been showing signs of unrest since coming back to life in March 2006 with on-and-off ash and steam explosions. Since it ejected ash on May 12, the mountain’s northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded, prompting authorities on Sunday to raise the public alert level from one to two on a five-step scale.

5/18/07 -
HAWAII - Mauna Loa, the world's largest volcano, is bulging and the swelling could help pinpoint where the Hawaiian volcano will erupt next. The finding could save lives by helping officials to plan evacuations of residents living on the volcano's flanks, although researchers are no closer to predicting when an eruption will occur. Mauna Loa is a shield volcano, meaning it erupts from rifts in its flanks, rather than out through a crater at the top. A 1983 earthquake and a 1984 eruption unclamped the rift zone, making it possible for the magma to push into it. As it does so, it pushes the flanks of the south-west rift apart, creating the bulges. "We now have a good idea where the next eruption is most likely to occur." They expect the pressure that the magma is placing on the rift to first trigger an earthquake, followed by an eruption. The rate at which the magma is pushing into the rift zone has significantly slowed since 2006. "It is now about one-quarter to one-third of what we had between 2002 and 2005, so we have no indication that it will erupt anytime soon."

WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helens' latest eruption, which began more than two and half years ago, continues to slowly wind down, and it's unlikely now that the mountain's new lava dome will peek above the crater rim anytime soon. By last summer, the hissing, steaming dome of hot rock had risen to within less than 10 feet of the height of "Shoestring Notch," a low point on the crater rim on the Southeast side of the peak. But the dome has settled and partially collapsed, and its top now is a good 60 to 70 feet below the notch. "It's anyone's guess when the dome may again approach the volcano's rim. It's expanding sideways now. It wants to build sideways as much as it wants to build up." Today marks the 27th anniversary of the eruption on May 18, 1980, which flattened 230 square miles of forest, killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes, sent a cubic mile of ash around the Earth.

5/15/07 -
ITALY - A £5.5 billion transport project in Italy that includes a railway to ferry tourists to the top of Vesuvius has become mired in controversy amid warnings of an imminent volcanic eruption and a mafia war at the foot of the mountain. Herculaneum, a town at the foot of the volcano, is to be the first stop on a £20 million reconstruction of Thomas Cook's 19th-century funicular railway. However, there is a "one-in-two" chance of the volcano erupting in the next few years. A survey of the volcano last month warned that 300,000 people could die in an eruption. "The rule is that the longer the period of inactivity, the bigger the eruption." The line to Vesuvius was originally opened in 1880. Vesuvius erupted eight times in the 19th century, and in 1906, 1929 and 1944. The last eruption destroyed the original railway. Only four years ago, the city council launched a £500 million compensation scheme to move villagers away from the volcano. A law was passed forbidding further construction within 1.5 miles of Vesuvius, about five miles from Naples. The 550,000 people who lived in houses inside the "red zone" were offered £20,000 towards the cost of a new house somewhere else. Almost half of Herculaneum's population took the offer and abandoned their homes. The departure of locals left the way open for the Camorra, the local mafia, to move into their homes. The area is now regarded as one of the most dangerous parts of the city as gangs wage a turf war. (photos)

5/13/07 -
HAWAII - On Thursday, 16 acres of the East Lae'apuki Delta at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the ocean, sending up large plumes of steam and debris, with steam plumes as high as a thousand feet, and black sand raining on visitors miles away. The Thursday afternoon lava-bench collapse happened about two miles from the nearest public viewing spot. Park visitors saw steam and rocks shoot up from the collapse area as the coastline gave way over about four hours. Fist-size rocks were thrown as far as 450 feet inland, and one rock 14 inches in diameter was found 394 feet inland. Each new segment of collapse produced a steam plume blackened by fragmented stone as hot rocks hit the sea. Portions of the "lava delta" - new land built by recent flows -- did not collapse, but large new cracks crossing those areas could signal more catastrophic, future land losses. There are three general areas on the coast where lava has been entering the sea off and on. (photos)

PHILIPPINES - Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon exploded anew at 10:29 a.m. yesterday, sending ash clouds at least two kilometers high from its summit crater. The explosion was stronger than the May 11 explosion last year. They had just recorded at least 97 high-frequency volcanic earthquakes before Bulusan exploded with thick ash that drifted towards the towns of Juban, Irosin, and Casiguran, all in Sorsogon. Also affected by the ashfall were towns southwest and northwest of the volcano. The ashfall that hit Casiguran caused zero visibility on major roads for almost an hour. They observed creeping moderate steaming lava downslope in the volcano’s west-northwest portion before and after the ash explosion. Phivolcs warned residents not to venture within the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone surrounding the volcano due to the elevated level of seismicity and recent ash explosion. Bulusan last exploded ash on Easter Sunday. The ash explosion was classified as an explosion-type earthquake which lasted for about 35 minutes. This is Bulusan’s sixth ash explosion this year, which happened after showing signs of unrest through a significant increase in volcanic earthquakes for the past few days as well as the inflation of its edifice. The explosion produced an ash column reaching to about four kilometers in height, which initially drifted to the west-southwest before shifting to the west-northwest direction. "The explosion was accompanied by a rumbling sound." According to the institute, the ash explosion indicates Bulusan volcano’s continued unrest.

CONGO - The blue-green waters of Congo's Lake Kivu conceal a deadly invisible mixture that could trigger a fiery disaster. Dissolved into the cold bottom waters of the lake, which straddles a part of Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern border with Rwanda, are huge amounts of highly combustible methane gas and five times as much carbon dioxide. Lake Kivu lies just 15 km (9 miles) from the active Nyiragongo volcano. If forced out by volcanic activity, the methane in the waters would ignite, causing massive explosions above the surface of the lake, experts say. At the same time, a vast cloud of carbon dioxide would drift over surrounding land, smothering all life in its path and engulfing the nearby city of Goma. "If there's ever a volcanic eruption at the level of Lake Kivu, or if there's an eruption that starts naturally in the city of Goma and spills a large quantity of lava into the lake ... the two gasses could find a way out. That would be the beginning of a regional catastrophe." Nyiragongo is becoming more and more active, pushing up the risk factor. In 2002, an eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano sent a river of lava through the centre of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, spilling molten rock into the lake. "There's a recent study that shows that, in the last 30 years, the amount of methane has increased by 15 percent in Lake Kivu. That is a lot. And it's worrying." Congo's Oil Minister said the methane gas in the lake could be tapped to generate electricity, and this would also reduce the danger of a deadly gas release.

5/11/07 -
WASHINGTON - Vast areas of what is now Washington state were covered with lava flows that seeped from cracks in the earth from about 17.5 million years ago until about 6 million years ago. Pauses among the flows would have allowed forests to grow, only to be incinerated, entombed or displaced by the next rush of lava. The well-known Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park at Vantage, Washington, has lots of petrified logs; they are strewn around on the ground. Scientists think they were transported by mud flow, then preserved in lava. But now a man is unearthing ancient trees that are still upright, part of a forest that is more than 15 million years old. His trees were likely first submerged upright in a lake, which would have kept them from burning when the lava came through. The trees, now petrified wood, are rare for both their quality and variety. But scientists are still puzzling over some mysteries: Why are there no roots, or evidence of them? Did the trees really grow just where they now stand, or were they transported?

5/9/07 -
INDONESIA - Sludge has burst through an embankment built around Indonesia's disastrous "mud volcano," flooding a main road. Officials said a large crack had formed in the dyke, which was designed to hold back the massive mud flow in East Java. "We have managed to repair the crack but the road is still impassable." The embankment also repeatedly gave way when officials tried unsuccessfully to channel the flow to a nearby river. (photo)

ITALY - Raw video and photos of the violent on-going Etna eruption. So far there is no threat to inhabited areas. This is the third time Mount Etna has erupted in 22 days. Vulcanologists on Etna-watch reported an increase in activity coming from inside the volcano.

5/8/07 -
ITALY - Etna Volcano in Catania, a city of eastern Sicily, has started blowing lava from one of its main craters but the latest bout of activity should not endanger local residents, experts said Monday. Lava from the south-east crater, which first started showing renewed signs of life at the end of March, was flowing down towards an uninhabited area. The sound of the mountain belching out lava could be heard for miles around. Seismologists said the latest eruption cycle was unlikely to cause disruption, unlike the most recent one in October-November, in which Etna sprayed the nearby city of Catania with ash and the local airport had to be closed down for a few days. Those eruptions were on the other side of the volcano, coming from a south-west crater.

RUSSIA - The eruption of ashes to the altitude of 500-700 meters from the Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano was registered in Kamchatka. The plume of ashes stretched for 105 kilometers northeast of the gigantic volcano. There is no threat to settlements. More than 40 local earthquakes have rocked the volcano for the past day - a continuous volcanic shudder is registered. Two lava flows are sliding down the north-western slope of the volcano. The lava is melting down the glacier - phreatic explosions went off as a result of the contact between the lava and the ice. The gigantic volcano is discharging volcanic bombs to the altitude up to 300 meters. The thunder of the volcano is heard in the town of Klyuchi, 32 kilometers away. The ash is falling in this town, where about 5,000 people live.

5/6/07 -
RUSSIA - On Friday an almost two kilometres-long stream of lava poured out of the crater of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It descended down the north-western slope to the mark of three kilometres above sea level. The lava, heated up to 1,000 degrees, is melting the glacier. The village of Klyuchi, which is thirty-two kilometres away from the volcano, is closest to Klyuchevskaya Sopka. It has a population of approximately five thousand people. They are not in danger. The volcano began to erupt on February 15. The eruption, which was quite weak at the beginning, grew notably by the end of March. Today, the volcano is very active. Over 100 local earthquakes are occurring daily on the volcano, and sometimes even more. The giant is periodically spewing columns of vapour mixed with a large amount of ashes. Explosions within the crater could be heard at Klyuchi on Thursday, alarming the local population. However, in the opinion of the Chief of the Klyuchevskaya Volcanic Station, the sounds heard in that inhabited locality were probably due to some atmospheric phenomena.

5/4/07 -
INDONESIA - Attempts at killing the mud eruption have all but been abandoned. The project conceived by scientists from the Bandung Institute of Technology which involved filling the crater with 100 kilogram concrete balls has proved to be little more than a drop in the ocean. The priority now is to complete a canal which will channel the mud into the sea some 17 kilometres away. Geologists say there is no knowing how long the torrent will continue, though some suggest it could be decades.

JAPAN - This week the Japanese coast guard said an underwater volcano was observed erupting around Minami Iwojima island in the western Pacific. The crew of a fishing boat said it saw changes in water color as well as volcanic smoke over a 3-mile stretch of open water. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said it believes the activity is likely to be coming from a volcano called Fukutoku Okanoba. Following an eruption of that volcano in 1986, an island about 2,000 feet in diameter and 50 feet in height briefly emerged before being eroded to below sea level by ocean waves.

ITALY - Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, erupted overnight Sunday, sending jets of molten lava into the air but not threatening nearby residents. The white-hot lava jets were thrown over 600 feet above Etna while a spout on the southeast flank of the volcano released two streams of lava in the direction of an uninhabited area. There was a similar eruption on March 29. Last December the nearby airport of Catania had to be closed at night for two weeks because of ash blown into the atmosphere by volcanic activity. (photos / video)

4/30/07 -
WASHINGTON - More than 30 years ago, eruptions of steam and ash from Mount Baker prompted the evacuation of the Baker Lake area and sent jitters through Whatcom County. Before scientists could understand what was going on inside Baker, its sister to the south — Mount St. Helens — roared to life, stealing the show and their attention. Now geologists at Western Washington University are leading the effort to find out what's been percolating beneath the volcano's surface since its headline-grabbing antics in 1975. Baker is one of 27 major volcanoes in the Cascade Range, which stretches from British Columbia down to Northern California. "Among the Cascade volcanoes, I would say it's one of the more active That doesn't mean an eruption is imminent. But it means it's interesting. Something is happening there." These days, Baker trembles just once or twice a month with small earthquakes. By comparison, seismometers record up to 10 times that number each month at Rainier and thousands of small earthquakes at St. Helens.

4/29/07 -
MONTSERRAT - The chances that a collapse of the dome of the Sourfriere Hills volcano could impact people in the safe zone is minimal and there is no reason to expand the no-go area in Montserrat, the government said, so they are maintaining the alert level at 4 - the second highest. There is over a 50 per cent likelihood that a dome collapse would go to the east and the chances of a gravitational collapse of more than 20 million cubic materials of material impacting the inhabited areas are minimal. As a result the EPG said that there was no need to extend the unsafe area, because under present conditions the boundaries of the now existing unsafe area are adequate to protect against the current threat posed by the volcano.

RUSSIA - The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed a powerful vapour column to a height of up to 1.5 kilometres above the summit on Saturday. The eruption of the giant mount that began on February 15 “so far is considerably weaker than the 2005 eruption, but the volcano activity is intensifying.” This manifests itself in the constant intensification of seismic activity registered on the volcano. The amplitude of the volcanic tremor is growing. Two lava flows of over one kilometre each came down from the crater of Klyuchevskaya Sopka. One of the flows stopped and “is gradually cooling down” and the other continues to flow. The lava, heated up to 1,000 degree Celsius, is melting the glacier. “Phreatic explosions” have been registered in the area of the lava contact with ice. “Major energy outbursts are taking place in a short period of time, their nature has not been definitely explained so far. Such an explosion today caused a vapour outburst to a height of up to three kilometres.” Flows of water and mud have been coming down the volcano slope.

4/27/07 -
INDONESIA - Workers were racing Thursday to repair a massive wall holding back sludge spewing from Indonesia's "mud volcano" that has already flooded hundreds of homes. Cracks started to appear in the man-made embankment around the disaster area in east Java on Wednesday, prompting authorities to declare the area off limits. The cracks sparked panic among workers charged with reinforcing the embankment. It was built months after the volcano started spewing sludge last May, in an attempt to reduce the disastrous impact on surrounding areas. The flow has damaged roads and swamped farms, factories and homes, displacing 15,000 residents and causing millions of dollars worth of damage. Experts have already dropped hundreds of chains, each comprising four concrete balls, into the crater, aiming to narrow the funnel, obstruct the sludge and curb the flow. Experts are unsure how long the crater will spew mud if left unchecked, with some suggesting it could be years. (photo)

RUSSIA - Two lava flows of over one kilometer each are coming down from the crater of Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Kamchatka peninsula. There was no threat for the nearby Klyuchi settlement with some 5 thousand people located 32 kilometers away. Some 100 local tremors were registered at the volcano on Thursday. The volcano threw clouds of steam, gas and ashes to a height of 500 meters. Clouds of ashes have moved 200 kilometers to the east of the crater. Temperatures in the volcano are beyond the measurement limits. The volcano woke up on February 15 and scientists predicted the eruption will intensify.

4/22/07 -
COLUMBIA - More than 50 seismic events have been registered from Thursday night to Friday morning in the Nevado del Huila volcano. These signals are indicating an increase in volcanic activity after Thursday’s eruption. An extensive evaluation of needs and damages is still ongoing. However, preliminary results show that the most severe material damages resulting from the eruption are localized in the municipality of Paez Belalcazar, in Cauca Department. In Huila department, only damages of irrigation systems, crops and livestock have been reported. In Huila, local authorities are maintaining a red alert. Severe climactic conditions are hampering the evacuation of another 1320 persons living in Buco and Yosayo, located approximately 40 kms from the municipal seat of Belalcazar. Approximately 420 families along the Paez River and 182 families along the river Simbola require immediate humanitarian assistance. The water treatment installation of Belalcazar Paez municipal capital was completely destroyed by an avalanche created by the eruption. The avalanche destroyed 15 bridges and damaged the main road network.

5/3/07 -
ITALY - Scientists were monitoring volcanic Mount Etna in Sicily Wednesday as the mountain's crater belched lava and steam for the third straight day. The latest eruption - the third since March - began Sunday and opened a new crater on Etna's southeast side. Scientists said there was no immediate danger to several villages on the mountain's opposite side, and no injuries have been reported. Jets of lava were observed shooting 600 feet into the air since Sunday.

4/20/07 -
COLUMBIA - photos of this week's Nevado del Huila volcano eruption.

4/19/07 -
COLUMBIA - A long-dormant volcano in southern Colombia erupted late Tuesday and again early Wednesday, causing major landslides, destroying bridges, homes and fields and forcing some 8000 people to flee. It triggered an avalanche that swelled rivers and threatened local communities. Tumbling waters carrying trees, rocks and mud forced around 5000 people to leave their homes for safer ground in the southern provinces of Huila and Cauca. The Nevado del Huila Volcano erupted at the start of the year after laying dormant for hundreds of years.

YELLOWSTONE - the U.S. Geological Survey's Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has released a preliminary report on the potential dangers posed by the volcanic and geothermal activity in Yellowstone National Park. Bottom line: there's not much danger on a day-to-day basis. "Possible future violent events in the active hydrothermal, magmatic, and tectonic system of Yellowstone National Park pose potential hazards to park visitors and infrastructure. Most of the national park and vicinity are sparsely populated, but significant numbers of people as well as park resources could nevertheless be at risk from these hazards. Depending on the nature and magnitude of a particular hazardous event and the particular time and season when it might occur, 70,000 to more than 100,000 persons could be affected; the most violent events could affect a broader region or even continent-wide areas." You can download the report yourself, but be warned: it's a 99-page PDF.

4/17/07 -
PERU - Increased volcanic activity at southern Peru's Ubinas Volcano has already caused alarm and panic among the citizens that live in the towns near the base of Ubinas. Now, the area's schoolchildren are coming down with health problems as they breath in volcanic ash that has been released into the sky by recent explosions. Ubinas volcano, located in the southern Peruvian region of Moquegua, has seen a dramatic increase in activity lately. Authorities evacuated the area but apparently the majority of residents have returned after receiving little to no help from the evacuation sites.

4/13/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Auckland has come up with a novel plan for getting rid of hundreds of thousands of tons of human waste - use it to fill one of its many extinct volcanos, then turn it into a regional park. Watercare Services announced this week that it had signed a $25 million, 30-year deal with Puketutu Island's owners to dump the 61 tons of biosolids - cleaned, treated and dried human waste - produced by its Mangere treatment plant each week. The waste would be dumped on a side of the volcanic island that had been extensively quarried in the past 50 years. The island's original volcanic cone formation could also be rebuilt using the biosolids. The new biosolids dump was expected to be commissioned in about 2011 and take 30 years to fill, at which time it would be rehabilitated and turned into a regional park. An Auckland University vulcanologist said Aucklanders need not be concerned that they would be showered in "biosolids" in the event of an eruption. Formed 30,000 years ago, Puketutu Island is one of about 50 volcanoes on the active Auckland volcanic field. The next eruption from within that field is likely to form a new volcano, rather than come from an existing one.

ECUADOR - Thousands of people who live near Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador are in danger of losing their homes. The volcano is shooting hot ash 100m into the air after lava began to flow out of its top last month. Children in the nearest school are being taught how to protect themselves as the volcano may violently erupt at any time. Many families in villages at the bottom of the volcano are not moving as they say they have nowhere else to go. (photo)

4/12/07 -
ITALY - Mount Etna erupted overnight on Wednesday sending jets of molten lava into the air but not threatening nearby residents. The white-hot lava jets were thrown 200m above Etna while a spout on the southeast flank of the volcano released two streams of lava in the direction of an uninhabited area. There was a similar eruption on March 29 while last December the nearby airport of Catania had to be closed at night for two weeks because of ash blown into the atmosphere by volcanic activity.

WASHINGTON - The lava dome growing on Mount St. Helens has muscled the surrounding glacier, shaping the ice into two arms that are reaching farther down the crater's steep slope. In a recent flight over the volcano, scientists discovered the glacier has stretched out dramatically since last fall. A spine of lava split the nearly 700-foot-thick glacier in two soon after the volcano began the latest eruption, which has continued since October 2004. The spreading dome is squeezing the glacier against the crater wall, forcing it higher and shoving the arms northward. The massive May 18, 1980, eruption destroyed 70 percent of the peak's 13 glaciers. The new glacier began to develop inside the newly formed crater a couple of years after the eruption. The steep crater walls shaded the snow, ice and rock that had accumulated in a horseshoe shape around the lava dome. Despite being deformed in the current eruption, the glacier is proving tough, easing initial concerns that the lava dome might cause it to melt rapidly and send floods down the North Fork Toutle River. The glacier's growth has been an anomaly in the Cascades, where glaciers have been retreating for decades. "It's pretty much an oddball." The glacier could be devastated by a powerful eruption similar to 1980's blast, but there is no evidence that the volcano is building pressure as it continues to ooze about a half a cubic yard of lava into the crater every second.

RUSSIA - The Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka has become increasingly active, discharging heavy gas fumes and ashes as high as two kilometers up. No threat to nearby settlements has been reported. The volcano is practically perpetually enveloped in an ashy cloud that hinders visual monitoring. Powerful gas fumes and steam clouds have been rising up from the top. Heavy streams of volcanic mixtures, rock fragments and melted snow streams have been running down the volcano slopes. Around 250 local earth tremors were registered on the volcano grounds over the past twenty-four hours. An ashy tail has spread to 47 kilometers south of the volcano. Shiveluch is one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka. Its eruption has an explosion-like character with the eruption force growing from year to year. The volcano has been under incessant observation. The nearest settlement of Klyuchi with a population of around 5,000 is located 50 kilometers from the volcano. On March 29, the heaviest volcano discharge over the past five years was registered, the volcanic fumes rose to the height of approximately ten kilometers above the sea level. Mudflows that rushed from the top blockaded approximately 900 meters on the Klyuchi-Ust-Kamchatsk motorway that runs some 20 kilometers from the foot of the volcano. The mudflows paralyzed traffic on the motorway. At present, traffic is allowed only for vehicles with a powerful cross-country capacity.

4/11/07 -
Scientists using NASA satellite data have found strong evidence a major earthquake can cause a nearly immediate increase in regional volcanic activity. The intensity of two ongoing volcanic eruptions on Indonesia's Java Island increased sharply three days following a powerful, 6.4-magnitude earthquake on the island in May 2006. Scientists determined the increased volcanic activity persisted for about nine days. "During this period, we found clear evidence that the earthquake caused both volcanoes to release greater amounts of heat, and lava emission surged to two to three times higher than prior to the tremor."

INDONESIA - MUD VOLCANO - Although the use of the concrete balls initially slowed the mud, the flow now appears to have doubled in volume. The sludge has covered 12 villages, 15 factories and miles of rice fields. The mud, which continues to pour out at an accelerating rate, has left 13 persons dead and more than 15,000 homeless. The government last week announced that it was diverting rail traffic in the area because the river of mud had engulfed a railway line. The government is considering a system of dikes and levies to redirect the flow to a nearby river, which then would carry the mud about 50 miles to the ocean. "The damage done to the environment is of incredibly huge proportions. Nobody knows if [the diversion plan] is possible or what will happen next. The damage to the people, however, is of far greater proportions. They have lost everything and not received a penny in compensation...No one - not from the company, not from the government, not from the academic world - knows how to stem this tragedy. It may go on for 50, maybe 100 years." A mud volcano triggered by drilling in Brunei in 1979 has stopped only recently.

4/10/07 -
REUNION - Volcano experts say the shattering of one of the two craters of a giant volcano on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is the ERUPTION OF THE CENTURY. Scientists have made their first expedition to the site of the eruption, which took place more than a week ago, and say THE SCENE THERE IS APOCALYPTIC. The 800-metre-wide plateau inside the crater dropped 300 metres during the eruption. Islanders remain on high alert. They say the main feeling, standing near the new 300-metre abyss, is fear. The volcano was still erupting on Monday, but the scientists say its most dramatic outburst is now over.
MYSTERY FISH - Scientists on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion have discovered hundreds of fish of unknown species, floating belly-up in the sea, following the spectacular volcanic eruption over the past week. "It's crazy. We've NEVER SEEN THIS WITH PREVIOUS ERUPTIONS." The dead fish have bulging eyes, heads sometimes protracted by a beak and appear to have surfaced from depths of about 500 metres.

PHILIPPINES - Filipino scientists are paying closer attention to Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon in central Philippines after two explosions of the volcano were reported Sunday and Monday. Monday's seismic event was recorded by the seismographs around Bulusan Volcano for about 20 minutes and villagers living nearby heard rumbling sounds coming from the volcano. Alert Level 1 has remained in effect over Bulusan Volcano and the public is thereby reminded not to venture into the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone because the area is at risk of sudden steam or ash explosions. Residents near river channels have also been warned against life-threatening lahar flows from the volcano as ash and other loose volcanic materials might be remobilized under bad weather conditions such as heavy wind and rainfall.

On this day in 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia began the most violent volcanic eruption in recorded history.

4/9/07 -
SOLOMONS - about 3,000 people on hard-hit Simbo island have asked to be permanently resettled because they fear the earthquake has stirred up a nearby active volcano. "After the tsunami the whole island smelled of sulfur. They want to be considered to be resettled. They are really scared." Scientists have not reported any significant change in activity in the volcano since the tsunami.

REUNION - A massive volcano eruption on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion lulled Sunday after 10 days of lava flow. "We can call it the eruption of the century," said a seismologist at the Volcano Observatory for the island. "We have never observed such a phenomenon." The eruption resulted in the collapse of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano's summit, with magma at times being spewed as high as 200 metres (656 feet) into the air. On Sunday, lava reached only 10 metres (33 feet) in height. There was less activity within the crater, though entire sections of rock continued to collapse. While houses have not been affected, residents continue to hear loud rumbling. About 300 hectares of primary forest have been destroyed over the past 10 days.

4/8/07 -
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan Volcano in the central Philippines exploded before dawn today, while Taal Volcano near the capital is showing obvious signs of unrest. Residents of Casiguran town in Sorsogon province, where Bulusan Volcano sits, were surprised after they got a glimpse of the explosion that sent ash up to five kilometers high. "It's a cruel Easter greeting. It had kept quiet for three weeks, then exploded just like that." At least five villages in the town south of the volcano have been alerted to take precautions, including using towels and face masks to protect themselves from the ash fall. The volcano authority said that residents within the volcano's four-kilometer permanent danger zone have to move out of the area. Meanwhile, the Phivolcs also raised the alert against venturing near Taal Volcano in Batangas, some 80 kilometers to the south of Manila. Taal had been showing "much abnormality" in past days. "The crater is hot and bubbling. People should not venture near the crater area." Bulusan has been “abnormal" since March 2006 - acting up in June, October and December 2006, and January 2007.

REUNION - the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion has spewed massive lava flow and tossed magma as high as skyscrapers, but residents were not in danger Saturday, officials said. "It's not a volcano any more. It's a monster," one resident said. The volcano has been erupting for about a week. On Friday, about 100 residents were evacuated from a village in southeastern Reunion, with some believing they could see lava approaching. They were allowed to return to their homes two hours later, however. What was believed to be lava turned out to be a forest fire caused by projections of burning ashes. Some residents have decided to leave their homes anyway out of fear of what could happen. Eight houses were destroyed by lava flow in March 1986. The eruption showed signs of weakening Saturday, though it remained active. A thin coating of ash covered several neighborhoods in the eastern area of Saint-Andre. The lava flow was called "colossal" and estimated at three million cubic metres (four million cubic yards) per day. Lava flows, which have cut off a national highway, have traveled at 60 kilometres (38 miles) per hour, and magma has been projected 200 metres (656 feet) high. Lava has flown toward the sea, making contact with water and producing clouds of volcanic gas that have enveloped many areas of the island. But sulphur dioxide levels in the gas have not been measured at dangerous levels.

4/6/07 -
ARIZONA - the most recent volcano eruption here created Sunset Crater northeast of Flagstaff. It blew sometime around 1065 and continued to erupt off and on for about 200 years. There are all sorts of volcanoes around Arizona. The San Francisco Volcanic Field up by Flagstaff covers about 1,800 square miles and has probably produced about 600 volcanoes over the past 6 million years. The Superstition Mountains are volcanic, as are the Chiricahuas, and there were volcanoes around the Grand Canyon. The eruptions that created the Chiricahuas about 27 million years ago were about 1,000 times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. And here's something to think about: The San Francisco Volcanic Field is quiet now, but is considered to be potentially active.

4/5/07 -
LA REUNION - spectacular volcanic eruption - Raging lava has spewed out of one of the world's most active volcanos on the French island of La Reunion. The red hot lava cut roads in half, damaged homes and created huge clouds of steam as it flowed into the Indian Ocean. It is the third eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise or 'Mountain of the Furnace' this year alone. About 50 teenagers were taken to hospital from three schools in Saint Joseph with respiratory problems caused by the volcano's sulpher fumes. Researchers on the island are concerned the recent activity may be creating more cracks lower down the volcano, which will allow the molten lava to spread further. The volcano is about 530,000 years old and has erupted an estimated 170 times since the mid 17th century. La Reunion is a small island wedged between Madagascar and Mauritius. (great photos)

AFRICA - Lake Kivu sits in an area of high volcanic activity, and a large flow of lava into its waters could cause an explosion, prompting a catastrophe. Reserves of methane gas under the lake are currently estimated at around 55 billion cubic metres (two trillion cubic feet). There is four times as much carbon dioxide under the lake as there is methane. "The danger with the gas is that it is explosive when in a very strong concentration." Around two million people live around the lake. If the methane exploded, carbon dioxide would be released, killing tens of thousands of people. DR Congo and Rwanda have a recent agreement to extract methane gas from under Lake Kivu, hoping not only to produce power but also to defuse the massive timebomb. When Mount Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002, the volcano spewed out 38 million cubic metres of lava, engulfing parts of the nearby city of Goma. "If a similar amount went directly into the lake at high velocity, that could reach the deep waters and cause a gas explosion." The resulting disaster would be even worse than when gas escaped from Lake Nyos in Cameroon in August 1986, when carbon dioxide seeped out of the lake after an explosion and suffocated 1,800 people. Taking out the gas would reduce the risk, although the project is not scheduled to be operational before 2009.

INDONESIA is forging ahead with plans to build its first nuclear power plant in the shadow of a dormant volcano, despite mounting opposition from environmental groups who fear a catastrophe in the country which is beset by earthquakes and natural disasters. The favoured site on the north coast of Java is overlooked by the brooding presence of Mount Muria. Critics are concerned that the slightest tremor could trigger a fresh eruption and spell disaster for any nuclear reactor in its path. The consequences of a radioactive leak, through earthquake or eruption, could prove disastrous for Java - home to 100 million Indonesians. "It's a highly risky proposition: 83% of Indonesia is very dangerous - prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and landslides." A new geological study has unearthed minor faults in the area that suggest the government is playing with fire. "This is just a showcase project to give the government a bargaining chip at the nuclear table. But we'll pay if it goes wrong."

4/4/07 -
PERU - The active Ubinas stratovolcano, located in Southern Peru’s region of Moquegua, continues to rumble. According to the seismic monitors of Peru’s Geophysical Institute, four explosions have been registered since March 23rd. On March 23, an explosion took place at 5:59 p.m. local time (22:59 GMT), causing a tremor (prolonged seismic vibration) of at least nine minutes. Six days later, on March 29th, a tremor lasted 280 minutes and the next day another explosion was registered with an aftermath lasting more than 16 hours. The last observed explosion was on Sunday, April 1st at 09:04 a.m. (14:04 GMT), causing seismic vibrations that lasted more than 21 hours. The volcano’s latest unrest is worrying local townspeople and authorities who demand greater support. Regional health authorities have intensified their efforts to monitor the drinking water situation to make sure it is not contaminated by volcanic gases and ashes.

RUSSIA - Scientists have discovered caldera of an ancient supervolcano at Kamchatka. "The eruption of the Kamchatka supervolcano took place more than about a million and a half years ago." Now the volcano has "cooled off," so some specialists say it would be incorrect to speak of any possibility of new eruptions. But the eruption of such a volcano could be ten thousand times more powerful than that of an ordinary one. The discovered caldera is a giant oval 35 kilometres long. The caldera is stretched between the head of the Paratunka River and Banniye hot springs. Scientists suppose that these particular springs might be heated by the warmth of the ancient super-volcano. The Yellowstone Caldera measures about 55 by 72 kilometres. The last supervolcano eruption occurred 74 thousand years ago in the region where Sumatra is located today. Then the average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere fell 21 degrees Centigrade.

4/3/07 -
CHINA - A RECORD decline in the water level at Huguangyan's volcanic lake in Guangdong has raised concern that the sleeping volcano is about to have a wake-up call. At 2.3 square kilometers, Huguangyan is the world's largest volcanic lake. It is located in the southwest city of Zhanjiang. It has recorded its lowest water level in 10 years and during the second half of 2006, the level dropped 5 meters. The phenomenon, however, should not be a cause for worry, said the director of Zhanjiang's seismology bureau. He ruled out the possibility of an eruption. "Our observation has not shown any abnormal sign indicating that a re-eruption will occur at Huguangyan." The water level drop was due mainly to a decline in rainfall last year. Officials at the scenic spot have been trying to deal with the issue. They have submitted proposals to Zhanjiang's municipal government to preserve Asia's only Maar lake.

4/2/07 -
INDONESIA - A control post officer assigned to Indonesia's Mount Slamet said Sunday the volcano's activity has increased after the area endured heavy rains. The officer said the increased activity at the volcano in the Central Java province was visible over the past two weeks as more intense smoke has been spewed from the volcano at more frequent intervals. The control post officer also said the smoke has reached up to 328 feet and temperatures in the surrounding mountain region have also risen. The officer said the smoke could even be seen from the provincial capital of Semarang.

4/1/07 -
PERU - Just over a year after the Ubinas Volcano registered increased activity, a strong explosion was felt and seen by townspeople early Friday morning, causing panic in the towns adjacent to the volcano, located in the Andean department of Moquegua, Peru. The explosion occurred at approximately 5:15 a.m. and afterwards a large plume of smoke was observed from the volcano's summit. "We observed falling rocks, a long column of smoke, and then we were hit with a blanket of falling ash which has caused problems to our eyes and noses." The volcano has experienced an increase of activity during the past weeks, with this explosion being the strongest. A geological expert stated that monitoring efforts will be stepped up in the wake of the increased activity. "At the beginning of the month, small explosions occurred every 6-8 days, but now that rate has gone up considerably." Two major eruptions have been recorded in the past.

ECUADOR - Reventador volcano in the Andes mountain range in Ecuador has erupted, shooting ash nearly two miles into the sky but causing no injuries or damage. Reventador volcano had been showing increasing signs of activity since January, and Friday's eruption did not pose a threat to any nearby villages. The volcano previously erupted in 2002, spreading ash over the capital, Quito, about 65 miles to the east. Earlier this month, authorities evacuated about 100 families from the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano in central Ecuador after flaming rocks and ash showered nearby villages. (photo)

RUSSIA - Road traffic resumed Saturday in the Russian region of Kamchatka Oblast one day after Shiveluch volcano expelled gas and ash into the air. While flowing water and mud closed area roads around the settlement of Ust-Kamchatsk during Friday's eruption, the natural danger is now past. Activity at the Shiveluch volcano had begun on Thursday and the ensuing eruption of steam, gas and ash caused a massive mudflow to cover the main road into the region. That mudflow eventually covered more than 2,950 feet of the road, including a large portion of a regional bridge crossing. Yet by Saturday the road was cleared enough for traffic to resume and no damage was found on the bridge. Officials are still monitoring the volcano for further activity, but it poses no immediate threat because of its remote location.

ALASKA - Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe - On April 1 in 1974, residents of Sitka, Alaska were alarmed when the long-dormant volcano neighboring them, Mount Edgecumbe, suddenly began to belch out billows of black smoke. People spilled out of their homes onto the streets to gaze up at the volcano, terrified that it was active again and might soon erupt. Luckily it turned out that man, not nature, was responsible for the smoke. A local practical joker had flown hundreds of old tires into the volcano's crater and then lit them on fire, all in a successful attempt to fool the city dwellers into believing that the volcano was stirring to life. When Mount St. Helens erupted several years later, a Sitka resident is said to have written to the prankster, "This time you've gone too far."
[The Museum of Hoaxes' list of the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes of All Time]

3/30/07 -
RUSSIA - Two volcanoes are emitting lava and gas in Russia's Far East. Mount Klyuchevskaya, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, has started emitting lava and Shiveluch spewed out gas and ash. Scientists said that the lava flow will grow more powerful. Streams of lava with a temperature of about 1,100 C (2,012 F) are encountering ice caps, producing powerful explosions of vapor. Experts are warning of devastating mudflows that can reach 500 meters (1,640 feet) in width and can descend the volcano's eastern slopes. Local officials said "the population and companies working in the area that could be affected by mudflows" had been told to take precautions. It was the LARGEST GAS AND ASH EMISSION IN FIVE YEARS from Mount Shiveluch, Kamchatka's northernmost volcano. Clouds of volcanic ash are spreading to the northeast of the mountain, posing a threat to people's health and air flights. Volcanic tremors are being registered in the nearby area. There are more than 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka, 29 of them active. Experts say volcano activity has recently increased on the Peninsula.

ITALY - Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, spouted a "fountain of lava" early Thursday before slipping back into its fitful slumber. The eruption, a fountain of lava, lasted about an hour and happened in an uninhabited area. "We also saw two (lava) flows, one of which was very weak." They were proceeding down the mountain at a rate of about 10 metres (35 feet) per hour. A small cloud of ash produced by the eruption is floating towards the Italian mainland. Mount Etna was last active in December, spewing clouds of ash and causing the closure of Catania airport for about two weeks. (photo)

3/27/07 -
WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helens may be following the example of Kilauea in Hawaii with magma being replaced from a reservoir beneath the volcano as fast as it emerges as lava at the surface. While the two volcanoes are different in many respects, St. Helens appears to have become an "open system" as its domebuilding eruption that began in the fall of 2004 continues at a pace that has been unchanged for the past year. Since last April it has been fairly constant about 0.6 of a cubic yard per second - the equivalent of about nine truckloads every two minutes. The longer the eruption continues at that rate, the more likely it is that a direct pathway has developed for molten rock to emerge from deep within the planet's crust. "That situation could go on for a long time. The ongoing eruption (at Kilauea) in Hawaii, for example, started in 1983." Other evidence indicating the development of an open system at St. Helens is the slowing of deformation around the flanks of the volcano, indicating the magma chamber beneath the surface is being refilled rather than deflating, which would cause sagging.

3/26/07 -
MONTSERRAT - The possibility of a lateral blast from the volcano has increased because of several factors: the rate of growth of the dome, the preferential growth on the northwestern side of dome and the likely pressurization of the dome interior. Such a blast could be triggered by exposing the hot, pressurized interior of the dome, either from a large "normal" collapse or from failure of the crater wall. The Soufriere Hills lava dome has continued to grow at a high rate since the 20th of May 2006 collapse. Although the dome is not yet as large as it was prior to the July 12, 2003 collapse, the rate of growth towards that size is about three times faster than in 2003. Over the next year the SAC regards a major collapse of the dome down the Tar River Valley to be the most likely outcome, such a collapse would be accompanied by a major ashfall. They regard a pyroclastic flow/surge reaching the lower Belham Valley to be more likely than six months ago. The volume of the dome that could collapse down the Belham Valley could be as great as 20 million cubic meters or even more in future if the dome continues to grow.

3/25/07 -
INDONESIA - rumbling Mount Batutara volcano has triggered the evacuation of about 15,000 people, an official said Friday. The villagers have left their homes on Lembata island, which lies in the Flores sea close to the volcano. Groundwater in the two affected villages of Buyasuri and Omesuri had suddenly turned salty, and there were rougher seas around the smoking volcano's home on the nearby deserted island of Komba. Experts have raised Mount Batutara's alert level to the second of four possible levels, but say an eruption is not imminent.
The volcano had released hot lava and rocks over the last two days and shot clouds of hot air as high as 2,000 meters (6,600 feet).

PHILIPPINES - The Bulusan volcano in the province of Sorsogon renewed its threat of hazardous eruption as the seismic network detected two high frequency volcanic earthquakes in 24 hours on Friday. Moderate emission of steam was observed drifting southwest during times when the crater was visible. Government scientists confirmed its restive manifestations as early as Tuesday of last week. Ground deformation conducted this month showed slight inflation at the northest flank of the vocano. The sulfur dioxide emission rate is well above the baseline level. Residents near river and stream channels around the volcano were advised to be on alert against life-threatening volcanic flows of ash and other loose volcanic deposits from the upper slopes.

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskoi volcano on Friday was spewing lava to a height of 100-150 meters. "The volcano’s activity has sharply increased since it last erupted February 15. The size of the lava globs reaches several meters in diameter. We should expect lava flows to appear on the slope of the volcano anytime now.” Such eruptions have not taken place for more than 15 years.
Prior to its February eruption, Klyuchevskoi last came to life in January-May 2005. Following that eruption, the volcano "sank" by 50 meters (about 165 feet), from 4,800 meters (about 16,000 feet) to the current 4,750 meters (15,845 feet). Eruptions do not immediately threaten the Peninsula's settlements, but volcanic ash, consisting of magma particles with a diameter of up to 2 millimeters (.078 inches), can poison land and water, and they present a danger to aircraft.

3/23/07 -
INDONESIA - Mount Batutara located on Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted as of March 17 and is declared off-limit to local fishermen. The eruption of Mt Batutara is still going on. Mt. Batutara, which is 750 meters above the sea level, is currently on the alert status or the second level. "Lembata Island has no inhabitants, but it is often used as a transit area by local fishermen." Volcano observation officers tried to approach the island to check the condition of the mountain, which spewed volcanic materials up to 1,500 meters high. "However, up to now, our staffs could not approach the island at a close distance because of huge waves."

RUSSIA - A volcano on the northern Kuril island of Paramushir, off Russia's Pacific Coast, is again showing signs of activity. Steam and gas clouds could be seen rising some 150 meters (450 feet) above the Ebeko volcano's crater in the morning. "The volcano is spewing out steam and gases 100 to 300 meters (300 to 900 feet) [into the air], with the temperature upwards 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). With a western wind blowing, or when there is no wind, Severokurilsk residents can smell the sulfur and chlorine." Ebeko's historical activity, recorded since the late 18th century, has so far been restricted to small-to-moderate explosive eruptions from its three summit craters.

3/21/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Now it's Ngauruhoe Volcano rumbling into life - Mt Ngauruhoe, Mt Ruapehu's volcanic neighbour, is getting restless. The two mountains are believed to share the same magma source beneath the Earth's crust. Mt Ngauruhoe has shown "significant" increases in earthquakes over the past eight months, stirring after more than 30 years of deep sleep. Ngauruhoe had been shaking about twice daily between 1975 and May last year. However, since then it has regularly had between 20 and 30 earthquakes a day, peaking at more than 50 shakes within 24 hours. The unrest at both mountains relates to a special low-frequency type of earthquake, which is often linked to the underground movement of gas, hot water or magma. Before Sunday's lahar, between four and 60 small earthquakes were recorded daily at Mt Ruapehu's Crater Lake. But in the 24 hours following the lahar about 100 earthquakes were detected. The increased unrest had almost certainly been caused by the crater lake emptying out 1.29 million cubic metres of water, causing its level to drop 6m. "There's a hint they've tapered off now but because things are so variable we need to watch this over the course of a week."

ECUADOR - As the Tungurahua volcano returns to slumber after erupting earlier this month, it is still urgent to maintain a sufficient number of shelters in good condition to provide for the population should the volcano resume activity – which could at any time be as extreme as it was last summer when the volcano erupted in August. Ash from the volcano has affected people in the region who depend on agriculture as their sole source of income. Road passage is also an unpredictable danger right now, while everything is covered in ash, since rain may move the ash deposits and cause landslides and avalanches.

3/20/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists say there is now a higher risk of "steam-driven" eruptions at Mt Ruapehu following a lahar down the mountain on Sunday. There has been an increase in volcanic earthquakes in the past two days, which indicates changes to the hydrothermal system under the crater lake. The lowering of the level of the crater could lead to increased heating. A small eruption could generate waves large enough to spill over the rock rim and cause a small lahar. Scientists reached the mountain's summit on Monday morning and confirmed that a tephra dam was completely gone. They also reported that the crater lake is stable. The tephra dam was created by eruptions in 1995-96. A lahar washed down the Whangaehu River Valley about 11am on Sunday, sending 1.3 million cubic metres of water and debris to the sea.

INDONESIA has raised the alert level on Mount Talang, Sumatra Island, after an increase in rising columns of smoke and tremors in the area. The status of volcano activity was raised at 7:00 pm on Monday. The risk of an eruption was brought up from three to four degrees. The smoke reached up to 800 meters (2.672 feet) high. Nearly 41,000 people will be evacuated from the slopes of the mountain should an eruption prove imminent. "There is yet no plan to evacuate them, but we are now preparing in case the alert status is raised."

INDONESIA - the "mud volcano" briefly stopped spewing toxic sludge for the first time in more than nine months. "The flow of mud coming out of the crater suddenly stopped for about 30 minutes shortly before noon (4pm AEDT) on Monday. "None of our team members knows for sure what happened and we are still trying to determine how it happened." The steaming crater, located near Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya, merely bubbled during the pause. The temporary hiatus was the first since the mud hole began spewing sludge in May. The pause was probably unrelated to the hundreds of chains already dropped into the mud hole. The brief halt may have occurred because parts of the funnel collapsed, creating a temporary obstruction that was eventually cleared by pressurised gas in the crater. "We were worried that an explosion would follow, but it turned out not to be the case."

PAPUA NEW GUINEA - a mudslide on the Papua New Guinea volcanic island of Manam has killed four people, prompting authorities to call today for islanders to stay away from the volcano's ash and mud-laden valleys. The four were killed last week in an avalanche of ash and mud on the northern part of Manam Island off Papua New Guinea's north coast, and a fifth person was seriously injured. "After heavy rain that has been experienced, the mud and loose material becomes a major risk for anyone venturing into the potential path of an avalanche." The Manam Island volcano erupted in October 2004, with heavy ash falls destroying houses and crops and contaminating water supplies. Authorities evacuated some 9000 people to the mainland, but many islanders have since returned.

3/19/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Department of Conservation scientists will fly over Mt Ruapehu this morning to assess the crater lake. A lahar washed down the Whangaehu River Valley after being triggered late yesterday morning and appears to have caused little damage. Data from surveillance equipment on the summit has suggested there will be no further activity from the lake. The lahar was largely contained in specially created channels that directed the flash flood across farmland and into the Whangaehu river and out to sea. It was the first significant lahar since the last eruption on Mt Ruapehu 12 years ago. Authorities are not sure yet whether it was triggered by a volcanic eruption or recent heavy rain.

3/18/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Civil defence authorities in New Zealand activated an emergency response plan after the volcanic crater lake at Mt Ruapehu burst its banks today sending a mudflow down the mountain. There have been no reports of injuries or damage associated with the natural phenomenon known as a "lahar". Scientists have been expecting a significant lahar for the past few months. The crater lake of Mount Ruapehu has been rising steadily, since the last eruptions in 1995 and 1996. More than 60 lahars have been recorded in the Whangaehu Valley below the mountain since the 1860s. Reports and the first photos from the scene described a flash flood of water, mud and volcanic debris sweeping down the southern side of the mountain towards Tangiwai. Hundreds of travellers were stranded by road closures in the central north island. The wild weather in the North Island may have brought on the current activity. The bund built to divert the path of the water and mud from the crater lake on Mount Ruapehu withstood the lahar, and the lahar continued down the Whangaehu Valley away from the Tongariro catchment. The lahar also continued safely down the valley and underneath the Tangiwai Bridge. The lahar went past the village of Tangiwai and was on its way to the sea. ( Photos)

ITALY - The volcano on the tiny Sicilian island of Stromboli erupted in a shower of small stones and ash, but it posed no danger to the few hundred people living nearby, authorities said Friday.

GUATEMALA - Guatemala's National Disaster Reduction Coordination office declared an orange alert on Friday after the Fuego Volcano, some 45 km from Guatemala City, erupted and triggered waves of small earthquakes. The eruption spewed ash 500 meters into the air, and triggered 20 to 30 small earthquakes a minute. The warning affects more than 31,000 people living in 14 nearby towns. Eruption records of Fuego Volcano, one of the country's most active volcanoes, date back to 1542, and at its fiercest it could spray ash all the way to El Salvador or Honduras.

INDONESIA - The use of concrete balls to reduce the force of a mud volcano that has swamped villages on Indonesia's Java island appears to be working. The flow has decreased by about 20 percent after 374 clusters of concrete balls linked by steel cables were dropped into the volcano. However, the mud has become thicker. A more thorough evaluation involving the measurement of the sludge's chemical contents, temperatures and the eruption's pressure was being carried out and the results could be announced within days. A further 500 chains of concrete balls will be fed into the flow this weekend.

3/16/07 -
PHILIPPINES - The continuous heavy steaming of Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon City province since Monday has triggered occasional ashfalls on the mountain’s southwest slope and nearby villages. The ashfalls in the towns of Irosin, Juban and Casiguran were triggered not by an ash explosion but by the volcano’s voluminous or heavy steaming that has agitated the ash deposits on the crater wall. "Since Bulusan remains abnormal, it is always possible that this steaming would shift to ash explosions." The last ash explosion occurred on Jan. 26 of this year, sending mild ash deposits to Irosin, Casiguran and Juban towns.

INDONESIA - the bid to plug a "mud volcano" with concrete balls is going to use thousands more balls than planned. Workers have nearly deposited an initial target of 374 chains of four heavy balls into the crater. The plan is to drop 500 more chains. Some experts are sceptical about the plan's chances of success, with mud still flowing from the crater near Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya. The toxic flow has displaced 15,000 people.

3/15/07 -
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - significant activity continues beneath the surface. And the activity has been increasing lately, scientists have discovered. In addition, the nearby Teton Range of mountains, in a total surprise, is getting shorter. The findings suggest that a slow and gradual movement of a volcano over time can shape a landscape more than a violent eruption. The 45-by-30-mile Yellowstone caldera bulged and deflated significantly during the past 17 years, resulting in a series of small earthquakes that produced 10 times more energy than would occur if the ground were to move suddenly in a large eruption. "We think it's a combination of magma being intruded under the caldera and hot water released from the magma being pressurized because it's trapped. I don't believe this is evidence for an impending volcanic eruption, but it would be prudent to keep monitoring the volcano." From 2004 to 2006 the central caldera floor rose faster than ever, springing up nearly 7 inches during the three-year span. "The rate is UNPRECEDENTED, at least in terms of what scientists have been able to observe in Yellowstone." One of the largest supervolcanoes in the world lies beneath Yellowstone National Park, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Supervolcanoes can sleep for centuries or millennia before producing incredibly massive eruptions that can drop ash across an entire continent.

3/14/07 -
RUSSIA - A Russian volcano network that warned airliners winging over the North Pacific of potential hazards went silent March 1 due to budget cuts, increasing the risk that aircraft could enter undetected ash clouds and experience sudden catastrophic engine failure during a trans-ocean flight. Without alerts issued by the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team, jetliners flying between North America and Asia could get little or no warning if any of the 29 active volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula erupt and send ash clouds roiling into air traffic lanes, particularly during bad weather or other conditions where satellite coverage was unable to pinpoint the plume. Satellite data alone is insufficient to always catch an eruption before an ash cloud becomes a hazard to planes. This unfortunate event comes at a time when three volcanoes in Kamchatka are at Color Code Orange and intermittently producing ash. The volcanoes produce ash that threatens air traffic lanes three or four times every year. (photos)

PERU - the Ubinas volcano, located in Southern Peru’s region of Moquegua, is showing “a considerable activity reduction” during the last six months. Almost a year ago, on March 25th, 2006,the volcano began emitting a plume of ash, gas and steam that covered local villages, damaged crops, and killed farm animals. Farmers from the area were later evacuated and relocated. Frequent explosions continued over the next months. “Right now we cannot say what will happen, we can only hope for the best. Its seismic activity could soon be over or return. We simply don’t know yet.”

3/11/07 -
Volcano Warning After Indonesian Earthquake - The earthquake that killed more than 70 people in western Indonesia may have led to heightened activity at three volcanoes, experts warned Friday. Tuesday’s quake, which was followed by a powerful aftershock, flattened scores of homes and buckled roads on Sumatra island’s western side. As survivors complained that food, shelter materials and drinking water was slow in reaching them, they were warned of a new potential threat. Geologists said sensors on the slopes of three active volcanoes – Talang, Tandikat and Merapi – had detected above-average activity since the 6.3 magnitude quake. “We usually need about a month to observe whether the earthquake could trigger an eruption.” Residents living near Mount Talang – one of the country’s most active mountains – were nervous. In 2005, a minor eruption forced the evacuation of more than 2,500 people.

MONTSERRAT - Fears of a huge volcanic eruption on the Caribbean island of Montserrat are mounting with reports of a huge swelling of toxic gases under the mountain's peak. The volcano's lava dome has swollen to near RECORD SIZE. It is filling with gas and debris that could spill toward a populated area in the event of a collapse or eruption, the island's chief scientists said. The volcano appears stable but a decrease in gas emissions over the last week suggests pressure could be building inside the dome. Islanders have compared the sounds of gas bursting from the dome to the roar of jet engines. Radar images show the dome has grown to around 265 million cubic yards, not far short of the record 313 million cubic yards measured before a spectacular collapse in 2003. The dome of hardened lava over Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano could collapse, sending volcanic material toward a populated area of the Caribbean island. Residents have been on alert since Dec. 24, when the dome's growth shifted toward the volcano's northwestern flank, which is home to many of the island's 5,000 inhabitants. Dome growth has increased rapidly in recent weeks.
Ash from the active Soufriere Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat disrupted airport traffic Saturday in Puerto Rico, prompting delays and cancellations by several airlines. Ash from the volcano about 275 miles (about 440 kilometers) southwest of Puerto Rico often clouds the skies of the Caribbean. A large cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert also was contributing to the poor visibility.

INDONESIA - So far, nearly 150 concrete spheres have been tossed into the mud volcano abyss, too few to make a real impact. The government has given them another five weeks to make a difference, or walk away and let the volcano run its course. Critics say almost everything depends on the shape of the mammoth gullet, believed by the ball-dropping team to resemble a champagne glass, although recent sonar readings indicate its base may be larger than initially thought. "The hope is that the balls will fit snuggle at the bottom, but it is unlikely to be that simple." There apparently are several separate vents. For nine months, the gaping hole in the ground has spit out a biblical torrent of hot, black mud, swallowing thousands of homes outside Indonesia's second-largest city and attracting amazed geologists from around the world. Mud volcanos are fairly common along volatile tectonic belts and in areas rich in oil and natural gas like Indonesia. But the eruption just outside the city of Surabaya is exceptional because of the sheer volume of mud that has been surging each day from the hole - enough to fill 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Twelve villages and 20 factories have been swallowed, with mud-caked roofs and the tops of lamp posts as the only reminders of what once was there. Engineers tried building earthen dams to hold back the sludge, but they are about to overflow. The viscosity of the mud hindered efforts to channel it into the sea. A plan to cap the volcano with concrete was abandoned almost immediately as ill-conceived.

ITALY - Stromboli Volcano - Lately the blue skies are hazy and the fresh air is powdered with volcanic ash, thanks to an eruption that began on Feb. 27. Stromboli is the most active volcano on the planet. Yet new construction has risen nearly 20 percent in the last decade, mostly multimillion-euro villas tucked into the tiny island's lush volcanic hills. And what about the people with second homes on Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius, where developers are putting up a 450-house settlement and more than a dozen new hotels and guesthouses near Pompeii? There is precious little land to be had in Europe, and Italy in particular. Rising sea levels will only make the situation worse. A study predicts a rise of as much as 20 centimeters, cutting into both sides of Italy's peninsula, by 2030. Beach resorts in Tuscany, the Amalfi coast in the south and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia will be eroded from storm surges and larger waves. What's more, many formerly attractive resort areas on the coasts and in the interior are getting unbearably hot. Technology is what enables residents to live with the risk. Tucked inside a log cabin that serves as the volcano observatory and Civil Protection command center on the flanks of Stromboli, computers monitor the slightest fluctuation in seismic activity, soil movement, air temperature and even the lava's texture on the mountain. "We knew Stromboli was changing its pattern five hours before lava started flowing." But the technology may be too reassuring. Lava from the recent eruption has already created a new peninsula on the island, and authorities fear that violent explosions could send a big hunk of the volcano crashing into the sea, creating a tsunami. (photo)

3/9/07 -
GUAM - a foul, egg-like smell has been in the air lately, it's most likely from sulfur. According to the National Weather Service the odorous smell is most likely coming from the Anatahan volcano in the Northern Marianas. The volcano is not erupting, but does have a tendency to spew out gases like sulfur on a regular basis. For such volcanic gasses to reach Guam from Anatahan, the wind conditions must be just right. In this case wind is blowing into Guam from the direction of Anatahan. This facet, combined with salt spray, is causing the haze-like conditions and the sulfur smell. The wind direction is expected to change in a day or two. Until that happens, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency along with the Office of Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense has issued a volcanic smog ("vog") advisory for the island, which will remain in place for 24 hours.

3/7/07 -
ECUADOR - regional authorities on Monday evacuated hundreds of villagers following the eruption of the Tungurahua Volcano. The volcano, 135 km from Ecuador's capital Quito, has been active for a week. It has thrown out ash and a 2 km-high column of heavy smoke. The volcano erupted after being dormant for six months, causing 87 small earthquakes in the area in 24 hours. Four hundred villagers living nearby have been evacuated. An official from the Ecuadorian Red Cross warned that more severe eruptions could happen in the near future, and called on the emergency services to help evacuate the region. Two deadly eruptions last year destroyed six villages, killed six people and injured 12. Tungurahua had been dormant for eight decades until it rumbled back into life in 1999.

3/6/07 -
RUSSIA - An eruption of Chikurachki volcano has begun on the North Kurile island of Paramushir. The giant volcano began to spew ash to 1.5 kilometre height over the crater. Local earthquakes on the volcano have been registered. Data from satellites showed an ash trail spreading from the volcano to the west. There is no danger to residential areas as the region’s largest city of Severo-Kurilsk is situated 70 kilometres from the volcano.

3/4/07 -
NEW ZEALAND - Any day now, a massive torrent of mud and rocks is going to roar down the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, on New Zealand's North Island, engulfing everything in its path. The volcano last erupted 11 years ago, leaving a wall of tephra - a mixture of ash, sandy particles and heavier material - on top of the crater rim. The barrier is already springing leaks as the lake rises, and unless an eruption or earth tremor triggers the lahar first, scientists expect complete collapse within a few weeks from mid-March. The later the rupture, the bigger the lahar will be. TV companies are fighting for exclusive rights to film the spectacular event. The rare ability to predict a natural disaster means that the authorities insist there should be no danger this time. The steady rise of the lake has been closely monitored over the past decade, and millions of dollars have been spent on safety measures.

3/2/07 -
YELLOWSTONE - A 17-year U.S. study shows the power of the huge volcanic hotspot beneath Yellowstone National Park is much greater than thought. The study revealed the approximately 300-mile-wide underground plume of molten rock known as the Yellowstone hotspot exerts itself forcefully even when not triggering eruptions and earthquakes. "The Yellowstone hotspot has had a much bigger effect over a larger area with more energy than ever expected. We're seeing large-scale deformation of the Earth's crust in the western United States because of the effects of the Yellowstone hotspot."

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Geological Survey is installing more monitoring equipment around Mount Rainier, considered the third most-dangerous volcano in the United States. Thousands of people live in communities built over the results of previous eruptions, so scientists want to start paying closer attention to the mountain. During the next two years, the agency plans to increase the number of earthquake monitors surrounding the peak from five to nine, ring the mountain with eight new global-positioning units to monitor its movement and place 21 small metal discs to help detect any changes in the shape of the volcano. Rainier was last known to erupt in between 1820 and 1850, with large eruptions taking place as recently as about 1,000 and 2,300 years ago.

3/1/07 -
RUSSIA - Russian scientists predicted Wednesday that Klyuchevskoi volcano, on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, will soon experience a secondary eruption. Many local earthquakes have occurred around the volcano since it last erupted February 15. "The nature of the seismic activity makes it possible to assume with a high degree of probability that a secondary eruption of the volcano will begin soon, during which lava will flow from a fissure that has opened up on one of its slopes and powerful ash emissions will occur." Such eruptions have not taken place for more than 15 years.

----------------------------------------
2/28/07 -
ITALY - The volcano on the tiny Sicilian island of Stromboli erupted Tuesday, spewing lava into the sea and sparking a warning from authorities worried that it could cause a small tsunami. The island was almost entirely evacuated in early 2002 after a landslide caused a wave of water that in turn caused several minor injuries. Authorities with Italy's Civil Protection Department feared the latest eruption would cause another such landslide. People living on Stromboli have been told to stay 33 feet above sea level, and those on the nearby islands of Panarea and Lipari have been advised to do the same. Stromboli, 40 miles north of Sicily, is noted for frequent minor eruptions. This latest eruption is more violent than usual. Stromboli is not the only active volcano in southern Italy, with Mount Etna in Sicily coming to life every few months. (photo)

ANATAHAN ISLAND - A volcano on an uninhabited island in the Northern Mariana Islands has resumed activity. Residents with respiratory problems who live on the three most populated islands in the U-S commonwealth were advised to take extra care. The activity on Anatahan Island led to a sulfurous odor and visibility of six miles or less across the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota. In 2005, Anathan Volcano spewed ash as high as 50-thousand feet and deposited ash as far away as Palau and the Philippines.

WYOMING - Steamboat Geyser at Yellowstone National Park recently shot a plume of steam several hundred feet into the air, and geyser watchers wondered whether it was erupting for the first time since May 2005. There were other indications, too, including the draining of nearby Cistern Spring, often a telltale sign that Steamboat had ripped into one of its famous, and RARE, eruptions. But one thing was lacking: the thousands of gallons of water that flow out of Steamboat during those spectacular events. Without that significant flow of water, park officials can't classify the event as a major eruption. Instead, they're calling the Feb. 21 event, and a similar one Feb. 11, a "forceful minor eruption" that put out gobs of steam, raised temperatures, made a little noise and, among people who track Yellowstone's geysers, caused a bit of a stir. "I would kind of describe it as somewhat of a burp rather than a full eruption." Those kinds of minor eruptions aren't rare, but it's UNUSUAL to see seemingly contradictory signs of big doings at Steamboat. One of the biggest questions now is whether the activity at the geyser, located at Norris Geyser Basin, is a sign that it's preparing for a major eruption. Intervals between recorded eruptions range from four days to 50 years. The geyser fell quiet from 1991 to May 2000. Since then, seven major eruptions have been recorded, more than at any time since the early 1980s. "What's happening here? We don't know."

2/27/07 -
RUSSIA - Black volcanic ash has covered a village 40 kilometers (25 miles) away from Klyuchevskoi volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The volcano began erupting almost two weeks ago and more than 400 earthquakes have occurred near Klyuchevskoi over the past 24 hours. With the increase in the volcano's activity, experts forecast lava descents and mud flows, which could pose a danger to those in close vicinity to the volcano. Scientists said the eruption was not immediately dangerous for the peninsula's settlements, but ash, which fell in the village of Klyuchi and consisted of magma particles with a diameter of up to 2 millimeters (.078 inches), could contaminate land and water. Ash emissions and trails could also present a danger to aircraft. (photo)

INDONESIA - a plan to drop concrete balls into an oozing Indonesian "mud volcano" to slow its disastrous flow may be revised after they slid far deeper than expected. The balls slid 1km into the crater, roughly twice the depth anticipated, so many more than planned may be required to staunch the mudflow. The number of chains required may rise to 1000 from the initial estimate of 374. More balls were to be dropped into the 50m crater later today. The sea of mud has inundated hundreds of hectares of land and made 15,000 people homeless. It is also threatening to swamp a key railway, which is to be rerouted away from the danger zone. Experts are unsure how long the crater will spew mud if left unchecked.

2/25 -
ITALY - Ground deformation data indicates that the Campi Flegrei caldera, near Naples, Italy, is undergoing renewed uplift. It is part of a larger volcanic arc that includes Mount Vesuvius. The volcanic area, which had its last eruption in 1538, started a new uplift episode in November 2004. This uplift began at a low rate, but has since slowly and steadily increased. According to previous studies, the 16th century eruption occurred after decades of uplift coupled with brief periods of subsidence. Within the past 40 years, the caldera experienced a huge uplift phase until 1985. The new data indicate that a subsequent period of subsidence has now ended. The ratio of maximum horizontal to vertical displacement, determined from Global Positioning System data, suggests that the uplift is associated with input of magma from a shallow chamber. Scientists have not said whether an eruption might occur anytime soon.

INDONESIA - At least six trucks were trapped when cool lava slid down from the peak of Mt. Merapi to Gendol river in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta province. The cool lava slid down from the peak of the 3,000 meter-high mountain after heavy rain. Two of the trucks were buried because they were parked in lower parts of the river, while other trucks could not go out from the area because its surroundings were filled with volcanic debris. There is no report of casualty although hundreds of sand miners were on the river before it was filled with the volcanic materials.

2/23/07 -
COLUMBIA - Nevado del Huila volcano had a major eruption on Wednesday, shooting ash thousands of feet into the air. The eruption triggered a series of tremors that set off landslides. Villagers living near the volcano have begun evacuating. The Paez River has been contaminated with volcanic ash for days. (PHOTOS & VIDEO)

Volcanoes can trigger earthquakes, avalanches and devastating lava flows. Add to this list lightning, which has now been detected striking from the mouth of a volcano. A new study reveals the first direct observations of this well-known but poorly understood volcano-electrical phenomenon. “Lightning is often seen during [a] volcanic eruption. It occurs mostly during the big part of the eruption, when there are big volcanic plumes being produced.” The lightning in a volcanic eruption occurs because the ash and other debris blasting out of the volcano are highly charged. Though lightning was known to occur in the debris clouds above the volcano, the researchers found an earlier phase of volcanic lightning that had never before been observed and occurred right at the volcano's mouth just as it began erupting.

2/21/07 -
BURMA - A volcano located on Rambree Island in Arakan State, Burma, erupted Monday as local people closely watched the situation without fear. The eruption of the volcano started at 11:30 am and lasted only ten minutes, spewing ash and hot gasses a few kilometers into the sky. The volcano is situated about one mile north of Sit Taung Village under Sai Khron Village Tract in Kyauk Pru District. Local people had previously believed that the volcano was extinct, but they are now filled with wonder as the volcano has erupted again and again. The volcano also erupted in 2004, before the tsunami struck the Indian Ocean coasts. Many villagers had to move to safer locations under government arrangement after the 2004 eruption.

RUSSIA - A powerful discharge of ash from the crater of the Shiveluch volcano was been registered on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Monday. The strength of volcano’s eruptions is growing with every year. In 1964, its eruption was classified by scientists as catastrophic. After a calm period the volcano again began to show its “explosive nature” in 1984. The process is similar to the one that was underway in the period between the giant’s catastrophic eruptions of 1854 and 1964. By analogy with the past period, there is a 100-year period between powerful eruptions, therefore a new powerful eruption of the volcano is possible within the next 40-50 years that is comparable in power with the 1964 eruption, when Shiveluch spewed over one cubic kilometres of volcanic ejecta.

2/20/07 -
COLUMBIA - Colombian authorities ordered villages evacuated on Monday after the Nevado del Huila volcano in the south-western province of Huila belched ash and increased seismic activity threatened to trigger larger eruptions. "We expect the volcano to continue erupting." The evacuation order affects towns located near rivers in Huila and three other provinces that could be hit by avalanches caused a major eruption. Monday's eruption caused a landslide on the banks of one river and more were feared. No victims were immediately reported. There was no history of volcanic activity in the Nevado del Huila. The biggest natural disaster in Colombian history occurred in 1985 when the central Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted, killing more than 25,000 people.

NEW ZEALAND - Auckland could be suffocated with a layer of ash next time Mt Taranaki erupts, which could be relatively soon, say scientists. Aucklanders might think they were safe from far-away volcanoes. But ash from Lake Pupuke showed the city had been affected by eruptions from Mt Taranaki and farther afield. Mount Taranaki has about a 400-year cycle and last erupted about 300 years ago. If a major eruption happened, Auckland could be coated with between one millimetre and several centimetres of ash. The latter would disrupt air traffic, indefinitely shut down Auckland airport and damage infrastructure. "If ash gets wet it's a very good conductor of electricity. It would affect big electricity transformers and power lines and that sort of thing." Contaminated water supplies could pose a public health risk, and when the fine-grained ash dried out and blew around it could interfere with people's breathing. New Plymouth, located directly north of Mt Taranaki, could expect up to a metre-thick layer of ash, blocking streets and damaging buildings. "These things are very controlled by the direction the wind is blowing in – you wouldn't expect a uniform blanket of ash across the whole country or even across a city."

RUSSIA - The Shiveluch Volcano in Kamchatka has emitted ash to the height of 5.2 kilometers. The cloud of ash drifted 40 kilometers northwest of the volcano, whose eruption started on December 5, 2006. Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, located near Shiveluch, is also active. Some 455 tremors occurred in the volcano area during the day, and over 70 tremors were registered 30 kilometers under the main crater. Steam, gas and ash gushed up to 500 meters high. The eruption of the 4.8-kilometer-high Klyuchevskaya Sopka started on February 15. The crater, which is 400 meters wide and 400 meters deep, is slowly filling with lava, but there are no streams of lava on the volcano sides yet. Experts say that the volcano’s activity will intensify. Both volcanoes are being monitored permanently. So far, they do not endanger local villages.

2/16 -
NEW ZEALAND - White Island about to blow? - There have been more tremors at White Island off Whakatane. Equipment monitoring the crater lake shows seismic activity at the island has increased over the last three weeks. Shakes on Friday and the increasing lake temperature has scientists on volcano watch. They warn visitors to the island to be aware of the dangers, but there is no evidence of a full-scale lava eruption at this stage. The lake is now 74 degrees Celsius, which has caused rapid evaporation of water and the lake's level to drop six metres. Several hot pools and waterways on the island have begun to dry up. The volcano has released an increased amount of sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over recent months. None of the normal tests are giving much indication about what exactly is going on and scientists will keep monitoring the volcano. For now, the alert level is at one and will only be increased once volcanic eruptions start. White Island last erupted in 2000.

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskoi volcano has begun erupting on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The eruption does not immediately threaten the peninsula's settlements, but volcanic ash, consisting of magma particles with a diameter of up to 2 millimeters (.078 inches), can poison land and water. Ash emissions and trails can also present a danger to aircraft. At about 11 a.m. Moscow time (8 a.m. GMT), experts at the institute's monitoring station observed a pulsating glow above the giant volcano's crater, indicating that fresh magma was rising to the surface. The ash trail from the eruption has already spread 35 kilometers (21 miles) to the southwest of Klyuchevskoi. Volcanologists predicted the volcano's imminent eruption three weeks ago. Klyuchevskoi's last eruption took place in January-May 2005.

2/15 -
ECUADOR - Scientists on Tuesday warned of increased activity at Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano, which erupted violently last year killing at least four people and leaving thousands homeless. The volcano began shooting a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) plume of ash into the sky Monday night. Ecuadorean officials have not said whether they plan to evacuate the area around Tungurahua.

MONTSERRAT - More residents face evacuation in Montserrat - Recently imposed mandatory evacuation boundaries may be extended, affecting additional residents living on the borders of Belham Valley. Computer modeling revealed that additional areas in the present safe zone could be impacted by pyroclastic flows and surges. The size of Montserrat’s Soufriére Hills Volcano now stands at 1,065 meters above sea level, containing some 250 million cubic meters of volcanic material, the LARGEST IT HAS EVER BEEN. This new RECORD IN DOME SIZE surpasses the previous record size, the 2003 dome at 240 million cubic meters. That dome subsequently collapsed, converting areas from south woodlands to Salem and the surrounding environment into a disaster area due to the abundance of ash deposited in these areas. This 2003 eruption resulted in a six month clean up campaign. (photos)

NEW ZEALAND - The possibility of multiple volcanic eruptions in Whangarei may need to be considered in light of new research by Auckland University. The research shows at least five of Auckland's volcanoes were born at the same time, and they could erupt simultaneously. While the research did not extend to Whangarei, Whangarei's volcanic field is similar to Auckland's, and multiple eruptions within a short space of time is possible. The likelihood of renewed eruptions needs to be considered in risk assessment and volcano monitoring.

2/13/07 -
CZECH REPUBLIC - German and Czech scientists are looking for a volcano that they believe is hidden underground in the Cheb area, west Bohemia, and that is responsible for the rich mineral springs in west Bohemian spas. The volcano is located on the Czech side of the border near the village of Novy Kostel north of Cheb. The scientists have known for a long time that magma from volcanic eruptions is closer to the surface in the Bohemia, Bavaria and Saxony triangle than anywhere in the world. It lies in the depth of a mere 30 km and exerts high pressure. "It is the only area in the large space between the Alps and Iceland where such activities can be watched." Scientists believe that the hidden volcano lies on Czech territory judging by the symptoms of underground eruptions. However, the site was practically inaccessible before the fall of the Iron Curtain. The possibility of a new volcanic eruption is very small in the next several thousand years. Quakes are relatively frequent in the Cheb area. The strongest earthquakes there were registered in the autumn of 1962, at the end of 1985 and the beginning of 1986, in 1997 and in 2000.

2/9 -
MONTSERRAT's top leaders will go door-to-door this week to warn people in some 35 homes in a low-lying valley that they may be forced to evacuate because of the threat posed by the Soufriere Hills volcano. Officials are weighing a renewed evacuation order because of a swelling lava dome on the volcano's northwest side that faces upscale Old Towne and working-class Salem. Scientists fear it could crumble and cascade down the mountain in pyrocastic flows hurling torrents of hot gases, ash and rocks. The dome of hard lava topping the volcano is growing -"it's as big as ever."
2/7 -
WASHINGTON - An ancient "supervolcano" in what is now Washington State spewed steam and billowed ash in amounts that dwarf the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, new research shows. The blow-up occurred in two major bursts about 3.7 million years ago in the northern Cascade Range, creating flows of searing-hot gas and belching out some 33 cubic miles (137 cubic kilometers) of ash. The newly discovered mega-eruption brings to six the tally of ancient volcanoes known to have blown in the Cascades. The blasts would have killed all life for several miles around and dumped ash over a vast area downwind. "These are big eruptions — on the small end of what have been called supervolcanoes. If something went off like that today, a long way into British Columbia would be severely impacted." If it happened in the southern end of the Cascades in Oregon, "thick ash would probably fall in the Midwest."
2/1 -
HAWAII - A major chunk of Hawaii Island is set to fall into the ocean any day now. It's newly formed lava land, and it grows more unstable by the day. Three separate lava flows hit the sea, resulting in plumes of steam. "Laeapuki Bench is now at 55 acres and it'll eventually collapse." The last big bench collapse was in November 2005. 44 acres fell into the sea over 4 and a half hours. No one was injured that time, but people have gotten hurt or killed if they were standing too close when it broke off before. (photos)
INDONESIA - geophysicists hope to stem the flow of a destructive mud volcano on East Java by dropping 1000 steel chains of concrete balls into its mouth — possibly as early as this week. Each chain is 1.5 metres long and links together four concrete balls — two that are 40 centimetres across and two that are 20 centimetres across. Each ball and chain set will weigh about 300 kilograms. The goal is to make the channel smaller — not plugging it altogether but narrowing it enough to slow the mud's rise and so decrease its flow rate by up to three-quarters. The mud eruption began on 29 May last year in the middle of a rice paddy in the village of Porong, 30 kilometres south of Surabaya, the provincial capital. Since then, the volcano has spewed out up to 126,000 cubic metres of mud a day, flooding an area of more than 4 square kilometres. Some 10,000 people have been left homeless and 20 factories have closed. Another 200,000 homes could be at risk if the mudflow combines with the rainy season — which has just begun — and weakening dams to flood more land. Attempts to alleviate the problem by drilling relief wells or channelling the mud into a nearby river have so far failed. The mudflow calls for an unprecedented solution. "At first we thought it was a common problem in oil exploration, but after a few months we realized this was not a standard situation." Other physicists say they have never heard of such an approach, and question its likely effectiveness. Reducing the size of the channel is likely to increase the pressure, just like squeezing the end of a hose. "I would predict that the mud would probably exit at the other holes, or farther along."(photo)

--------------------
1/30 -
NEW ZEALAND - A crater lake on a New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop in the "Lord of the Rings" films is on the verge of collapsing and could send a torrent of muddy water down the mountain in coming weeks. Melting snow on Mount Ruapehu has filled the lake to within 1.5 metres (5 feet) of its lip. Scientists say a lahar, or mudflow composed of volcanic material and water, is inevitable as warm summer weather causes the snow to melt and fill the lake. No major towns would be in its path. On December 24, 1953, a lahar rushing down the Whangaehu River destroyed a railway bridge, causing a packed passenger train to plunge into the river, killing 151 people on board. Since then, a barrier of boulders and gravel has been built to divert any lahar flowing into the river.

1/26 -
PHILIPPINES - Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province showed new signs of restiveness as it spewed ash anew on Wednesday evening on nearby villages. After a month of calm the volcano exhibited a minor ash explosion at 10:06 p.m. lasting about 10 minutes. The ash reached five villages southwest of the volcano. There was no visual observation due to thick clouds covering the summit area of the volcano.

1/25 -
CHILE - authorities in the XI Region of Aysén are closely monitoring the repeated tremors in the area and are prepared for the event of a major quake or the eruption of the Hudson volcano. Wednesday "the frequency of tremors had significantly increased to fifteen minutes, having surpassed twenty telluric movements by midday". [not sure what that means] Although accustomed to minor seismic activity and rumblings, the current situation has alarmed residents from Puerto Aysen and Puerto Chacabuco in southern Chile who have appealed to local authorities. Puerto Aysen begun trembling last Monday with an initial seism rated 5 in the Mercalli scale, and has since intensified in frequency, not necessarily in intensity, with 18 movements registered between Tuesday night and early Wednesday and a peak of Mercalli 6 at 02:30 in the morning. In 1991 the prolonged eruption of volcano Hudson covered southern Chile and vast tracks of Argentine Patagonia with ash, and ash blown by the wind reached as far as the Falkland Islands. The plume traveled around the world. It was visible to airline pilots near Melbourne, Australia about 9,400 miles (15,000 km) from the volcano. The volcanic ash caused great animal losses in Patagonia because whole patches of land were rendered useless for grazing and feeding.

1/24 -
INDONESIA - The mud volcano, known locally as "Lusi", has been spewing steaming mud since May 29 last year, submerging four villages, fields and factories. It erupted from a gas well near Surabaya, East Java, that was operated by Lapindo Brantas Inc. As many as 13,000 people have fled their homes. The mud volcano was most probably caused by drilling for gas, according to the first published scientific study into the phenomenon. The volcano has been disgorging between 7000 and 150,000 cubic metres of mud every day. Such pressures, coupled to the local geology, suggest the flow "will continue for many months and possibly years to come." In the coming months, sag-like subsidence several kilometres wide will occur, and around the main vent there is likely to be "more dramatic collapse," forming a crater. An area of at least 10 square kilometres around the volcano will be uninhabitable for years, and over 11,000 people will be permanently displaced. Seepage of mud and water are usually a preventable hazard when exploring for oil and gas.

1/19 -
Grand Comore - Comoros' largest island shook twice on Thursday, residents said, and experts said there was still a threat of eruption from the Indian Ocean archipelago's Mount Karthala volcano despite the tremors weakening. Comorian authorities have made emergency plans to help as many as 30,000 people in case the volcano blows. The volcano seemed to have settled since the weekend when strong tremors - thought to have been caused by lava trying to escape - forced thousands of people to sleep outside for fear their homes might collapse. Scientific equipment has continued to record more than a thousand small tremors every day.

MONTSERRAT - Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano on January 17 - The alert level remains at 4. Seismicity remains relatively low, dominated by small rockfall signals and long period earthquakes. Over the least 24 hours pyroclastic activity had shown a slight increase in comparison with recent days. Rainfall induced rockfalls and minor tremor (possibly mudflows in the upper parts of the drainage system) around the volcano were detected in the morning. Low level gas [and ash] venting is ongoing.

1/15 -
COMOROS - Earth tremors from Comoros' volcano Mount Karthala grew stronger and more frequent, residents said on Sunday, forcing thousands of nervous families to sleep outside overnight for fear their homes might collapse. Grand Comore was put on red alert after Mount Karthala began to glow red and emit suffocating fumes late on Friday. While lava levels inside the crater have subsided, earth tremors have become more frequent. Tremors were lasting up to five seconds and had reached five on the Richter scale. "The lava and the gases remain trapped and are looking to crack through the mountain. It seems the main chimney is blocked. The frequency of the tremors shows that a (lava) flow could happen in any part of the island." "The tremors get stronger and stronger every 15 minutes. A good number of people have packed their bags, ready to flee in case of eruption." A resident from a village on the volcano's western slope said high temperatures had made the air dry. "It feels like everything will explode."

1/14 -
COMOROS - The earth shook as Mount Karthala volcano began emitting fumes, and the Indian Ocean archipelago's largest island was put on red alert for a possible evacuation. Residents said they felt two earth tremors which caused buildings to shake. "These signs are worrying. The tremors could mean that the lava is looking to crack through the rock and the possibility of a (lava) flow cannot be dismissed."Lava levels inside the volcano's crater had fallen back after rising earlier in the day. Mount Karthala has erupted every 11 years on average for the last two centuries.
MOUNT KARTHALA, which overlooks the capital of the Comoros islands, began erupting early Saturday, producing a red glow over the top of the volcano. The eruption was similar to last one in May 2006 which saw fiery jets of lava shoot into the main crater of the only active volcano on the Indian Ocean archipelago. In November 2005, Karthala spewed huge plumes of ash that blanketed the island and temporarily deprived its 250,000 inhabitants of drinkable water. Mount Karthala last had an overflow magma eruption in 1977, when lava destroyed the village of Singani, some 20 kilometres south of Moroni, and toxic gas was released into the air but did not cause any deaths. The worst disaster on record came in 1903, when 17 died from noxious fumes that seeped from cracks.

GUATEMALA - Mount Pacaya has spent the last two weeks billowing smoke into the sky. "There are dozens of villages scattered around the base that it makes you wonder why they live there. It has been showing signs of activity for a couple of weeks."

UNITED KINGDOM - It sounds like the plot of a blockbuster film, but according to scientists, tens of thousands of people in this country face the threat of being poisoned by lethal gas - from volcanoes 600 miles away in Iceland. Research by a British academic has demonstrated how a volcanic gas cloud emanating from an Icelandic volcano killed 30,000 Britons in a hitherto little-studied environmental disaster two centuries ago in 1783. "People died in such vast numbers because the volcanic cloud exacerbated their respiratory illnesses...A similar eruption today would kill up to 100,000 people in this country because we now have a much larger population and a much bigger percentage of it is elderly and therefore more vulnerable." Iceland poses a particular threat not only because it is relatively near to the UK, but also several of its volcanoes are of a particularly dangerous type because of the vast quantities of atmospheric pollution they can produce. Initially the 1783 eruption raised temperatures and severely damaged vegetation, including crops. After several months of continuous eruption, sulphur levels in the atmosphere reduced the amount of solar heat reaching the surface and temperatures fell alarmingly. A further 200,000 people died in France, the Low Countries and northern Italy. In Iceland itself 25 per cent of the population was wiped out.

1/12 -
NEW ZEALAND - Huge threat posed by Auckland volcanoes - Geologists say new research shows there have been seven eruptions in the Auckland volcano field which each buried the region where the city lies under more than 10cm of ash. "That amount of ash would cause chaos in Auckland. From a hazard point of view, that is pretty significant". Some of the cores in the Orakei Basin have shown the Orakei volcano is probably three times as old as previously thought, and by drilling 81m into the sediment beneath the basin the scientists have identified ash layers from 90 eruptions in about the past 90,000 years. Each of the 50 volcanic cones scattered around Auckland has been fed by a plume of molten basalt which can force its way to the surface quite quickly, at speeds of about 5kph. There appears to be a trend towards an increase in the average size of eruptions. Experts have predicted that in future explosive eruptions in Auckland volcanic ash falling from the air may slash visibility or even cause complete darkness, damage electrical equipment, immobilise motor vehicles, and short-circuit communication systems and electricity supplies. Even small amounts can damage vegetation and affect the breathing of people and animals, while attempts to wash it away will clog drainage systems. Auckland has a big volcanic eruption every 5000 years on average and the last one was Rangitoto, about 600 years ago.

1/11 -
ITALY - Vesuvius is the most heavily monitored volcano in the world. Within 20km (12 miles) of its crater live almost three million people - and every one of them, say the geologists, is at risk. Their evidence comes from research, now completed, which shows that 4,000 years ago Vesuvius erupted with such ferocity that huge areas of land around the volcano were uninhabitable for decades. Geologists say the evidence that has been uncovered since 2001 should have encouraged Italian authorities to change the evacuation plan they are rehearsing, but civil emergency planners are still ignoring the worst-case scenario. Tests on the volcano show Vesuvius is a ticking time bomb. Ten kilometres beneath its crater there is a 400 sq km chamber of molten magma. When it forces its way through the fractures of the Earth's crust the result will be disastrous. There will be three million refugees. It will change climates and weather patterns across the continent.

A team of Japanese scientists say they have discovered one of the world’s biggest lava plateaus under the Indian Ocean, using an unmanned undersea probe they developed. The plateau is located in the so-called Mid Ridge in the Indian Ocean below a point 800 km east of Mauritius. “The vehicle also spotted hydrothermal eruptions on the northern part.” The flat plateau measures about 14 km in length and 2.7 km in width at a depth of about 8,860 feet. The plateau is covered with lava some 980 feet thick.

1/10 -
NICARAGUA - Telica volcano, one of six active in the Central American nation, threw a column of ash and gas hundreds of feet into the air on Tuesday. Around 2,500 people live close to the volcano, but no one was evacuated. A series of explosions and strong winds sent the ash and gas at least 500m above Telica's crater. "The volcano has seen explosions and abundant gas and ash emissions since three in the afternoon." The institute described the eruption as low intensity, but stronger than the volcano's normal activity.

MONTSERRAT - The Antigua & Barbuda Meteorological Office has forecast ash fall across the nation from last night into this morning, the result of yesterday’s eruptions at Montserrat’s Soufrière Hills Volcano. The Met Office had been monitoring the situation and noted that satellite pictures were showing ash streaming towards the north and the north east, sending it in the direction of Antigua & Barbuda and St. Kitts/Nevis. Yesterday morning there was activity at Montserrat’s volcano. The resulting ash cloud was visible from all over that island shooting 30,000 feet into the air, and “the largest pyroclastic flow to date” travelled down Gages Valley and Tyres Ghaut into the head of the Belham River Valley. Alarms were sounded to alert the residents in the northern section of the island, but yesterday’s activity was not immediately threatening to the population. Pyroclastic flow was limited to uninhabited areas and initial wind direction was sweeping the ash away from the island’s population. Montserrat’s alert level remains at 4, however, signalling the potential for serious activity that could affect inhabited areas and trigger evacuations. (photo)

1/9 -
MONTSERAT - The volcano that destroyed Montserrat's capital in 1997 shot a cloud of ash more than five miles into the sky on Monday, and one of the Caribbean island's chief scientists said the blast was “a warning call.” The government has advised about 50 families on the northwestern side of the volcano's base that their homes were at risk from flows of blistering gas and debris if the dome collapses. The blast, accompanied by increased seismic rumbling, released gases and steam from inside a lava dome that has grown rapidly over the last week. The volcano's latest burst of activity began on Dec. 24. Glowing streaks of red from the pyroclastic flows have created nighttime spectacles visible across much of the island. The volcano's rising dome remained in place after Monday's explosion, raising fears of a bigger event soon.

1/5 -
NEW ZEALAND - The possibility of a lahar at Mount Ruapehu is now becoming more of a reality. The tephra dam at the Crater Lake that formed in the 1995 and 96 eruptions is eroding away. Department of Conservation scientists spent yesterday on the volcano seeing how much damage rising water is doing to the tephra dam blocking the flow out of the crater lake. The water seepage has now doubled compared to what they found on December 29. It is a trend which will continue. Scientists believe there's no need to worry. There will be enough warning time, so the risk to property and life in the area has been minimised.

HAWAII - January 3 marked the 24th anniversary of Kilauea’s LONGEST RIFT-ZONE ERUPTION IN THE LAST 600 YEARS. In the early years of this eruption, lava fountains as high as 460 m (1,500 ft) burst from Pu`u `O`o every three to four weeks. In the summer of 1986, the eruption shifted to a new vent, named Kupaianaha, 3 km (1.9 mi) downrift. Kupaianaha was the site of continuous eruption for the next 5.5 years. The eruption changed its style as well as its location, becoming less exuberant with age. Episodic lava fountains were replaced by quiet, steady effusion. Lava reached the ocean in November 1986, traveling through lava tubes most of the way. Vog became an island issue as the continuous activity produced a pall of sulphurous air that has been with it ever since. The past year has been relatively quiet, with lava flows mostly recoating older flows.

1/4/07 -
MONTSERRAT - Scientists Wednesday were monitoring a lava dome on Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano that they claim could disintergrate and send molten lava into the valley below. Hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes for a safe area amidst evacuation sirens.

-----------------------
12/28/06 -
MONTSERRAT - Montserrat was put on high alert this past weekend as large plumes of ash were seen leaving the Langs Soufriere volcano climbing at times to an estimated 10 thousand feet into the air. As a result scientists raised the alert level to category four. According to a report, ash venting began at around 10 a.m. and continued throughout Sunday on the western side of the dome. Category four is defined as “large unconfined dome actively growing towards the north or west; or, large dome with: high levels of pyroclastic flow activity in other directions and/or high rates of dome growth; or intense earthquake swarms or tremor; or with tropical storm imminent or already affecting the island.” At around 8 p.m. a swarm of low amplitude long-period earthquakes began and contined until around 12:30 a.m. – becoming most intense between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. – before seismicity again returned to backgound levels.

12/27 -
RUSSIA - Second Volcano Erupts in Russia`s Far East in Two Days - a second volcano has erupted on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, spewing out ash up to an altitude of 6 miles. A village 31 miles away from the Shiveluch volcano was covered with ash, and volcanic tremors were registered in the area. Officials have instructed local residents to avoid leaving their houses as particles of volcanic ash hanging in the air could cause poisoning and serious diseases. Shiveluch, the northernmost active volcano on Kamchatka, is the second to erupt on the Pacific peninsula in two days. The other volcano which has erupted recently is Bezymyanny, which is about 62 miles from Shiveluch. Experts said the outbursts are not linked as the volcanoes belong to different magma chambers and their almost simultaneous eruptions are a coincidence. About 450 minor quakes were registered daily near a third volcano, Karymsky. Experts from the Moscow International Institute for Earthquake Prediction and Computing Geophysics earlier said there was a 30% probability that an earthquake of more than 7.2 will hit Kamchatka in December.

12/26 -
RUSSIA - A village on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East is under ash fallout, as the Bezymyanny volcano, which is 25 miles from the village, is continuing spewing ashes up to an altitude of 15 kilometers (9 miles). The Bezymyanny volcano erupted Sunday. Official have instructed local residents to avoid leaving their homes, because particles of volcanic ash, spread in the air, could cause poisoning and serious diseases. There are more that 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka, 29 of them are active. Volcano activity has recently increased on the Kamchatka peninsula. Experts registered up to 450 minor quakes daily near Karymsky, Kamchatka's most active volcano, in the southeast. This year more than 1,200 people were evacuated from the north of the Kamchatka peninsula after a series of earthquakes. The largest, a 7.8-magnitude quake, was the strongest since 1900 in the Koryak Autonomous Area, and occurred on April 21.

PHILIPPINES - Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon continued to release a high volume of sulfuric gas and white ash clouds on Friday indicating that the volcano had sustained its abnormal behavior with sulphur dioxide emissions remaining at high levels and with voluminous steaming white ash clouds.

Eruptions of supervolcanoes capable of causing planetary climate disruptions and mass extinctions can be worse than previously thought according researchers from Auckland University in New Zealand. One of the largest supervolcano eruptions on record was at Taupo, New Zealand some 250,000 years ago. They found that the eruption was twice as large as previously believed, ejecting massive amounts of sulphur dioxide and ash into the atmosphere. The Taupo eruption actually consisted of two supervolcanoes some 18 miles (30 kilometers) apart which erupted within days or weeks of each other.

Supersize eruption - scientists are finding that climate could have an impact on huge volcanic eruptions. A bone-dry climate, which occurs in periods between ice ages, could make conditions just right for building up enough underground magma to fuel a giant volcanic eruption. Such a catastrophic eruption could blanket the state of Texas with soot two feet deep. 74,000 years ago during a dry period Mount Toba in Indonesia blew its top, making history as the largest eruption in the last 2 million years.

12/22 -
RUSSIA - Now Bezymyannuy Volcano has woken up at Kamchatka - Scientists have detected a rise of seismic activity at Kamchatka's Bezymyannuy volcano and report about 5 local earthquakes. Geophysicists have also detected thermal anomaly, but they claim there's no danger for any settlements. However, ash plumes during eruptions are dangerous for aviation. Scientists are monitoring the volcano online and will report about any possible changes. Bezymyannuy volcano is one of 28 active volcanoes of the Kamchatka peninsula. It usually erupts once or twice a year. Kluchevskaya sopka volcano also shows signs of activity. The neighbouring area showed 180 local earthquakes in 24 hours. Scientists say an eruption is possible. As for Shiveluch volcano, which began its eruption December 5 after one year of silence, it has emitted ash plumes 3 km high.
NEW ZEALAND - One of the largest volcanic eruptions on record just got bigger. The Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand appears to have had twin eruptions only 20 miles apart within days of each other a quarter-million years ago. Each eruption belched out more than 25 cubic miles (100 cubic kilometers) of rock and volcanic ash. This is the first evidence of twin supervolcanic eruptions.
12/20 -
RUSSIA - Seismic activity has intensified on the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. About 200 seismic events have been registered in the area since Monday. Earthquakes were registered at a depth of 30 kilometres under the central crater. Thermal anomaly has also been observed on the volcano. According to scientists, there is no reason to say that the volcano will intensify activity in the coming weeks, but it is not ruled out that it will grow. The giant mount erupts once in five or six years. The most recent eruption was observed in winter-spring 2005.
SHIVELUCH VOLCANO - A series of ash spews has been registered from the crater of the Shiveluch volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. One of the spews reached an altitude of 10 kilometres above the summit. Increased seismic activity has been observed on the volcano. The giant mount presents no danger for nearby settlements. Shiveluch became active on December 5 after a relatively calm period since autumn 2005. The volcano's eruptions in 1864 and 1964 were classified by scientists as catastrophic.
INDONESIA - Jakarta authorities raised the Cebeles Isles to red code, top-alert Monday, due to possible eruption of the Soputan Volcano, which has spewed hot volcanic ash. Experts believe Soputan may be about to erupt in the next two weeks after it expelled volcanic dust for nearly two miles down its eastern slope. When it last erupted in December 2004, Soputan spewed streams of lava 24 miles.
PHILIPPINES - restive Bulusan volcano spewed ash onto several villages along its slopes early today, but scientists said a major eruption was unlikely. Breaking two months of silence, Mount Bulusan, one of the country's 22 active volcanos, belched ash for about 20 minutes accompanied by rumbles and lightning flashes. Scientists said they found ash deposits of up to 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) in several villages on Bulusan's foothills. The latest activity may signal another bout of ash explosions in the coming days and weeks, the institute said in a statement, adding it was maintaining the lowest alert level for the volcano. A dangerous combination of rains and mud that could trigger landslides have put authorities on alert.
WASHINGTON - Like a giant smokestack, percolating Mount St. Helens let loose a billowing steam plume easily seen Tuesday in downtown Portland, Ore., about 80 kilometres away. Cold weather combined with the volcano's release of water vapour to make the display particularly impressive. Mount St. Helens has been experiencing a low-key eruption since September 2004.
12/19 -
HAWAII - Collapse of massive lava shelf appears imminent - Newly formed volcanic land could collapse at any time. The 55 acre, thin shelf of new land, known to geologists as a "bench" or "delta," is the largest piece of unstable ground ready to collapse into the ocean since current Kilauea eruptions began in 1983. Built on sloping volcanic rubble, the bench could go more or less at once. That happened in the largest previous collapse on Nov. 28, 2005, when 44 acres crumbled into the ocean over 4 1/2 hours. The 44 acres consisted of 34 acres of bench plus 10 acres of former cliff. The bench could instead continue doing what it has done since it began rebuilding in 2005, cracking off just a few acres from time to time. In a big collapse, lava will gush, steam will blast, and boulders will fly in every direction.
12/17 -
INDONESIA has raised the alert level at a volcano on the northeastern Sulawesi island after it belched hot ash, fearing a possible eruption within two weeks. Mt Soputan in northern Sulawesi, about 2,160 km northeast of Jakarta, blasted volcanic dust about three km down its eastern slope. Evacuations were not considered necessary because residential areas are on non-threatened southern and western sides of the mountain, with the closest village around eight km from the peak. The alert was raised to the second from highest level after heightened activity since Monday.
12/13 -
JAPAN - Iwojima may be headed for eruption - Japan's Geographical Survey Institute is watching Iwojima carefully for a possible volcanic eruption as it has recorded a 12-cm elevation in the land on the southeastern region of the island in the last month, the BIGGEST INCREASE SINCE 1997 when it began taking measurements. The land is rising faster than the speed of the elevation observed just before an eruption on the island in September 2001. "It is unclear whether the move will immediately lead to an eruption, but careful observation is needed." The total elevation has surpassed 20 cm since the land began rising in August.
RUSSIA - Another active volcano has been discovered on Kamchatka Peninsula - the Ichinskaya Sopka volcano, which was thought to be the only active volcano of the Sredinny (Middle) Range of Kamchatka, has a companion – the Khangar volcano. The Khangar volcano appears to have had two active periods in the recent geologic period. Scientists have classified the volcano as a potentially active volcano, which now is relatively dormant. Scientists also predict that future volcanic eruption will bring no instant threat to the human beings inhabiting the area, because human settlements are located far from the volcano. However, the explosion may have a catastrophic impact on the environment. Even a small eruption may cause catastrophic mud flows: the weak eastern wall of the crater may break, releasing the lake, which contains about 0.4 cubic kilometers of water. (photos)
NEW ZEALAND - a second volcanic blast appears unlikely - There has been no more geothermal activity at Kuirau Park since this week's eruption. Staff have been monitoring water levels in the mud pool that erupted on Sunday at 7pm and say all is quiet in the park. Steam pressure under a mud pool broke through the surface causing an eruption. Nobody was in the immediate vicinity at the time. The eruption lasted about an hour before dying down. It blew mud 15m high with a 30m radius around the pool, singeing trees and grass. The area, close to the site of an eruption in 2001, has been draped in a ghostly grey coating of mud.

INDONESIA - The discovery of potential mud volcanoes off the Thai island of Phuket has highlighted the need for more research on the Andaman Sea floor to prepare for future tsunamis, scientists said Tuesday. Data have revealed the existence of four underwater "hills with pretty odd shapes. We believe that some of these hills could be mud volcanoes." Mud volcanoes belch mud and gases and, like their lava-spewing cousins, can trigger earthquakes. Mud volcanoes are caused by heat from the sea floor, but it is too early to say whether these hills are a sign of seismic activity. The same underwater seismic faultline that caused the magnitude-9 quake that triggered the 2004 tsunami lies a few hundred kilometres to the west of where the potential mud volcanoes were discovered.
12/12 -
INDONESIA - A team of Thai and German marine geologists has found four submarine mud volcanoes about 200 kilometres from Phuket. The first and biggest volcano about 200km from Phuket, about 650 metres under the sea. Its base is about 800 metres in diameter and it is 100 metres high. The second volcano is located 50km west of the first volcano at a depth of about 1,000 metres. The third and fourth volcanoes have bases about 500 metres in diameter and are 60-70 metres high. They are located about 60km northeast of the second volcano and are at a depth of 700 to 800 metres. These are the first submarine mud volcanoes discovered in Southeast Asia. But an above-ground mud volcano exists at Baratang Island, in India's Andaman Islands, about 200 to 300km away. The team of marine geologists suspected the mud volcanoes they had found were like submarine mud volcanoes off Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. "This kind of volcano has nothing to do with tsunamis or other disasters. I don't want people to be worried as they are not hazardous." Mud volcanoes are often associated with petroleum deposits and the area might gather strange undersea marine creatures that live without sunlight.
12/8 -
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS - There are indications that Pagan Volcano may erupt, warned the Emergency Management Office yesterday. EMO raised the possibility of volcanic eruption based on information from the Washington Volcano Observatory that reported low level steam and ash emissions from Pagan. Pagan residents reported a 200-foot ash cloud, with ash falling like rain. Pagan residents, however, did not feel any tremor and did not hear any explosions or rumblings. There are about 20 residents on Pagan. Pagan Volcano last erupted in the late '80s, spewing out volcanic ash. Another big explosion occurred in May 2003, with increased activity beginning March 2004.
12/6 -
SICILY - More ash rained down on Catania on Tuesday: during the morning a thin cloud of lava ash was emitted from Etna and fell on the town, pushed south south-east by the wind. The cloud of black sand, less compact than usual, can easily be seen from the town.
RUSSIA - Shiveluch volcano - a second volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East has erupted in the past two days, spewing ash up to an altitude of 5,000 meters (26,500 feet) on Tuesday. The resulting plume poses no threat to the local residents of a village 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the volcano, but there is a danger to aircraft flying near the mountain. The Shiveluch volcano last erupted in September 2005. The Karymsky volcano increased its activity, spewing ash up to an altitude of 6,900 meters (22,637 feet) on Monday. Also on Monday a growing seismic activity was registered at a third volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, Bezymyanny Volcano. Clouds of gas and steam have risen up to 700 meters over its top.
12/5 -
RUSSIA - The Karymsky volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East has increased its activity, spewing ash. The emissions pose no threat to local residents, but there is a danger to aircraft flying near the volcano.
RUSSIA - Bezymyanny Volcano - A growing seismic activity has been registered at Bezymyanny Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. Clouds of gas and steam have risen up to 700 meters over its top. A weak thermal anomaly of minus 17 degrees Celsius has been registered on the volcano with temperatures in the region standing at minus 29 degrees. So far there are no grounds to say the volcano is getting ready for an eruption, but such a possibility is not ruled out. Bezymyanny is one of 28 active volcanoes on the peninsula. Eruptions of the volcano happen one to two times a year, and can last from several hours to several days. Over the past few years, scientists have managed to predict the periods of its activity.
SICILY - Mount Etna, the largest active volcano of Europe, is having an eruption. For the tenth consecutive night, the Catania-Fontanarossa airport has been closed for nocturnal air traffic, because of the volcanic ash coming from Etna.
PHILIPPINES - Mayon’s eruptions in July and August built up lahar around the volcano, but no one warned residents that the approaching typhoon would loosen the debris and send it down the villages. More than 1,000 people were killed when Reming [Durian] slammed into the Bicol region and nearby provinces on Thursday, and many of them died when the typhoon’s rains sent lahar from Mayon Volcano’s slopes cascading down and burying villages. Officials will investigate both the volcanology institute, the highways department, and other agencies for possible negligence. Disaster officials should have ordered a forced evacuation the minute weathermen hoisted typhoon signal no. 4 in the Bicol region.
12/1 -
NEW ZEALAND - Ruapehu Volcano lahar warning level raised from level one to level 2 - the possibility of a lahar pouring from the crater lake is just 1% or 2%. But staff will increase their monitoring and visit the lake every one or two weeks, as the lake level will continue to rise with the summer melt. With the warmer temperatures, large chunks of ice are now carving off a cliff into the lake. It is possible a particularly large chunk could create a wave big enough to wash a small lahar over the edge of the dam created by the 1996 eruption.
11/28 -
Nyamulagira volcano has erupted near the eastern Congolese city of Goma. The latest eruption did not threaten the town, a senior vulcanologist at the scene said. "This seems like a big eruption. It is on the northwest side. The lava will be flowing to the north and not the south, where the town is." The Nyamulagira volcano last erupted in July 2002, hurling lava 200m into the air. Goma is not in the path of lava flows from Nyamulagira because its sister volcano, Mount Nyirangongo, protects the city. "Nyirangongo constitutes a barrier." Nyirangongo is about 13 miles northeast of Goma, while Nyamulagira is another 10 miles further to the northeast. They are the only two active volcanoes in the region. The larger Nyiragongo volcano erupted in January 2002, pouring lava over much of Goma and sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing for their lives. The eruption of Nyirangongo destroyed about a fifth of the residential areas of Goma. About 100 people died as lava flows as deep as 10 feet overtook parts of the city of 500,000. Nyamulagira erupted later the same year, spewing plumes of lava 300 feet into the air, but without threatening Goma.
SICILY - Clouds of volcanic ash billowing from Mount Etna forced authorities Monday to shut down the airport near the Sicilian city of Catania for a fourth straight night. The airport is being closed only overnight since pilots during the day can avoid ash-laden clouds. Mount Etna, Europe‘s biggest and most active volcano, springs to life every few months. In 1669, a huge eruption destroyed Catania. Etna‘s last major eruption was in 1992.
11/27 -
PHILIPPINES - Taal volcano in the middle of a lake south of the Philippine capital emitted mud-laden geysers, prompting scientists to raise a low-level alert on Friday. Officials at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no danger of an immediate eruption. A new mud geyser spewed water rising about 50 centimetres above the surface. It also recorded 10 quakes in the previous 24 hours, compared to 48 in the previous week.
11/23 -
INDONESIA - At least seven people have been killed in a gas pipeline explosion near the site of a massive mud leak that has displaced thousands in Indonesia. A number of people are still missing after the powerful blast shot flames hundreds of metres in the air near the city of Surabaya on Java island. Officials suspect the mud's weight may have caused subsidence which led the underground pipe to break. The authorities have been struggling for months to stop the mud 'volcano'. The lake of mud now covers more than 400 hectares (988 acres), submerging eight villages, and shows no sign of stopping. Workers have been trying to contain the flow with a network of dams and by channelling some of it into the sea, but the mud is believed to have caused the area to sink. (photo)
WASHINGTON - The current eruption of Washington State's Mount St. Helens, which began about two years ago, has been marked by a series of weak, shallow earthquakes, or "drumbeats," that occur every couple of minutes, a new study says. The "slip/stick" motion of the rocky "plug" being pushed out of the volcano is causing those rhythmic quakes. In nature, repetitive events like this are RARE. For the process to have continued for so long, new magma must be solidifying against the bottom of the plug at the same average rate at which the plug is rising. Otherwise, the mountain should pop its cork and spew lava — or the plug should seal the lava strongly enough that the quakes would temporarily halt. As long as magma continues to rise from below, "the chances are that it'll keep coming out at the top." Other scientists doubt that the plug's tiny motions can cause quakes within Mount St. Helens. Rather, they say, vibrations in a steam-filled horizontal fracture about 330 feet (100 meters) beneath the crater floor are causing the drumbeats. In this scenario, the pressure probably comes from steam, as water inside the volcano is heated by the rising magma. "It looks like Mount St. Helens is huffing and puffing and basically behaving like a steam engine."
Despite the ongoing volcanic activity for the last two years, there is no indication Mount St. Helens is on the verge of a repeat performance of its cataclysmic 1980 eruption, scientists said Wednesday. The volcano has produced thousands of shallow, regular, repetitive earthquakes since 2004. (photo)
TONGA - The newly born volcanic island may only last a month before disappearing beneath the ocean waves. Its size seems to be dwindling by the day. The new island emerged in August, around 1.5 kilometres across, complete with four peaks and a central crater. Images obtained on 12 and 14 November from NASA's Terra satellite suggest that the island has shrunk in surface area by about a third since early October. Small volcanic lakes on the island have also disappeared. Home Reef previously last erupted in 1984, when it created an island of roughly the same dimension — which also later vanished beneath the waves.
11/22 -
PHILIPPINES - Taal Volcano's main crater has been spewing three to five-meter-high geysers of muddy water since Friday morning. In its Saturday advisory, Phivolcs said the muddy water flowed from the north-northeastern portion of the main crater. A similar event, which was recorded in November 1999, lasted until February 2000. Taal Volcano, known as the smallest active volcano in the world, is located about 70 kilometers south of Manila on an island inside a lake called Taal Lake. What makes Taal Volcano more unique is the fact that the volcano itself has a lake of its own inside its crater which is called the "Crater Lake."
INDONESIA - Mt. Merapi in Indonesia's Java island calmed down Tuesday morning after spewing hot clouds up to three kilometers down from its peak Monday night. The local government had called on people living on the volcano's slope to increase their awareness for possible more hot clouds and floods of cold lava.
Scientists say they've found a link between an 18th-century volcanic eruption that killed 9,000 Icelanders and a severe famine in Egypt. The investigators used a National Aeronautics and Space Administration computer model to track atmospheric changes that followed the 1783 eruption of Laki in southern Iceland. The researchers said the study is the first to conclusively establish a link between high-latitude eruptions and the water supply in North Africa. The study presents "strong evidence" that high-latitude eruptions have altered northern hemisphere atmospheric circulation in the summer following, with impacts extending deep into the tropics.
11/16 -
CALIFORNIA - The city of Clearlake is home to an active volcano that may erupt violently within the next 10,000 years. Clearlake is a location that the United States Geology Survey recently named as a "high threat" location that should be monitored more closely. The next eruption in Clearlake, a city about 80 miles west of Sacramento, would probably be a violent explosion of magma, not a small lava flow. The volcano in Clearlake may be "actively recharging" for a future eruption for several reasons. The Earth's crust around the volcano is giving off an UNUSUAL amount of heat, and is emitting gases that are chemically similar to magma. Geologists have observed earthquakes below the Earth's surface in Clearlake, and they "have a fluid signature," which points to the existence of magma below the Earth's surface.
11/12 -
TONGA - A new island, thought to be a result of a volcanic eruption, has risen out of the Pacific Ocean between Tonga's volcanic islands of Kao and Late. The Tongan government has not officially confirmed the presence of the island but several people reported encountering a new landmass after a September volcanic eruption ejected great amounts of pumice into the water. One person estimated the size of the island to be larger than Fotuha'a, which is inhabited by 134 people.
11/7 -
SICILY - The highly active phase of Mt Etna, which began Sunday at 9.45 pm, decreased in intensity after 11 pm. After that time slight volcanic activity continued in the south-eastern crater. Around 2 am two more lava flows from the crater's mouth were noted at 3.050 metres, which are moving downwards towards the south. The lava flow at the top seems to have stopped, whereas the one further down is increasing and is fanning out.
----------------
10/27 -
RUSSIA - The Karymsky volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East has increased its activity, spewing ash emissions up to an altitude of around 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). Experts said a total of 450 minor quakes have been registered over the past 24 hours near Karymsky. The volcano erupted in February following an 11-year period of normal activity. Ash emissions and about 230 minor tremors were reported last week. Experts say the volcano's activity has been accelerating. This year more than 1,200 people, including 542 children, were evacuated from the north of the Kamchatka peninsula after a series of earthquakes. The first 7.8-magnitude quake, the strongest in the Koryak Autonomous Area in the north of the peninsular since 1900, injured 31 people on April 21.
PHILIPPINES - The restive Bulusan volcano spewed mud and ash Thursday for the second time this week in the central Philippines.
SICILY - Experts swooped on Mount Etna on Thursday after the volcano sprang back into life. The volcanologists examined a fresh lava flow on the south side of the volcano, coming out of a fissure that opened up at the weekend at a height of 2,000 metres. Lava is now flowing from three craters on the mountain accompanied by blasts, black smoke and ash. The new craters, however, are far from any inhabited areas, experts stressed. Serious volcanic activity occurred in the summer of 2001. Viewers around the world were held spellbound by the beauty of the spectacle, which experts said was ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL AND COMPLEX ERUPTIONS IN THREE CENTURIES.
10/26 -
SICILY - Mount Etna, Europe's largest volcano, continued erupting overnight to Thursday with a 2,000 metre-high lava flow streaming into the valley below. The glowing rock mass was flowing down the southerly face of the mountain. It was unclear whether a new crater had been opened or whether an old one had become active. The volcano started erupting on Sunday after a long period of dormancy. There have been several lava flows, but the eruption poses no risk to people in the region, according to the authorities. [There has also been a 5.7 quake in Sicily this morning.]
10/23 -
PHILIPPINES - Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon exploded again Thursday afternoon, belching an ash column from the volcano crater summit for the second time this month, signifying that the volcano's restiveness is still high and the volcano is still in an abnormal state.
Thousands of mud volcanoes have been found from Alaska to Australia. They range from tiny seeps to cones 500 metres (1,640 ft) tall. Risks from volcanoes that ooze mud rather than spew lava have long been underestimated worldwide, even with a cataclysmic mudflow in Java that has swamped an area the size of Monaco and forced 10,000 people from their homes. Mud volcanoes are rarely deadly since they more often seep rather than explode. But they can cause disasters, ranging from subsidence to tsunamis. Mud volcanoes are often caused by a build-up of pressure from sediments crushed several kilometres below the surface that release methane and other gases. They are often found near oil and gas deposits, also caused by a crush of organic matter. In Azerbaijan, a large mud volcano that erupted in 2001 released giant flares of methane.
10/20 -
ECUADOR - About 300 villagers were evacuated from the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano following a surprise eruption of ash, lava and incandescent rocks Wednesday night. No injuries were immediately reported. Experts have warned that renewed explosions could come any time from the volcano 135 kilometers (85 miles) south of the capital of Quito. A violent eruption in mid-August killed four people and left two others missing and still unaccounted for. Nearly 5,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged and some 190,000 hectares (475,000 acres) of farmland were covered by ash. Thousands of people were also evacuated in July during an earlier eruption. Unlike that eruption, which followed months of loud, booming explosions and rumbling, the smaller explosion late Wednesday came with no warning. "There wasn't a single sound. There was fire and lava that made us take precautionary measures." The upper slopes of the volcano have been mostly deserted since August. Pressure has been building inside the volcano since early September. "What we have seen now is evidence that something there could be something similar to the episodes in July and August" coming. "Inside the ground there is a chamber of magma much larger than the volcano itself."
10/13 -
INDIA - After spewing smoke and molten rock for the past 16 months, India's only active volcano appears to be sputtering out. The volcano on Barren Island in the Andaman archipelago erupted in May 2005 following the massive undersea earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra that generated the devastating December 2004 tsunami. "Volcanic activity in the entire area of the Andaman and Nicobar region is calming down." The release of huge quantities of molten rock and the resulting decline in pressure inside the volcano had likely led to the decreased activity.
10/12 -
EL SALVADOR - Authorities declared an alert on Tuesday for an area around the Chaparrastique volcano after the peak began rumbling ominously. 45,000 people who live within an area roughly 4 square kilometers (1.4 square miles) around the peak were urged to be ready for a possible call for evacuations. The volcano had been experiencing relatively small, imperceptible tremors for days, but in the last several hours had emitted "continuous, abnormal vibrations." Such vibrations are sometimes observed before an eruption.
10/11 -
PHILIPPINES - Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province shot ash columns into the air late Tuesday afternoon, signaling renewed volcanic activity after about four months of relative calm. Seismologists said Bulusan erupted nine times, spewing a thick column of ash three kilometers into the sky, which later drifted southeast to the towns of the towns of Casiguran, Irosin, and Bulan. The explosion may have been caused by contact of rainwater with hot rocks in Bulusan's crater but volcanologists would conduct further studies to check if the volcano was gearing for a violent eruption. There were no signs that the volcano would go into a major eruption. There was no prior warning because the province has remained without power since typhoon Milenyo’s passage. The volcano has exploded nine times between March 21 and June 20, prompting school closures and the evacuation of selected communities. It has not belched ash since June.
INDONESIA - The Japanese International Cooperation Agency warned of possible great lava slide along several rivers on Mt. Merapi's slope in Indonesia in the upcoming rainy season. A delegation to Yogyakarta said that the Gendol river was the most dangerous one as it had a large deposit of volcanic materials upstream. "Our survey showed that volcanic materials in Gendol river can be easily carried downstream by water." They stressed the need of an early warning system for tourists and residents working on the river downstream especially entering the rainy season as cold lava could strike anytime.
10/8 -
Mt Tavurvur - the erupting volcano on the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain is forcing people to evacuate their homes, as large volumes of ash fall on the town of Rabaul. There are reports of doors slamming, windows rattling and ash falling as far away as Kokopo across the harbour from Rabaul. "People are spontaneously evacuating from areas of heavy ash fall and those exposed to the worst of the air blasts. These are quite alarming." The ash column was around 5000m high with thunder and lightning within it. In 1994, large eruptions of Tavurvur and nearby Vulcan destroyed much of Rabaul. "We do not anticipate it will turn into a major eruption like 1994."
Favourable winds have saved the tiny town of Rabaul on Papua New Guinea's New Britain island from the effects of a devastating volcanic eruption, keeping the bulk of the ash away. Mount Tavurvur erupted yesterday with a blast that shattered windows up to 12 kilometres away. If it was not for the favourable winds, the damage could have been far worse than the 1994 eruption that destroyed much of Rabaul and forced the construction of a new capital, Kokopo, 20 kilometres away. Many locals feared the eruptions would cause a tidal wave. "There was a lot of panic, a lot of local people ran into the hills thinking the sea would be rising and there would be tidal waves and that the other volcano which blew in '94 was going to go as well." (photo)
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists say an eruption of Mount Ruapehu last week sent 6m-high waves across the crater lake. A team of scientists made it to the top of Mount Ruapehu on Saturday, and confirmed the mountain definitely did erupt. The scientists say the blast caused waves 6m high to lash the side of the crater lake and raised the temperature of the water by at least seven degrees. They say the eruption was contained within the lake. Although seismic activity at Ruapehu is now at normal levels, crevasses are opening up in the basin, and avalanche conditions may develop as the spring sun softens the new snow.
ALASKA - Fourpeaked volcano is rumbling again. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says a seismometer indicates activity has been ongoing all week. Clouds are impeding closer observations. The volcano has been spewing high quantities of sulfur dioxide. Fourpeaked volcano is not known to have erupted historically and the age of the last eruption is not known. Geological investigations have been limited and ice covers much of the area. However, the composition of the volcano indicates that eruptions of Fourpeaked can be explosive, possibly producing plumes that reach in excess of 33,000 ft. above sea level and local ashfall.
10/5 -
INDONESIA - The Indonesian government has given its backing to a plan to dump millions of tons of untreated muddy water into the Porong river, near Surabaya city. Muddy water is already being pumped, and a pipeline is being built to take it directly to the coast. The environment ministry admits the plan will destroy marine life in the area. Environmental groups say it could take 30 years to repair the damage. The plan is a last ditch attempt to stave off disaster, four months after mud started spurting out of a crack in the earth. The mud spill has flooded more than 400 hectares (990 acres) of land. It has also forced more than 10,000 people from their homes, and submerged several villages. As the clock ticks down to the start of the rainy season, measures to contain the mud are getting ever more desperate. A series of dams built to limit the spread of the sludge has burst several times, flooding eight villages and closing the main highway into the city. With the crack in the earth now pumping out nearly 130,000 cubic metres of mud a day, the government says it has no option but to channel the sludge into the sea.
A small earthquake inside the Mount Ruapehu volcano in New Zealand triggered a landslide alert, though no slide or flood of water from the crater lake occurred. A lahar is expected to occur when a natural dam of volcanic ash around the lake collapses, releasing hundreds of millions of liters (gallons) of water and mud trapped inside. Scientists said they were trying to determine whether the lahar alert was set off by a small eruption generating a wave that rippled across the lake after the quake. A huge mud and water flow from the central North Island volcano's crater lake killed 151 people in 1953. "What triggered this off last night was a small volcanic earthquake of magnitude 3 ... the size that generates an eruption at Ruapehu. So we may or may not have had a small eruption that's thrown out a bit of lake water, that triggered off the system." During the 1996 eruption millions of tones (tons) of ash were tossed over nearby farmland and rocks the size of large cars blasted out of the crater. No major mud flow had occurred at that time. The government two years ago decided not to try to prevent a massive water and mud slide that is expected to burst out of the crater lake by late 2007 — instead focusing on ways to warn residents once a lahar, or mud flow, is under way.
MT. ETNA has resumed its volcanic activity with lava flows from the south-east crater. The lava is clearly visible from the summit of the volcano, and has reached Valle del Bove, a deserted zone far from any towns, where there is no danger to any people. Over the past few hours, the instruments of the National Institute of Geology and Volcanic Studies have revealed an increase in volcanic tremors. Since September Mt Etna has been experiencing intermittent volcanic activity, and this is the fourth time since then that a lava flow has been produced. Mt Etna Webcam.
10/2 -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists are predicting Wanganui will eventually become a volcano. There is already a huge amount of seismic activity beneath the city. A line can be drawn straight from the volcanoes of the Kermadec arc, through White Island, Ruapehu and Wanganui. However there is no need to flee Wanganui in terror just yet. The volcano is not expected to emerge for thousands of years.
-------------------------
9/29 -
INDONESIA - In Java, experts have warned about the possible risk of volcanic eruption similar to that in Pompei - for four months, millions of cubic metres of boiling mud have been flowing around the whereabouts of Porong; entire villages have already been submerged and 10,000 people displaced. Efforts to block the mudflow went on until academics concluded there was no way to stop it and that the only option was to contain the flow and channel it towards the sea, seeking to limit damage done. Meanwhile, tension is rising among local residents: for months, they have watched their homes, work and fields being submerged, and now they are protesting the absence of proper intervention. Road blocks on the route from Malang to Surabaya have become the order of the day, with queues of cars of around 4 to 5 km long. Thousands of people have erected tents near the edge of the road, seeking shelter to escape the mud. Citing scientific studies, an expert said a mud volcano had been lying dormant under Porong for 4.9 million of year. In December this could erupt, with mud sweeping across kilometers of land, as Mt Vesuvius did in Pompei: “The potential disaster is near. The hot mud quantity is beyond our imagination... my opinion as a geologist is that we have no choice other than to send this mud to rivers and the sea. We are now reaching the last days of September and soon the rainy season will start,” which could swell the volume of mud and encourage eruption.
9/28 -
ALASKA - Just beyond the site where volcano Mt. Augustine finally quieted after several months of eruption, a new boil of the Earth’s surface is expelling plumes of ash, gas and steam from beneath its layer of glacier skin. That mask, scientists say, is the reason there are many unknowns regarding this volcano’s activity — which makes it difficult to predict what may happen next. Fourpeaked has been active since last Sunday after a likely hibernation of at least 10,000 years. The initial plume Sunday reached 20,000 feet into the sky.
9/27 -
PHILIPPINES - Mayon rumbles back to life again. Mayon volcano activities significantly increased yesterday. During the past 24-hours, Mayon Volcano's seismic network recorded seven (7) volcanic earthquakes and eighteen (18) tremor episodes. Intermittent discharge of incandescent lava fragments and intense glow from the crater were still observed from the summit. Steaming from the crater was moderate with white plumes drifting southwest. Mayon Volcano remains at a high level of unrest with fair probability for explosive eruptions.
ALASKA - Fourpeaked Mountain, a volcano that has been quiet for thousands of years, appears to be coming back to life. Fourpeaked Volcano, about 80 miles northwest of Kodiak across Shelikof Strait, was upgraded by the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage to code yellow, meaning restless with an eruption possible. “An atmospheric disturbance was recorded in Fairbanks. It is clear the sound waves were coming from Fourpeaked.” In addition, a cloud of sulfur dioxide gas was detected during the eruption. The last volcanic activity at Fourpeaked was more than 10,000 years ago and no recent volcanic or hydrothermal activity had been identified. Earthquake activity has now been detected below Fourpeaked. An earthquake located on Afognak Island 75 miles southeast of Fourpeaked, with a magnitude of 3.6, was reported Tuesday. The area is in the Cape Douglas area on Fourpeaked Glacier, south of St. Augustine Volcano, which is now designated as code green, or normal seismic activity, and could be emitting some ash that was reported earlier in the week.
INDONESIA - European geologists said Monday it may be impossible to stop a massive surge of hot sludge on Indonesia's densely populated island of Java, saying it could be the birth of a new mud volcano. The mud, which is almost five metres deep in some places, has submerged houses in four villages since it started spewing from a hole four months ago, displacing more than 10,000 people. At least 20 factories and 270 hectares of land have been inundated or abandoned due to safety reasons. The mud has repeatedly washed onto a major toll road, closing it for weeks at a time, and now threatens a rail link in the industrial area just outside Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city.
Late on Monday the mudflow broke barriers and injured six. One had burns from waist to ankle. Several experts have said the mudflow, which started to spurt in late May, could have been triggered by a crack about 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) deep in East Java province's Banjar Panji well. However, a group of international scientists said this week the mudflow might be a natural phenomenon that could be impossible to stop. The mud has swamped four villages over an area larger than Monaco, displacing more than 10,000 people and highlighting the chequered environmental practices in exploiting resources in Indonesia. The Monday night barrier breaches had been predicted by hundreds of villagers living near the sand-and-gravel dykes who fled the area last week. But, several site workers who stayed in the abandoned houses failed to anticipate the flood. The ongoing crisis has forced the local government in East Java province to allow the channeling of the muddy water into a nearby river, despite concerns it could pollute the ocean, a source of income for millions living on Java's eastern coast. "We are racing against time. The rainy season is near and we must reduce the pressure against the dykes."
India's last active volcano in the Barren island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is slowly calming down 16 months after its eruption. 'Barren' had erupted in May 2005 after the disastrous tsumani hit the island in December 2004. The volcano runs about 150 fathoms deep under the sea and usually gives off smoke.
New research puts 'killer La Palma tsunami' at distant future - The volcanic island of La Palma in the Canaries is much more stable than is generally assumed, Dutch scientists working at the TU Delft have found. The southwestern flank of the island isn’t likely to fall into the sea (potentially causing a tsunami) for at least another 10,000 years. Only under very extreme conditions, the flank could become unstable, they have calculated. This would require unusually heavy rainfall during an exceptionally strong magmatic outburst, or some other highly unlikely combination of circumstances. ‘Based on what we know now, so many things must go wrong that a disaster seems very, very unlikely’.
9/18 -
INDONESIA - At least 13 quakes and one small eruption with black smoke were recorded in the volcanic activities of Mount Talang in Solok district in West Sumatra on Sunday.
NIGERIA - There could be large scale volcanic eruption in Song Local Government Area of Adamawa State given the recent eruptions in the area. The first major eruption occurred in the area in 1998. Two other eruptions occurred in 2003. Although no life was lost due to the eruptions, there was evidence of rock displacements, the death of cattle and overflowing of the Loko river. National Technical Committee on Earthquake Phenomenon members are currently touring Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states to ascertain the impact of a possible earthquake in the area. The committee is also to ascertain the impact of a volcano along the mid-Atlantic ridge on the Cameroon’s Lagdo dam and its effect on Nigeria.
9/15 -
WASHINGTON - U.S. Geological Survey scientists had charted earthquake swarms and even small eruptions since Mount St. Helens volcano's 1980 massive eruption, but those lasted a matter of days or weeks. The current eruption has lasted nearly two years. In the first two days of the earthquakes officials weren't even sure if this was an eruption, they just knew they were recording hundreds of earthquakes each day. "Within two or three days we started thinking it was leading up to an eruption, but we certainly didn't have a sense that it would last for two years. Even if we'd had known this was going to be a lava dome-building eruption, I don't think anyone would have thought that it would have lasted this long." Lava first reached the crater on Oct. 11, 2004, and hasn't stopped since. In the past two years the volcano has thrust more than 100 million cubic yards of volcanic rock into the crater, eclipsing the 97 million cubic yards it took six years to squeeze out during the 1980s. Significantly different from the devastating 1980 eruption, the volcano now is emitting relatively low levels of gas, meaning this eruption is much less likely to be explosive. The current eruption has illustrated how quickly dormant volcanoes can "wake up" in just a day or two.
PHILIPPINES - Mount Mayon’s abnormal parameters slightly fluctuated again in the past 24 hours, with magma-ascent indicator volcanic earthquakes detected 18 times compared with eight the previous day. The lava extrusion tremors were up from 108 to 111, and the volume of sulfur dioxide emission was fixed at 1,500 tons a day in the past three days. Intermittent rolling lava and crater glow continued to crown the volcano Wednesday. Volcanologists said alert level 3 might be further lowered in one to two more weeks, depending on the day-to-day showing of the volcano’s abnormal parameters.
9/14 -
INDONESIA - Scientists have raised the alert level at rumbling Mt. Taland volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra island after it showed signs of increased activity, but a major eruption is not imminent. Sensors on the slopes of Mount Talang picked up increased volcanic activity and a buildup of gases, but the mountain did not send debris or lava down its slopes. The mountain was spewing brownish smoke some 250m into the air on Sunday, after the alert was raised to the second-highest level a day earlier, but nearby towns and villages were in no danger.
9/10 -
ITALY - The largest volcano in Europe is erupting, and it is putting on quite a colorful display. Lava is oozing from the southeastern crater of Mount Etna. The volcano's eruption is being caused by lava explosions inside the crater. The eruption is happening about 9,300 feet above sea level, so experts said it is not a threat to people or homes in the area. Etna Webcam
PHILIPPINES - Mayon's lava flow in its 2006 eruption is the LONGEST IN ITS HISTORY, lasting 56 days as of September 8. The volcano has been able to sustain its continuous flowing of lava even in the absence of strong explosions. This is a new characteristic compared to prior behavior in which strong explosions culminated into lava flow.
9/8 -
PHILIPPINES - Eruption of Mayon about over, experts say. Mayon Volcano’s eight-week eruption is nearing its end, giving fresh hope to tens of thousands of people displaced by its lava flows, officials said yesterday.
9/7 -
PHILIPPINES - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Mt. Mayon's condition is still abnormal as lava extrusion continues.
INDONESIA - alert level raised at smoking Mount Bromo volcano. Indonesia has raised the alert level at the volcano on Java island, and is urging villagers and tourists to stay off the mountain's slopes. Mount Bromo typically erupts once a year, but it does not send debris or lava far down its slopes and nearby towns and villages were in no danger. Bromo was placed at the second-highest alert level on Tuesday, meaning an eruption may occur within one or two weeks.
9/3 -
Montserrat volcano spews ash and steam; scientists warn of increased activity.
8/31 -
PHILIPPINES - The sulfur dioxide (S02) emission of the rumbling Mayon Volcano abruptly increased to 9,733 tons on Wednesday from Tuesday's 3,864 tons. Mt. Mayon's normal S02 emission rate is pegged at 500 tons daily. The abrupt increase in the S02 emission rate was due to the degassing of magma after the two series of explosions recorded during the 24-hour observation period on Tuesday.
8/30 -
PHILIPPINES - Displaced residents have begun to trek back to their homes in the past couple of days as Mayon, one of the most active volcanoes in the country, showed signs of quieting down. But alert level 4, the highest alert level for a volcano, has not been lifted by PHIVOLCS. The latest bulletin said a total of 24 volcanic quakes were recorded around the volcano as of 8 a.m. Tuesday. "This means that a hazardous explosive eruption is highly possible." A series of small ash explosions were monitored from Mayon between late Monday afternoon and up to early Tuesday morning. "The series of small ash explosions for the past 24 hours indicated that Mayon is exhibiting a slight increase in activity. More ash explosions are expected in the coming days."
ECUADOR - the seismic activity of the Tungurahua during the past days has been low. Lava flows have been registered at the northwest flank of the volcano and descended through the Cusúa and La Hacienda rifts. The threat of a new eruption remains high and the volcano continues to be thoroughly monitored. The evacuated population continues living in 11 temporary shelters.
INDONESIA - For 3 months, a sea of hot mud has been gushing from the ground in Sidoarjo, East Java, 35 kilometres south of Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya. The steaming mud pool is growing at an estimated 50,000 cubic metres a day, accompanied by hydrogen sulphide gas, and now reportedly covers more than 25 square kilometres. The flow has not yet been stopped; thousands of people have lost their homes. Mud and gas accumulates when sea sediments are trapped in subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides under another, and can erupt out of volcanic cones or simply from a crack in the ground. But the Sidoarjo mud volcano is RATHER UNUSUAL. It's huge. And reports of the mud eruption suggest that it is a hybrid between typical mud volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The mud is of an UNUSUALLY high temperature (60 °C) and contains enormously high concentrations of hydrogen sulphide gas. This suggests that some kind of volcanic, hydrothermal activity is going on at the same time. According to many geological experts, the scale of this mud volcano is UNPRECEDENTED — at least on land. In 1945, the Makran earthquake in Pakistan triggered the sudden emergence of three offshore mud volcanoes, and in March 1999 a mud volcano rose out of the water overnight to form Malan Island, 3 kilometres from Pakistan's coast.
8/28 -
ITALY - Satellite images have revealed the volcanic region of the Phlegrean Fields, located in southern Italy near the city of Naples, has entered a new uplift phase. The caldera - a ring-shaped region which includes several volcanoes - has uplifted about 2.8 centimetres from 2005 to 2006. The Phlegrean Fields caldera had its last eruption back in 1538 but has exhibited signs of unrest (bradyseismic activity) in recent years. Its underlying magma system remains active, leading to rapid periods of ground uplift followed by longer-term subsidence. The most recent uplift event occurred between March and August 2000.
8/27 -
PHILIPPINES - Lava flows were seen all over Mayon's summit, creating a larger pathway for hot and boiling pyroclastic flow including powerful avalanche of rock falls suggesting an impending major eruption. "During an aerial investigation around Mayon, we noted that the whole summit was covered with thick lava flow. The deposit of lava flow has reached three to four kilometres all over the summit of Mayon. It is a very dangerous sign. This could push faster the movement of lava flow, which is now at 6.8 kilometre at the southeast side of Mayon's summit. This will also attract pyroclastic flows in the event of a major eruption which is still expected to come."
The Albay provincial government is getting millions from the sand and boulders of Mayon Volcano. The sand and boulders deposited at the different river channels are of high quality. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology estimates there are 53.459 million cubic meters of volcanic debris that were deposited at the slopes of Mayon Volcano during the 2000 and 2001 eruptions.
8/25 -
PHILIPPINES - After over a month of calm, Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon province, central Philippines emitted smoke on Thursday morning. Phivolcs had lowered the warning status at Mount Bulusan to alert level 1, the lowest in its monitoring system, about a month ago. In nearby Albay province, restive Mount Mayon continued to exhibit volcanic activity that showed it was headed for an explosive eruption in the coming days.
8/23 -
PHILIPPINES - After a brief lull, Mt. Mayon in Albay has resumed exhibiting high abnormal conditions, blowing its top six times over a 24-hour period since Monday night. Volcanic earthquakes indicating magma ascending to the crater were detected 24 times. Tremors from the on-rushing lava registered a RECORD-HIGH 431 times. Mayon rested for about two days. But with the resurgence of its high-level unrest, volcanologists said it is too early to tell whether the country’s most active volcano is set for a bigger explosion or simmering down. "It is in fact dangerous to declare this early that Mayon is already simmering down because its eruption history tells us the opposite." Although the sulfur dioxide emission dropped to 2,445 tons yesterday from 5,390 tons Monday, the rate of lava extrusion and volume of rock falls had increased anew.
ECUADOR - More than a million Ecuadorians have been affected by the eruption of the Tungurahua Volcano last Thursday. Tungurahua threw ash and burning rock into the stratosphere, affecting over one million people, almost 454,000 in Tungurahua and 403,632 in Chimborazo. At least five people died and three more went missing. The latter were also presumed dead. The eruption has destroyed more than 40,000 hectares of crops in Chimborazo alone. In addition, 50,000 poultry were also killed in the disaster. On Monday the volcanic activity was calming. But an increasing warp on the north face of the mountain showed that it was continuing to accumulate lava. It could lead to an even larger explosion than Thursday's eruption. Tungurahua has not erupted or shown signs of seismic activity since Thursday, and the crater was showing signs of deflation.
8/22 -
HAWAII - Scientists say that a three-mile-wide bulge at the top of Kilauea could lead to an eruption from the volcano's summit. The bulge is dramatic. They don't have enough information yet to determine what the bulge means, but it could eventually lead to a summit eruption. The bulge has lifted the volcano four-point-three inches since earlier this year. The bulge is caused by magma swelling into a reservoir beneath the surface. As it builds up, the reservoir inflates, causing the ground around it to crack.
8/20 -
PHILIPPINES - MAYON'S ERUPTION TRAITS UNIQUE - For possessing unique eruption characteristics not found in any other volcano around the world, Filipino volcanologists want to christen Mt. Mayon’s eruption episodes as "mayonian." These traits are so unique that only this Philippine volcano has continuously displayed them in most of its 46 eruption episodes since the 15th century. They are running out of available names whenever they are asked to describe Mayon’s abnormal eruption episodes, saying the volcano with the near-perfect cone has its own unique patterns of abnormal behavior.
8/18 -
ECUADOR - At least 1 person is dead and 60 others are missing after Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano spewed molten rock onto three villages last night. Tungurahua has shown heightened activity for much of the past two months. The latest eruption shot ash and hot gas five miles (eight kilometers) into the air and destroyed the towns of Chilibu, Choglontuz, and Palitagua. "[The villages] no longer exist. Everything is wiped out." Authorities had evacuated hundreds of families in the hours before the eruption, but many people remained behind and were injured by falling rocks or burned by lava and hot vapor. And the threat isn't over yet. Scientists from Ecuador's national geophysics institute warn that even though the mountain has calmed down for the moment, another cycle of activity could begin at any time.
8/17 -
PHILIPPINES - Mayon Volcano’s cone swelled slightly yesterday as fresh magma forced its way to the top, indicating material is building up for an explosive eruption, scientists said. They said instruments detected a slight swelling in the mountain’s upper part and some deformation on the ground as fresh magma started pushing up to the top. There is a high probability of the volcano erupting any time following recent readings.
8/14 -
PHILIPPINES - Mayon volcano enters 'danger phase' - Searing gas and debris raced down the slope of the Mayon volcano in the Philippines this weekend, a development that showed the volcano has entered a much more threatening cycle, a scientist said. The burst of pyroclastic flow Saturday marked the first time Mayon shot out fast-moving hot gas and rock fragments after weeks of showing signs of a major eruption. “We're not worried much with lava flows because they're slow moving, but pyroclastic flows travel at such high velocity and could destroy almost everything in its path.” Mayon continued to show signs of restiveness Sunday, emitting abnormally high levels of sulfuric dioxide and puffing ash at least six times.
8/13 -
HAWAII - Lava has started flowing from Kilauea Volcano into the Pacific Ocean from a new entry point, building more Big Island land. Video taken on Thursday shows molten rock slithering down cliffs and oozing into the sea, unleashing clouds of steam as the lava hits the ocean. 8/4 -
PHILIPPINES - Mayon’s restiveness continues at a very alarming level and Phivolcs officials have warned that the volcano is nearing eruption. As eruption loomed, the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council started putting up police checkpoints at entrances to the 6-km radius permanent danger zone. Lava flow continues and big boulders are reaching the 6-km distance from the crater. The Phivolcs official said Mayon had showed a RECORD HIGH of more than 12,500 tons of emission of sulfur dioxide. People should not venture into the permanent danger zone because the moment that Mayon starts emitting pyroclastic flow at about 60 velocity per hour speed, its 300 degrees Celsius temperature could instantly kill.
8/3 -
HAWAII - Five to 10 acres of the 60-acre lava "bench" on the coast of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has collapsed into the sea. The exact size of Sunday's collapse won't be known until Friday when aerial mapping is done, and that number may not be completely accurate because the gap left by the collapse is already filling with new lava. The last major collapse was Nov. 28 when 44 acres of rock disappeared into the sea, including an entire 34-acre bench plus 10 acres of older cliff behind the bench. It was the largest Kilauea Volcano bench collapse recorded. Tour helicopters reported Sunday that they saw a sudden cloud of white steam beginning at 12:49 p.m. with a black cloud at its base. Although the cloud lasted about 10 minutes, the collapse is believed to have taken place in a single moment.
WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, for the third time in two weeks, Mount St. Helens trembled with a 3.6-magnitude earthquake. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey in Vancouver said the quakes probably do not represent a change in eruption style, although they are the largest since the earliest days of the eruption in the fall of 2004. Each quake either represents a lurch or surge of the massive spine coming out of the conduit, or it could represent fracturing of rock around the conduit pumping lava onto the crater surface. A third scenario raises the possibility of a slump or fracture within the lava dome after lava is extruded. The volcano continues to extrude lava at a rate of about a pickup truck load every few seconds.Tiny earthquakes have occurred every few minutes for the past several months.
8/1 -
PHILIPPINES - Lava flow from the crater of Mayon volcano on Tuesday ignited a fire that destroyed plantation areas in two villages near the six-kilometer permanent danger zone. Coconut plantation, grazing and vegetation areas were devoured by the cascading hot lava. The toe of the advancing lava in the Mabinit Channel has advanced some 200 meters the past 24 hours, or approximately 5.8 aerial kilometers from the crater and at 280 meters elevation. However, the sulfur dioxide emission rate decreased to 7.418 tonnes per day, although it has remained way above normal levels. The general trend for SO2 flux is still increasing. The volcano's summit Tuesday morning revealed voluminous gas emission with easterly to northeasterly drifts. The earthquake activity inside Mayon generally remained at similar levels throughout this unrest, which is low and indicative of Mayon's "open" magma system. The nature of these quakes suggests magma ascent. Officials have started a 24-hour round-the-clock watch on Mayon to warn the people of an impending major eruption.
-------------------
7/31 -
PHILIPPINES - PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE EVACUATION authorities on Sunday warned residents living near Mount Mayon, as lava flowed past the volcano's six-kilometer permanent danger zone. No signs of an immediate eruption were reported as of posting time though residents affected by ash fall and pyroclastic materials from the volcano were told they should evacuate. The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol, meanwhile, is closely monitoring the condition of residents in Santo Domingo town affected by ash fall.
7/30 -
INDONESIA - MT. KARANGETAN LAVA FLOW THREATENS VILLAGES - Flows of lava accompanied by showers of molten rock shooting into the sky have forced villagers living close to Mount Karangetan volcano in eastern Indonesia to shelter in schools and churches, officials said on Saturday. There did not appear to be a danger of a major eruption by Mount Karangetan at the moment but the lava continued to threaten nearby villages. There have been no reports of casualties so far from the volcano on Siau island, which lies north of Manado on Sulawesi island, 2,200 km (1,365 miles) northeast of the capital Jakarta.
PHILIPPINES - MT. MAYON MAY ERUPT IN DAYS - A scientist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that eruption may take place in days if the heightened restiveness of Mt. Mayon is sustained. Friday the sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission of Mt. Mayon shot up to its highest level, at 9,275 tons a day, since its "quiet" eruption starting last July 14. "We are still looking for other parameters like ground deformation, lava fountainings, harmonic tremors, and explosion type earthquakes before we can raise the alert level to level 4." The advancing lava front has already reached the 450-meter elevation, moving some 150 meters down the slope a day, while the length of the main lava flow is about 4.45 aerial kilometers from the crater summit.
FOREST FIRE WARNING FROM LAVA FLOWS - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned on Saturday against forest fires in the path of lava flows from Mayon Volcano. Lava flows from Mayon's crater had spread 5.4 kilometers to the southeast. The burning rocks threatened the forest and villages in the area. At least 394 tremors and four low-frequency volcanic quakes were monitored in the last 24 hours.
SAMOA - There’s been a prediction that the Matavanu volcano on Samoa’s Savaii island will erupt again in the next decade. The volcano last erupted a century ago spewing lava for miles and nearly wiping out the entire population of villages bordering Saleaula.

NEW TYPE OF VOLCANO DISCOVERED IN THE PACIFIC - A new type of volcano may be heating up the floor of the western Pacific Ocean. The group of small volcanoes, called petit spot volcanoes, was discovered far from the tectonic-plate boundaries (such as mid-oceanic ridges) that often spawn volcanoes and earthquakes. Petit spot volcanoes yield no evidence of a liquid rock source from deep within the Earth. The source of these volcanoes is believed to be melted rock from the upper mantle, much closer to the surface, which has been squeezed through cracks in the tectonic plate above. "These small volcanoes - because of their location and the fact that there are these clear cracks that have formed due to the bending of the [tectonic] plate - almost assuredly did not form by a plume."
7/27 -
RUSSIA - VOLCANO KARYMSKI on the Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed forth ashes to an altitude of up to 6.5 km in a series of outbursts. A cloud of volcanic dust the size of 20 by 15 km has shifted 240 km to the east of the volcano at an altitude of about 4,000 meters. The volcano poses no danger to populated localities.
7/26 -
AUSTRALIA - A volcanic eruption in south-west Victoria is "well overdue'' and could occur without warning, a scientist has warned. Western Victoria is home to some of Australia's youngest volcanoes, which erupted in the last 20,000 to 30,000 years. Research shows young volcanoes erupt, on average, every 13,000 years. This suggests eruptions at Tower Hill, Mount Napier, Mount Eccles and Mount Elephant are "well overdue''. "There's a small possibility of it happening in the next 100 years.'' Lava from a volcano would threaten an area of 10 to 15 kilometres surrounding it, and ash could cover everything within eight to 10 kilometres. "These ones we're looking at here are a one-off volcano - they erupt and they stop again pretty quickly and that's the end. The volcanoes are extinct, but the whole area could erupt. The whole area is sleeping."
PHILIPPINES - incandescent fragments of the continuously advancing lava flows from the crater of Mount Mayon have already started to burn hectares of grazing areas and coconut and vegetable plantations, occasionally igniting wild fires that could threaten lives of farmers venturing within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone. Fragments of the lava flows had started to roll faster and farther down the slopes along the Bonga gully and the lava toe had already reached almost four kilometers from Mayon's crater, or about two kilometers away from the boundary of the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone at the Southeast quadrant of the volcano. Super-heated lava fragments and the secondary explosions that trigger pyroclastic flow pose real danger to any life they hit. Some 495 families had voluntarily left their homes in the Barangays of Sta. Misericordia and San Fernando in Sto. Domingo town due to the ash falls that showered their places. The ash falls originated from the latest secondary explosions, as advancing lavas pushed old deposits of volcanic materials along the volcano slopes.
Thieves cut phone lines to steal about 30 metres of copper wire around lava-spilling Mayon volcano, crippling the communications of volcanologists.
7/23 -
PHILIPPINES - Lava flow from the restive Mayon Volcano in the southern Luzon Albay has widened its course to another channel, threatening to inundate more towns during an impending major eruption. The diversion of Mayon's lava flow means more areas will be endangered in the permanent six-kilometre danger zone. Local government officials are thinking of increasing the danger zone to eight kilometres from the top of the volcano. Apart from lava flows, Mayon has emitted sulphur dioxide and has generated pyroclastic flows that produced ash columns for several days. Seismic networks have detected tremors from the depths of the mountain. (PHOTO)
7/21 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - More than 1000 people from three villages within the PNG province of West New Britain have now been evacuated after two volcanoes, dormant for more than 100 years, erupted. Those evacuated are now sheltering in care centres near the town of Bialla after Mount Karai and Mount Bamus began emitting vapour, ash and smoke in the past week. Earthquakes in the affected area, measuring between 1 and 5 on the Richter scale, were being felt every hour.
7/20 -
INDONESIA - Clouds of hot ash and lava flows from Mt. Karangetang volcano in North Sulawesi are adding to Indonesia's troubles with Mother Nature. On Tuesday thousands of villagers were fleeing their homes on Siau island amid new activity from Mt. Karangetang, which lasted erupted in 1940. Reports said the sounds of explosions, the spewing of ash and lava began last week. Authorities were monitoring the situation, but there was no information immediately available on whether a major eruption was likely.
ECUADOR - the Tungurahua Volcano, currently erupting in central Ecuador, has destroyed 19,000 hectares of farmland. The volcano, which is showering the region with ash and burning hot lava, entered a critical phase on Friday that might last for months or years. It has devastated villages that have maize, potato, cereal and livestock farms and it has affected more than 13,000 people.
7/19 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - On July 13, the Rabaul Volcano Observatory reported a series of light to moderate earthquakes accompanying the FIRST HISTORICAL ERUPTION OF KARAI VOLCANO in Papua New Guinea. Frequent earthquake activity continues, with emissions from another volcano, Mt. Bamus, a volcano that has been inactive for more than 100 years, which began projecting a steam plume into the atmosphere. Continued earth tremors were felt within the vicinity of Kimbe and as far as Bialla and Mamota, a distance of approximately of 16 - 20km. The tremors continue to occur at five minute intervals. The affected population, estimated at 2,078 people, lives around the Kaiamu, Malasi, Sulu and Silali villages. These communities have moved out of danger areas in fear of an eruption and now live temporarily in six different informal camps. Recordings at Kaiamu on July 16 indicate heightened frequency and levels of seismic activity consisting of overlapping volcanic tectonic events. A few booming noises were heard on the 17th, but there have been no ash emissions during the last two days. The magma is as yet not connected to the surface via fractures or conduits. However, if the current level of seismic activity continues, an eruption is very much likely to occur.
ECUADOR - A two-year-old toddler is the first person to die from inhalation of ash spewed by the Tungurahua volcano. To date, 13,500 people have been affected by the expulsion of lava, ash and molten rocks from the mountain, whose activity increased last Friday. The reactivation of Tungurahua has also damaged local agriculture and cattle.
PHILIPPINES - Lava and rocks as big as cars rolled down Mt. Mayon yesterday, prompting officials to recommend that Albay be placed under a state of calamity and Malacañang to ask residents to leave immediately. Scientists also expanded the danger zone around the volcano to 6 km around the peak and 7 km around its southeastern slope, fearing an imminent explosion. They recorded 100 short-duration tremors in the past 24 hours, meaning magma was reaching the volcano’s summit. The magma caused lava and red-hot boulders to roll down the volcano’s slopes and then break up on impact. Lava has flowed 1,000 meters down the slopes while fragments of rolling incandescent boulders as big as cars have been observed at the Bonga gully about 3,000 meters above sea level.
ITALY - Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, threw fire and rocks more than 800ft into the air yesterday. Several villages lie on its lower slopes, but the Italian government said that the lava was flowing away from them, and that there was no immediate danger. The explosions are coming from two holes near to the top of the volcano, creating a lava field more than a mile long which is flowing at a rate faster than 90 cubic feet a minute. Even though the eruption has continued for three days, scientists said it had lost little of its force.
WASHINGTON - A magnitude 3.6 earthquake has shaken Mount St. Helens, one of the largest earthquakes recorded during the ongoing eruption. The 9:56 a.m. quake triggered significant rock falls from the lava dome and crater walls sending plumes of dust to the rim. Lava has continued to push into the crater - most recently forming a sheer rock fin - since the mountain reawakened with a drumfire of low-level seismic activity in September 2004.
7/18 -
PHILIPPINES - Red-hot lava poured down the slopes of Mayon Volcano accompanied by more tremors for the fourth straight day yesterday. A continuous stream of lava from Sunday night until early Monday and increased seismic activity indicated “heightened unrest of the volcano, which could lead to explosive eruption."
7/17 -
ECUADOR - The Tungurahua volcano spewed ash and gas for the second day straight, sending hundreds of Ecuadorean villagers crowding into schools and churches seeking refuge. Tungurahua, located about 129 km south of Quito, has been increasingly active since May, when it shot out large clouds of hot gas. Civil defence authorities and police continued to evacuate seven small villages around the volcano. The Tungurahua's crater blasted molten rocks on Friday that burned trees and grass on its way down in the volcano's HIGHEST RECORDED ACTIVITY SINCE IT STARED ERUPTING IN 1999. Lava flows blocked roads and destroyed bridges. Some homes were almost knocked down due to the repeated volcanic explosions.
Some dramatic photos
PHILIPPINES - Residents are bracing for a major eruption of Mayon Volcano after it increased its magma build-up and released lava down a gully, officials said yesterday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the increasing ash explosions, lava flows, quakes and gas emissions had prompted disaster authorities to be on 24-hour alert. Seismologists raised the volcano’s alert status to 3 from 1 Friday night after Mayon spewed lava down the middle of its southeast flank. In its latest advisory yesterday, the volcanology institute said the increase in the flow of lava had been accompanied by a rise in the volcano’s emission of sulfur dioxide. “One likely scenario is a shift from lava extrusion to explosive eruption,” the institute warned, saying this would be accompanied by deadly mudflows of volcanic ash.
7/14 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Disaster officials have evacuated as many as 250 families from villages near a volcano which scientist fear could erupt. The volcano near the town of Bialla on the island of New Britain is being monitored by staff from the Rabaul Volcanology Observatory. They’ve found high levels of tremors in the area which could indicate a eruption is near, however no thermal activity within the volcano has been detected. Earthquakes in the affected area were being felt every 40 to 60 minutes and a volcano monitoring officer was knocked off his feet by one strong tremor.
PHILIPPINES - Mt. Mayon again grew restive yesterday, spewing ash that reached Malilipot town in Albay in the early morning. Seismic instruments around the volcano recorded 25 short-duration volcanic quakes on Thursday, way above the six volcanic tremors recorded the other day and above the five tremors recorded during the volcano’s periods of quiescence. Ashfalls affected some 453 families, or 2,103 people, living at the village. Rain, however, washed out the ashes that fell on farm land and homes in Barangay Calbayog. Some 3,004 families, or 15,852, people living near the 6 km permanent danger zone would be evacuated if the volcano erupts. Alert Level 1 warning is still up around the volcano. Meanwhile, scientists continued to monitor the situation at Mt. Bulusan which remained on Alert Level 2 yesterday. Phivolcs detected three volcanic earthquakes at Bulusan over a 24-hour period but gas emissions declined from 1,010 tons per day last Thursday to 934 tons per day on Tuesday.
COLUMBIA - Authorities lowered the threat level for Galeras volcano in south-western Colombia on Thursday, a day after an eruption spewed burning ash and rock on a nearby city, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. The volcano appeared to be stabilising, but the risk of further eruptions in the coming days and weeks remains.
7/13 -
COLUMBIA - The Galeras volcano in southwest Colombia shot rocks, gas and ash in an eruption today that prompted the government to evacuate about 10,000 nearby residents. Television images showed thick clouds of ash hanging over the town of Pasto in Narino province. No injuries were immediately reported. This could be only the beginning of a series of eruptions.
7/12 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi is still producing glowing lava. Tuesday morning Merapi produced glowing lava nine times with flows moving down toward Gendol River over a maximum distance of 1.5 kilometers. On Monday, Merapi emitted 36 glowing lava streams. In the first six hours of Tuesday, they recorded 47 quake trails, and a heat cloud coming out from the coughing volcano. "Over the past few days, Merapi's activity is quite fluctuating but tending to slow down."
7/11 -
MONTSERRAT - More activity recorded at Soufriere Hills volcano. There have been "long-period earthquakes and rock falls" at the Soufriere Hills volcano since June 27. Photographs show that the dome volume was approximately 27 million cubic metres, giving an average growth rate of about eight cubic metres per second over the past month. The seismic network has so far recorded 17 hybrid earthquakes, six volcano-tectonic earthquakes, 194 rock fall signals, and 448 long period earthquakes.
INDONESIA - Indonesian scientists have downgraded the alert status of Mount Merapi from its highest level on all but the volcano's southern slopes.
7/6 -
PHILIPPINES - Government scientists are closely monitoring Mayon Volcano in Albay as its abnormal behavior, such as crater glow and sulfur dioxide emission, are again in an increasing trend. Mayon's crater glow was again visible to the naked eye during night time and the released volume of SO2 was double the normal volume.
7/5 -
INDONESIA - the danger status of Mount Merapi in Central Java will be lowered in one or two days time if no significant development in the activity of the volcano is recorded.
7/4 -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists still monitoring an increase in seismic activity at Mt Ngauruhoe say there is no evidence the volcano is about to erupt. There are still between 20 and 40 small quakes every day, which is significantly more than are usually recorded in the area. But with no other signs of unrest there is no evidence that an eruption is imminent.
7/2 -
MONTSERRAT - A lava dome that had been rapidly growing atop Soufriere Hills volcano partially collapsed Friday, sending large clouds of ash over the sea, scientists said. No injuries were reported. The collapse is the result of a high amount of seismic activity at the volcano. The partial-dome collapse lasted for 20 minutes, and followed two earthquake swarms in recent days in which the observatory's seismic network recorded 1,236 small earthquakes at the volcano during a roughly weeklong reporting period. Fast-moving bursts of hot gases and rock fragments shot down the eastern flank of the volcano into the Caribbean during the collapse. Nearly all the gray plumes of ash spread over the sea with a small amount coating inhabitable areas.
--------------------
6/30 -
PHILIPPINES - New magma movement within Mt. Bulusan detected. The volcano has acted up anew as monitoring instruments around its slopes detected five volcanic tremors and small short duration harmonic tremor in the past 24-hour observation period Thursday, which scientists say are indicators of magma movement within the volcano. It was the first detected harmonic tremor in the past few days since Bulusan has shown decreased abnormal behavior. “These indicate magma movement which may lead to more explosions." The volume of emitted sulfur dioxide in the crater and western fissures again increased to 1,1444 tons per day from the 597 tons per day on June 28.
6/29 -
ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano registered 50 explosions in 24 hours Tuesday. It is now experiencing "shivers": constant tremors inside the crater's bed. Volcanologists have observed constant emissions of gas, ash and water vapor that is forming a cloud around 1 km above the volcano's crater. Flocks of villagers living near the volcano, located 135 km from the capital Quito, have voluntarily left their homes, saying the loud explosions made it hard for them to sleep at night.
GUATEMALA - The Volcano of Fire's activity increased Wednesday. This increases the risk of disaster in Guatemala, already affected by intensive rains that provoked floods and collapses in several towns and the capital. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction has already given first warnings for the possible evacuation of some 500 people from 4 towns. This is one of the country´s three volcanoes in constant activity, along with the Pacaya in south Guatemala, and Santiaguito, in the west.
MONTSERRAT - Scientists at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory have reported that there is an ongoing swarm of volcanic earthquakes at shallow depths, “the LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN AT THE MVO FOR YEARS.” On Monday, authorities increased the volcanic alert to level 4. "This comes in the wake of increased seismic activity this past weekend, which is still ongoing.”
6/28 -
MONTSERRAT - Authorities increased the volcanic alert level on the island on Monday following increased seismic activity over the weekend. The Soufriere Hills Volcano roared to life in 1995 after years of being dormant. Last month, the lava dome of the volcano collapsed causing mud flows and surges along the north-east flank of the island. The increased seismic activity could lead to the possibility of serious eruptive activity that could affect some inhabited areas.
6/27 -
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists in the central North Island are keeping a close eye on Mount Ngauruhoe after an increasing number of earthquakes. The volcano has been largely silent since it last blew in 1975. But for the past two weeks, Ngauruhoe has been showing signs of activity. "These are the initial signs that something is happening and it may just be that these earthquakes just die away and that'll be it. Or they may increase." Ngauruhoe's neighbour Mount Ruapehu is also being monitored. Scientists say a build-up of debris in its crater lake could cause a lahar (mud flow) as early as next summer. The last major lahar on record was that which caused the Tangiwai disaster in 1953.
PHILIPPINES - About 100 residents fled from a farming village after hearing boulders and rocks rumbling down restive Mount Bulusan amid heavy rains from a tropical storm on Saturday. Army and government trucks helped the residents flee from Cogon village below Bulusan. No one was injured and no houses were damaged by the mudflow and boulders - some as big as a car - that tumbled down the volcano.
6/25 -
PHILIPPINES - Mount Canlaon in Negros Island in the central Philippines, some 500 km south of Manila, spewed ash on its upper slope on Saturday afternoon. The ash emission was the third within two days. Saturday's steam clouds rose higher to 1,500 meters. No volcanic earthquake or tremor was detected with the ash emissions.
Government scientists are again closely monitoring Mayon Volcano in Albay as its ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR such as crater glow and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission are increasing anew. Mayon’s crater glow was again visible to the naked eye at night and the released volume of SO2 was double the normal output. They recorded at least 1,037 sulfur emissions in the past 24 hours. The visible crater glow and the high volume of SO2 could mean that the magma in the volcano is gradually rising towards the surface. Phivolcs decided to lower Mayon’s alert level from 2 to 1 on April 18 due to the continued decline in SO2 emission and crater glow. "But apparently these parameters are again in an increasing trend, which means that Mayon is acting up again."
Meanwhile, the volcanologist monitoring the Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon, allayed the fears of residents over the SO2 emission of Bulusan which was recorded at 2,310 tons per day or four times higher than the previous volume of 469 tons per day on June 20. He said that the high SO2 emission is not very significant because it was not accompanied by other abnormal parameters such as low- and high-frequency quakes and harmonic tremors. When the SO2 emission is not accompanied by tremors, it could mean that it was just an ordinary release of gas, and not necessarily due to massive magma degassing that could lead to an eruption. He said that the very high volume of SO2 emission in the past 24-hour monitoring period could be due to the declogging of the crater when it spewed ash on June 20. He said, however, that Bulusan Volcano is one of the most unpredictable volcanoes in the country.
AZERBAIJAN - geologists have developed a new mud volcano search method. Buried mud volcanoes have been revealed in the southwest section of Absheron peninsula and at 110km of Baku-Salyan highway. Mud volcanoes have been studied for over 40 years. There are some uncertainties in this sphere of science, there is not a full understanding of the formation and mechanism of visible mud volcanoes. There is no sufficient information on buried volcanoes either. Last year buried volcanoes were revealed in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea during exploratory operations. Mud volcanoes are tightly linked to the oil-and-gas content of the area. Over 90% of revealed oil & gas deposits of Azerbaijan are linked to mud volcano structures.
ITALY - A submerged island discovered off the coast of Sicily forms part of a vast underwater volcano, according to new research unveiled by Italian volcanologists and due to be broadcast in the autumn. Tracing two 40-metre columns of bubbles in the sea off the southern Italian island, researchers discovered smoking openings. The smoke was coming from Fernandea, a submerged volcano which the researchers say may be as much as 30 kms long and 25 kms wide. It has not been seen since it erupted in the 19th century. But the discovery of the volcanic outlets is not a cause for concern.
6/21 -
PHILIPPINES - Local officials placed Irosin Town in Sorsogon Province, the central Philippines, under a state of calamity after a series of ash explosions from the active volcano Mount Bulusan. Everything in Irosin Town, a populated area near Mount Bulusan, is covered with a thick layer of ash spewed by the volcano. Residents living around the volcano have started building temporary shelters in anticipation of the major eruption, while trucks were ready for a massive evacuation. On Monday hundreds of residents living within Mount Bulusan's permanent danger zone were evacuated from their homes because of the ash explosion on Sunday afternoon. Mount Bulusan is expected to spew more volcanic ash in the coming days. The PHIVOLCS authority is also anticipating a major eruption because of the minor earthquakes coming from Mount Bulusan.
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi volcano spewed burning ash and gas clouds Tuesday as scientists expressed fears that rain could send deadly flows of volcanic debris to villages below. If forecasts of rain today and Thursday hold, millions of metric tons of built-up ash and rock fragments could be sent down Merapi's steep slopes in mudslides, a vulcanologist warned. Meanwhile, avalanches of new debris tumbled 2.2 miles down the flanks of the volatile mountain earlier Tuesday. (photo)
Mount Merapi sent avalanches of searing hot gas and debris roiling down its scorched slopes today, and a scientist warned that the peak's fragile lava dome still posed a threat to thousands of villagers. More than half a dozen avalanches carried gas and volcanic debris more than two miles down the peak's flanks. Magma has swelled into a volatile lava dome on the southern crater, he said, and there is a likelihood that it will collapse, causing an avalanche of the hot gas and volcanic debris trapped within it. (photo)
6/20 -
INDONESIA - Indonesia's Mount Merapi was still on high alert Monday as the volcano in densely populated Central Java continued to spew hot clouds of gas and debris down its slopes as far as three kilometres, mostly toward Gendol and Krasak rivers. On Friday the hot clouds of gas and volcanic materials from Merapi destroyed and covered the Kaliadem tourist resort area with up to three metres of debris, and burned hundreds of hectares of forest. Residents living in seven villages on Merapi's slopes are complaining of difficulties getting clean water, and cattle were also suffering due to water shortages. With the volcano showing no signs of cooling down, residents living on Mount Merapi's slopes have been unable to conduct their daily activities, forcing many to sell their livestock to raise money. Many residents who earn their living as traders in the Kaliadem tourist resort area were also facing economic losses after the area was buried by the eruption. Volcanologists have said a new lava dome reformed at the peak of Merapi soon after the volcano belched searing clouds of ash and steam last week on Wednesday night.
PHILIPPINES - Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon spewed a massive column of ash about two kilometers into the sky sending residents of surrounding areas fleeing for cover yesterday. A loud explosion had been heard from the crater and falling ash has turned vegetation, houses and even cattle around the volcano, white. The ash explosion was not preceded by volcanic quakes and may just be the result of hot rocks coming into contact with groundwater. The volcano has been periodically ejecting ash into the sky amid a greater frequency of volcanic quakes in recent days. In Negros Occidental, Kanlaon Volcano appeared to have calmed down during the weekend.
6/18 -
PHILIPPINES - President Arroyo ordered the evacuation of at least 20,000 people after experts warned that a major eruption of restive Mt. Bulusan could threaten the coastal town of Bulusan. "The overall condition of Bulusan volcano is still ABNORMAL as it was in the past days." Magma is building up inside Bulusan and an eruption could be imminent if it continues. A "worst-case scenario" is where portions of the peak might collapse into Lake Bulusan at the eastern base of the mountain. If this happens, the water could flood the entire coastal town of Bulusan. Bulusan and five other towns — Barcelona, Casiguran, Gubat, Irosin and Juban — have had ash falls in the past days. They are already studying ways to deal with the threat of volcanic mudflows amid the onset of the rainy season. Typhoons often enter the country through the Bicol Region. Officials are sending a bulldozer next week to dredge the Cogon River so it can withstand a possible deluge of volcanic mud and rocks. "We are proposing to put up a levee to protect the populated areas along the Cogon river channel." Seismic sensors around the volcano have recorded seven high-frequency quakes. It may only be a coincidence that Bulusan, Mayon and Kanlaon volcanoes in Negros Oriental are showing increased activity in the past days. All three also acted up in 1976.
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi continued to spew hot clouds and glowing lava in the southerly direction toward Gendol River on Saturday. The Center's seismograph recorded 38 hot clouds, 176 multiphase tremors, 304 lava trails, two shallow volcanic quakes, and five tectonic quakes during that morning. The volcano also sent thick sulfurous gas 350 meters into the sky above the mountain's top with moderate pressure.
6/16 -
INDONESIA - Two men trapped in a bunker by volcanic debris from Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano have been found dead. "The first person was in a singed condition because of hot steam." The second man's body was intact when found. They had been trapped under volcanic debris as hot as 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit). Mount Merapi has been spilling molten lava and spewing clouds of hot gas and ash sporadically for weeks, but had one of its heaviest discharges yet on Wednesday. The men were trapped when they sought shelter that day as searing clouds swept through villages about 7km from Merapi's top, leaving a trail of damaged buildings and neighbourhoods covered with grey ash. Rescuers made contact with one of the men late Wednesday, but their phones no longer worked, perhaps because the batteries had run out. Rescuers had been digging through the ash and debris trying to reach them. One of the dead was a rescue volunteer and the other a villager. The bunker was equipped with oxygen but electricity had been cut because of the searing heat clouds. Clouds yesterday covered houses in the villages to the south-east, which are closest to the peak, with about five mm of ash. On Thursday, rescuers were forced to stop work as the heat melted shovels and the tires of diggers trying to get through two metres of rubble. Merapi continued to spew out scorching gas clouds and rock fragments Thursday, with one black plume in the mid-afternoon covering a large swathe of the mountain. The resurgence in activity was likely caused by the collapse of a section of volcano's lava dome.
GEYSERS -
6/16 -
WYOMING - A large geyser in Yellowstone National Park that hadn't erupted since 1998 roared to life over the weekend. The Ledge geyser erupted around 5 pm Saturday, and sounded like a jet plane. The geyser sent a plume of steam about 100 feet into the air. The eruption coincided with other UNUSUAL ACTIVITY at the Norris basin over the weekend, including the eruption of other sporadic geysers and changes in surface water. The basin appears to be undergoing a thermal disturbance. Such disturbances result from underground activity that brings water closer to the surface.
6/15 -
PHILIPPINES - The local government of Sorsogon declared three towns under state of calamity following continued ashfall from Mount Bulusan on Wednesday. At least 30 minor quakes were recorded in Sorsogon after Bulusan's ash explosion Tuesday night. The quakes originated inside the volcano, indicating that a major eruption is likely. PHIVOLCS said if Bulusan explodes it would not be as catastrophic as Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991. Bulusan last erupted in 1995.
Four volcanoes are currently on heightened alert — Mayon in Albay, Bulusan in Sorsogon, Kanlaon in Negros Oriental, and Taal in Batangas — but this is just coincidental. "Physically, each volcano has their own magma chamber. These (magma chambers) are not connected physically." "It just so happened that the (four) volcanoes are active all at the same time." Other active volcanoes in the country which are continuously being monitored include Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin and Pinatubo located on the boundaries of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
INDONESIA - Searing hot gas and volcanic debris have forced thousands of villagers to flee the slopes of Mount Merapi. The eruption comes a day after government scientists lowered the alert level at the volcano. The volcano nearly enveloped Kaliadem village, the closest residential area to the peak, just six kilometers away, with a searing gas cloud during the eruption Wednesday, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate just a day after officials lowered the alert level and people returned home. "The situation is ... life-threatening." Five villagers were reported unaccounted for after the eruption. Media reports said that several apparently uninhabited buildings close to the peak had been incinerated. Ash covered one village seven kilometers (4.5 miles) west of the crater with a gray blanket two centimeters (an inch) thick, and a rain of soot continued to fall after dusk across many districts. "A heavy rain of ash and sand poured down on villagers."
6/14 -
PHILIPPINES - The aerial survey conducted over Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province has confirmed coalesced craters, fissures and voluminous ashes along its slopes, which volcanologists said are new to the physical traits of the volcano. The team had also observed a very visible long fissure at the northern slope of the volcano where steam emission was noted. They cannot tell yet how much risk these recent changes in the surface of Bulusan volcano might pose to the residents down the slopes until a re-mapping is done.
INDONESIA - An Indonesian state agency monitoring Mount Merapi has lowered the volcano's alert status after emissions decreased in recent days. "Merapi's status was lowered from 'alert' to 'prepared'.
6/13-
JAPAN - vulcanologists have warned of more eruptions at Sakurajima volcano on the southern island of Kyushu, as volcanic activity has been intensifying at one of its craters. The Meteorological Agency has issued a bulletin warning of a high possibility of eruptions at the Showa vent, one of the craters on Sakurajima, about 1,000 km (600 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The agency upgraded the volcano to level three, or "active", from two, or "relatively moderate", on its volcanic activity scale of six. The Showa crater had a minor eruption last Wednesday, spewing smoke hundreds of meters (yards) into the air. There was a separate eruption at the Minamidake peak on Sakurajima on Monday, spouting a column of smoke about 2,000 meters into the air. Minamidake has frequently erupted, showering nearby fields with ash.
PHILIPPINES - Residents living near Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon abandoned their homes Monday for fear of another volcanic eruption. At least five families packed their bags, belongings and appliances aboard tricycles in Barangay Cogon in Irosin town. The evacuation took place as residents said the air they were breathing contained traces of sulfur, a sign that the volcano could erupt anytime. Some residents became ill after a month-long exposure to air mixed with ash.
Evacuees said they saw a “crack” in the volcano fronting their houses through which lava could flow. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology discovered a fifth crater on the volcano during the aerial survey. Based on the aerial survey of the summit and areas around the volcano yesterday morning, a magmatic eruption is not imminent. Although steaming explosion pits were seen, there were no lava extrusions observed on the summit.
While the Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon remained quiet yesterday, Negros island’s Kanlaon volcano showed a period of unrest as another episode of steam and ash emissions occurred yesterday morning. The steam-ash emission, the third in Kanlaon for this month, indicated that the volcano is "undergoing hydrothermal activity at very shallow levels near the crater." Its current status is at zero or 'no-alert' level status. Aside from the Kanlaon and Bulusan volcanoes, other Philippine volcanoes on heightened alert status include Mayon in Albay province, which exhibited five low frequency volcanic earthquakes and two low frequency short duration harmonic tremors yesterday; and Taal Volcano, which registered two high frequency volcanic earthquakes yesterday. Both Mayon and Taal are on Alert Level 1 status.
PERU - Increased activity at Ubinas volcano prompted the evacuation of 408 villagers over the weekend. Another 150 families were evacuated yesterday. The villagers will be allowed to return to their homes if the threat decreases. Winds have carried smoke and volcanic ash into the neighboring highland region of Puno, where residents have complained of headaches and stomachaches. Seismic activity has been mounting since February at the volcano, about 470 miles southeast of the Peruvian capital of Lima. Ubinas erupted April 14, sending a column of ash some 2,600 feet into the air.
6/12-
INDONESIA - A massive blast of searing gas has collapsed a portion of Mount Merapi's unstable lava dome, easing pressure that threatened a full-blown eruption - but the Indonesian volcano could still be deadly. A huge superheated cloud - the biggest of the year on Indonesia's most dangerous volcano - brought down a section of the dome Friday. The blast allowed red-hot lava and scorching gas to escape into a newly formed crater, relieving pressure and lowering the possibility of the dome's complete collapse, which many feared could trigger a major eruption. "Now that the magma can flow out into the new crater, the dome will become much more stable." Merapi is still at its highest alert as a crack at the bottom of the dome's southern foot has widened, threatening more powerful surges of superheated gas. Merapi shot out more than 80 bursts of red-hot lava Sunday, along with two deadly clouds of hot gas that churned down the mountain. On Saturday 43 searing gas clouds steamed down the mountain.
6/11-
PHILIPPINES - A farmer died of an asthma attack from exposure to volcanic ash even as the government suspended classes in 23 elementary and high schools in Sorsogon following Bulusan’s series of explosions on Wednesday. The government also declared Casiguran town in a state of calamity as ashfalls continued to affect it and other towns including Escuala, Mabini, San Juan, Tigbao, San Francisco, Inlagadian and Kasay. Ash from Bulusan damaged a number of houses in villages surrounding the mountain, but residents were unharmed and staying put. Scientists recorded zero visibility in several places in Casiguran on Wednesday caused by thick volcanic ash from the series of explosions. Preparations were under way to evacuate about 8,000 residents from at least seven villages in case of a major eruption.
INDONESIA - More eruptions are being reported from Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano. It spewed out more lava and hot clouds of gas at least five times on Saturday. Scientists say they aren't sure if the activity means a major eruption is imminent.

WASHINGTON - A small earthquake, followed by a steam and ash plume, was reported at Mount St. Helens late Friday night. The quake, probably caused by a large rockfall in the southwest Washington volcano's crater, was recorded at 9:05 p.m. PDT. A plume of steam and ash rose to an altitude of about 15,000 feet. A similar event on May 29 melted some snow and ice in the crater and also sent up a plume to about the same altitude. Seismic activity at the mountain quickly returned to normal.
6/9 -
JAPAN - At Sakurajima volcano, more than 7,300 explosive eruptions have been recorded in the past 45 years, but Wednesday was the first time for six decades that it has erupted on its eastern flank. "We have not seen any change in seismic activity, and no sudden explosive eruptions are foreseeable at this moment, but we are nevertheless keeping a close eye." Japan's Miyakejima volcano in the Izu Islands (180 kilometres east of Tokyo) and Meakandake volcano in the northern region of Hokkaido have also begun stirring. The last major eruption at Miyakejima Island occurred in 2000, which forced all islanders to evacuate.
INDONESIA - A shower of hot gas and ash from Indonesia's Mount Merapi has sent more than 15,000 villagers scrambling for safety. The volcano has been venting steam and ash for weeks, but Thursday morning’s burst was the largest yet. A volcanologist said Merapi sent billowing, dark gray clouds avalanching more than three miles down its slopes. It was one of a series of powerful explosions, some spewing columns of ash 1 1/2 kilometres high.
Terrified villagers fled to safety. Some jumped into rivers to escape the searing heat, while others dashed down the volcano or clambered onto the backs of trucks. Farmers carrying heaps of grass on their head ran down the mountain beneath a rain of ash, as others zipped off on motorcycles. Women clutched children as they jumped into trucks and cars, wiping away tears when they reached emergency shelters. "I thought, this is it. We ran as fast as we could." A shallow 4.2-magnitude aftershock Thursday, 27 kilometres south of the peak, may have speeded things along.
PHILIPPINES - The Philippines raised the alert level on one of its most active volcanoes and warned residents on Thursday to stay away from the mountain after its crater belched ash clouds. Bulusan volcano in central Philippines spewed ash nearly 2 km (1 mile) high, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to 2 from 1, ordered in March when ash first began flowing from its crater. "We are seeing an increasing frequency of ash explosions." In nearby Casiguran town, thousands of face masks were distributed to residents after volcanic ash fell on homes in the coastal community's 25 villages. Schools were closed and the Office of Civil Defence urged residents not to drink ground water because of possible contamination. At level 3 an explosion is considered possible, at level 4 it is seen as likely and at level 5, the highest alert, an eruption has occurred with lava flows or ash columns reaching 6 km. Officials said as many as 50,000 people would be evacuated in case of a major volcanic eruption. Bulusan has had five ash eruptions since March.
WANT TO KNOW where a rumbling volcano is likely to split at the seams? Look for the tallest and greenest plants. Vigorous plant growth on the flanks of a volcano like that at Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, Mount Etna in Sicily and Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can indicate where magma is most likely to spurt out. Satellite images reveal that shrubs and trees grow taller and greener along stripes where the volcano eventually ruptures. These changes were visible up to two years before the eruptions. Theories for why this pattern of growth occurs include better water supply in the cracks where the plants grow, and more carbon dioxide seeping out of the ground.
6/8 -
JAPAN - Mount Sakurajima volcano erupted in southern Japan Wednesday, spewing a plume of smoke about 1,000 meters into the air. There were no reports of damage or injuries. The eruption registered as moderate for both the sound and the strength of the tremors it caused. The eruption followed several smaller ones in recent days, but there was no other significant change in volcanic activity. "We do not believe that a large-scale eruption is imminent."
NEW ZEALAND - Scientists are monitoring Mount Ngauruhoe, one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes, after seismographs showed a significant rise in the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in the area. On Wednesday, the volcano's alert level was raised from zero to one, and hikers were warned to stay away from the crater. Ngauruhoe periodically emits steam and gas but has not erupted since February 1975. There was no sign of an imminent eruption. Mount Ruapehu, 16 kilometres from Ngauruhoe, last erupted in 1995, and has been on alert level one since October 1997.
6/7 -
PHILIPPINES - Legazpi City officials and their disaster management offices are updating contingency plans for the impending major eruption of Mount Bulusan. Mount Bulusan is under alert level 1 and the four-kilometer permanent danger warning is in effect. An eruption would affect about 45,000 residents.
Mt. Kanlaon - Mountain climbers and other trekkers have been advised to defer any planned climbs at the Mt. Kanlaon park area until further notice after Mt. Kanlaon emitted smoke over the weekend. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, in an advisory released Monday, also reminded people that the four-kilometer permanent danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island remained off limits to the public, particularly at this time when sudden ash and steam explosions might occur anytime. Kanlaon Volcano briefly emitted steam and ash Saturday afternoon but the Phivolcs has not raised any alert level yet. Ash deposits were confined to the upper northwest slope of the volcano.
INDONESIA has evacuated about 2,000 people from areas at risk from the volcano spewing hot gas and lava, and expects to move thousands more amid signs of increased activity from Mount Merapi. "The lava has spread out in various directions. The lava domes are weakening. Since Monday we have evacuated ... more or less 2000 people. The people that we need to evacuate are around 11,000." The volcano threatens some of the same areas near the ancient royal capital of Yogyakarta that were hit by the May 27 earthquake which killed 5782 people. Today a cloud of gas from Mount Merapi stretched for four km and lava flows had spread up to seven kilometres from the crater.
6/6 -
INDONESIA - Indonesian authorities have evacuated over 600 people living near Mount Merapi in central Java. Activity increased at the volcano for a ninth straight day. Heat clouds are taking place every hour, pushing toxic gases, ash and lava four kilometres down the southern slope. That is more than double the distance seen before the earthquake on May the 27th. The vulcanology office in Yogyakarta says all settlements within a seven-kilometre radius of the top of the mountain should be abandoned.
PERU - Authorities in southern Peru said Monday they are evacuating about 480 families due to an increase in seismic activity at the Ubinas volcano. Volcano experts put the Ubinas area on orange alert (medium intensity level of seismic activity) on Saturday, after registering several explosions since May 31, including one that spewed glowing hot lava 200 meters (656 feet) into the air. In April, the last time the Ubinas volcano registered an alarming increase in seismic activity, its crater doubled in size to 80 meters (262 feet) in less than a week and more than 200 people fled from their homes by their own means. Toxic emissions from the volcano on that occasion caused the death of about 50 llamas and alpacas.
JAPAN - Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, has erupted near the southern Japanese city of Kagoshima. Smoke and ash rose high above the island's northern peak. Over 600,000 people live in the shadow of the volcano which is only a few kilometres off the port serving Kagoshima city. Thousands of small explosions occur each year on Sakurajima, throwing ash thousands of kilometres into the sky. The last major eruption occurred in 1914, though most of the residents fled before the volcano engulfed several islands nearby and swallowed part of the bay of Kagoshima.
6/4 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi increased its activity and repeatedly spewed red-hot lava, hot gases and ash scores of times on Saturday. The mountain's lava dome has grown by 56 feet in the past week to reach 330 feet. Bird flu could threaten survivors of Indonesia's earthquake, an aid agency warned, after finding people whose homes were destroyed in the quake were staying in chicken coops. Most of the 647,000 people left homeless are living in makeshift shelters, often just plastic tarps to ward off tropical downpours and the hot sun. More than a thousand aftershocks have hit the region since the 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck before dawn a week ago, killing at least 6,234 people and injuring 30,000 more.
6/2 -
INDONESIA - Wednesday there was increased volcanic activity at Mount Merapi, which belched heat clouds and sent trails of lava running down its slopes, heightening fears of an eruption. Plumes of smoke rose some 900 metres into the air, nearly double the height of the previous day, and the area remained on high alert. Scientists have warned that although the magma flow which forms a dome at the peak appeared to be weakening, the structure may collapse and spew out millions of cubic metres of rock and lava.
On Thursday, Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano spilled lava and heat clouds for a sixth consecutive day, sending trails of molten rock down its western slope for the first time. In the first six hours of Thursday, Merapi sent 80 lava trails spilling down its slopes, some reaching down two kilometres. The volcano also released heat clouds.
INDONESIA - Just three days after the earthquake struck Java, on May 27, the island’s Semeru Volcano showed signs of heightened activity. Semeru ranks among Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. It is Java’s highest volcano and ike its neighbor Merapi Volcano, it has claimed human lives in historical eruptions.
-----------------------------
5/31 -
GRANDE COMORO - the largest of the three islands in Indian Ocean archipelago, Mount Karthala is colouring the sky red as volcanic activity continues. Initial fears of a full-blown eruption and lava flow have calmed, but authorities remain on the alert. "It is a boiling pot up there - a lava lake is forming but it is confined within the crater." They are suggesting two possible scenarios for further volcanic activity: the fountain of lava could run until it was exhausted and cool down inside the crater, or the lava lake might drain from the crater, possibly coming into contact with ground water and causing an explosion that would spew ash and volcanic debris. "Authorities have activated the national emergency response preparedness plan" and set up an emergency task force.

INDONESIA - Mount Merapi spewed clouds of hot ash and gas as well as lava at least 10 times on Tuesday. In the early hours of Tuesday, lava could be seen cascading down the side of the mountain. By daylight, hot clouds of gas were also spewing out of the volcano. The quake has increased fear that the volcano could explode and people living near the mountain say they are remaining vigilant.
5/30 -
INDONESIA - activity at the Merapi volcano has already tripled since the earthquake struck. Hot clouds are spewing from its mouth at a rate of 150 a day, compared with 50 a day previously. Merapi lies just 18 miles from the epicentre of Saturday's quake. A professor believes an upswelling of magma from beneath the earth's surface may have triggered the earthquake and simultaneously seeped into the base of the volcano, causing the lava dome that caps it to swell. Officials have already ordered the evacuation of people from a danger zone around the top of the volcano but the professor says pyroclastic flows of hot gas and ash could destroy nearby towns and villages. " You can get an increase in activity and evacuate people and all of a sudden the volcano goes dead. But historically, there's a strong trend that whenever you get an earthquake close to a volcano, you get an eruption soon afterwards."
New craters keep on developing on the northern part of Merapi`s top.
VANUATU - Volcanologists were wondering why a lake atop the rumbling Mount Manaro volcano on the South Pacific island of Ambae has changed colour from blue to a spectacular bright red. The change of colour may come from new activity in the ground or just chemical change in the lake. Mount Manaro, one of four volcanos currently active in the island nation of Vanuatu, has been showing signs of erupting for only the second time in 122 years. Vanuatu, formerly called the New Hebrides Islands, is a chain of 13 main islands 2,300 km east of north-east Australia. Three other volcanos in Vanuatu - Lopevi, Yasur and a two-crater volcano on Ambryn Island called Marum and Benbow - have spewed rocks, ash, smoke and steam over the South Pacific island nation in recent weeks. However, activity has slowed in recent days.
5/29 -
GRANDE COMORE - Lava spewed from Mount Karthala volcano on the Indian Ocean island of Grande Comore on Sunday, lighting up the sky and sending scores of frightened residents onto the streets. Residents of Moroni, the capital of the Comoros islands, said they could see lava at the top. Karthala last erupted in April 2005. Sunday's activity also amounted to an eruption but it was too soon to tell how dangerous this one would be. "Effectively there is an eruption but we don't know yet if there will be any gas." "There is a risk of a lava flow but we don't know yet which direction."
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano in the province of Sorsogon exhibited an episode of ash explosion which occurred around 9:17 p.m on Saturday. "We already advised the Sorsogon provincial disaster coordinating council to distribute masks to residents and evacuate the sick people." Areas affected by light ashfalls, approximately ranged from traces to 2.0mm thickness, were the barangays of Bacolod, Sankayon, Puting Sapa, Rangas, Mapili, Calagdao, Buraburan in Juhan and Holos in Irosin, Sorsogon local at the west and southwest sector of the volcano. The ash explosion is still part of the present unrest being exhibited by Bulusan volcano. "We reiterated therefore, that alert level 1 is being observed." Meanwhile, Mayon volcano in the province of Albay is also under alert level 1.
5/28 -
VANUATU - Three volcanoes in Vanuatu's volatile "ring of fire" were Saturday under close watch after spitting rocks, ash and steam over the South Pacific island in recent days. A fourth volcano was causing concern after signs it could be building toward a fresh eruption. "There seems to be an upsurge in activity around the ring of fire that runs through the archipelago." YASUR Volcano on Tanna Island in the south was causing the most concern after it was classified as Level 2 - likely to erupt - and it is firing out explosive rocks. The volcano on uninhabited LOPEVI Island has spurted sulfurous ash into the sky, causing havoc on 10 surrounding islands including Paama whose inhabitants fled earlier due to the debris. Lopevi had stopped spitting ash and smoke, though scientists were closely watching its ash spumes. Villagers in Paama have appealed to the Vanuatu government for help securing new sources of drinking water after existing ones were contaminated by ash and debris. Vital crops have also been destroyed. Observation teams had gone to the sites of the two other suddenly active volcanoes - MARUM and BENBOW on the island of Ambryn - but had yet to report back on their findings. Lake Vui on top of Mount MANARO in the center of Ambae Island has turned to gray in recent days. The change indicates that it is likely to erupt. It last erupted late November 2005, forcing the evacuation of half the island's 10,000 inhabitants to safe areas at either end of the island. It was its first eruption in 121 years.
INDIA - authorities have ordered an investigation by scientists into the mysterious explosion of rocks and spewing of debris from the cliffs of Kondaiketti hill on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala Border in Kanyakumari district at midnight on May 25. According to residents of Amburi, Thekkuparai, Shenbagaparai, Mayam, Kootappu, Arugani Hill, the cliff started exploding like a volcano and spewed debris all over. Officials said similar explosion/eruption took place in November 2000 also leading to landslips in Amburi where 38 people were buried alive.
5/26 -
ALASKA - Cleveland volcano in the Aleutian Islands sent up an ash cloud Tuesday. An astronaut on-board the International Space Station spotted the plume moving west at 3 p.m. Two hours later, satellite data indicated the plume had detached and was 82 miles southwest of the volcano, indicating the eruption was a short-lived event, as is typical for the Cleveland Volcano. The volcano also erupted in February.
CANARY ISLANDS - sitting on a volcanic site, the Canary Islands could be traveling soon — posing a significant tsunami risk. A mountain near the Montana-Wyoming border once moved 62 miles in a half-hour in a catastrophic scenario that could be repeated in the Canary Islands, scientists say. Rock at the summit of Heart Mountain is 250 million years older than at its base. That suggests the top and the bottom have not always been together. The presumed migration to its present home has puzzled scientists for years. A new explanation comes from deep underground, where lava bubbled up to the surface and sent the mountain on its way in surprisingly quick fashion.
5/25 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi on Wednesday morning spewed out 11 clouds of hot ash until 06.00 a.m. local time, a significant increase compared to the same period on Tuesday when the volcano belched out 5 clouds of hot ash. The volcano triggered 76 tremors and 22 multiphase quakes during the same period on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, Mount Merapi expelled massive clouds of hot ash for 46 times, compared to 25 times on Monday. Also on Tuesday they recorded a total of 86 multiphase tremors, and 316 fallen quakes.
5/24 -
MONTSERRAT - “Following a collapse of the dome at the Soufriére Hills Volcano in Montserrat in the early hours of Saturday, May 20, it has been reported that a tsunami has affected some coastal areas of Guadeloupe. There are unconfirmed reports that English Harbour and Jolly Harbour in Antigua have been affected.” Antigua, St. Kitts, and Nevis were advised to closely monitor the activities taking place in Montserrat. Guadeloupe reportedly had a tsunami 3 feet high and an unconfirmed report states that Antigua also experienced a possible tsunami ranging between 8 to 12 inches. The threat of tsunamis existed from the continuing pyroclastic flows of this eruptive event entering the sea. Now a memory, the volcano's dome has completely disintegrated and left a jagged scar where it once stood tall.
5/22 -
MONTSERRAT - the volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat erupted Saturday, sending burning gas, volcanic rock and ashes careening down the mountain slopes and into the sea. The eruption had been expected for months, and the local population had taken precautions. The dome collapsed sending clouds of ash more than 16 kilometres into the sky. The spewing ash caused lightning and thunder above the collapsed dome. A rainstorm during the collapse sent torrents of mud and rocks down the slopes. Sunday the activity returned to 'normal'. (photo)
INDONESIA - Fresh hot clouds were reported to be streaming 3.5 km down the slopes of Mt Merapi at about 4:25 pm local time today from the crater of volcano. On Sunday the hot clouds rolled down from its crater 12 times, while molten lava fallouts were recorded to have happened 22 times.
ECUADOR - Ecuadorean peasants evacuated the area around the Tungurahua volcano as it spewed smoke and ashes high into the sky Thursday. Scientists said that in the past week, the central Ecuador volcano has increased its activity, with repeated explosions of volcanic gas and ashes. "(We've had) Various explosions that are accompanied with very important emissions of great altitude, up to 4km high, with an important load of ashes."
VANUATU - The National Disaster Management Office says the volcano eruption on Lopevi remains graded as level 2 volcanic activity. Meanwhile, reports have indicated that the heavy ashfall that the nearby islands of Paama and Amrbym were experiencing has eased. "They still have food. But the problem is the water..." Meanwhile a small volcanic eruption has happened on Tanna.
5/18 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi shot out a large cloud of searing hot ash and gas on Wednesday, ending two days of relative calm and underscoring the dangers still facing thousands of people living on its slopes. Witnesses said the eruption appeared to be smaller than the Indonesian mountain’s most violent jolts on Monday, when ash and gas clouds surged around four kilometres from the peak and triggered panic. Vulcanologists keeping the mountain on 24-hour watch were not immediately available for comment on the eruption, which sent volcanic material plunging down its western flanks, but appeared to fall short of populated areas.
ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano increased its activity on Wednesday, spewing large clouds of hot gas and prompting the government to renew a limited state of emergency in nearby towns. Authorities said there are currently no plans to evacuate area residents. But flocks of villagers living near the volcano decided to voluntarily leave their homes at night, saying the loud explosions deprive them of sleep. "This is like a horror movie, with loud sounds that bounce off the walls ... like the explosion of dynamite sticks."
TAIWAN - a geothermal system under the northern Datun Mountains - where the popular Yangmingshan National Park is located - is still active, suggesting that a volcanic eruption is a remote possibility in Taipei. The "signs" prior to a volcanic eruption include drastic changes in the frequency of small quakes on the mountain, the concentration of gases emitted from vents, and the natural environment around the volcano such as plants and animals dying from a sudden rise in acidity of the water. In the event of an eruption, the lava flow down the flanks of the mountain would not reach beyond the realms of Yangmingshan National Park, and nearby heavily populated areas such as Taipei's Beitou and Tienmu would not be affected. Two scholars say the mountain range has been experiencing constant swarms of slight quakes since they began monitoring the area in 2003. The seismic waves of these quakes were similar to those of an active volcano. Also, the gases emitted from fumaroles - volcanic hollows - in the Datun Mountains contained helium, which was proof that the mountain range is on top of a magma chamber. Additionally, the underground heat at Tayukeng was higher by 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, which makes the temperature approximately 120 degrees Celsius. The Datun Mountains had been thought to be a chain of dormant volcanoes.
5/17 -
INDONESIA - Lava flows and clouds of hot gas spouting from Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano dwindled on Wednesday, enabling evacuees to return to their farms and businesses and children to go back to their schools. Many planned to return to shelters in the evening, however, and vulcanologists continued to warn people to stay away from danger zones on the slopes of Merapi. The number and frequency of tremors, lava flows and hot clouds, known locally as "shaggy goats," belching out of the crater of the mountain in central Java had decreased considerably. The center had recorded 34 tremors so far on Wednesday, compared with 126 the previous day, while lava had flowed out of the mountain 54 times, down from 257 times a day before. Vulcanologists have been warning the possible collapse of a swelling lava dome could trigger more massive and dangerous clouds and sprays of lava.
Merapi's ceremonial guardian says that he has not yet seen any sign that the mountain is about to unleash its fury. He is even following his regular routine of hiking toward the smouldering mountain's peak. "This volcano is not like the tsunami. It sends signals before erupting and for us, that means ample time to flee or seek protection. We mountain people know the mountain well. We have our own tricks when the mountain gets angry." These include hiding under tables or beds inside brick houses when the clouds descend. "Those who die are usually those on the run."
5/16 -
VANUATU - Monday a volcanic eruption on Lopevi in Malampa province has caused heavy ash fall on nearby islands. They have yet to grade the magnitude of the eruption because scientists have not yet arrived at the site of the volcano. The nearby islands of Ambrym and Paama have been feeling the effects of the eruption. There was a volcano eruption in December last year on the remote Ambae Island of Vanuatu. Villagers around have been evacuated for about one month from the path of a possible lahar, or mud flow. The South Pacific Vanuatu group is a string of more than 80 islands, most of the islands being inhabited.
ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano is maintaining a "high level" of seismic activity, with repeated explosions. The blasts can be heard within a radius of 20 kilometers (some 12 miles) of the volcano. The volcano was emitting plumes loaded mostly with water vapor, volcanic gases and low concentrations of ash. A "moderate to large" explosion occurred early Monday and was heard by residents of several nearby communities. Scientists estimate that an eruption could last months or even years. Ecuadorian officials issued an alert for the area around the volcano as a precaution. If volcanic activity increases markedly, the alert would be raised to an emergency level and evacuations would begin. (photo)
INDONESIA - Activity on the Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi appears has calmed down but scientists are warning it still poses a threat. Lava is continuing to flow down the sides of the mountain although the clouds of hot gas, ash and rock fragments appear much smaller. No ash falls have been reported, unlike on Monday when fields and houses around the mountain were coated in grey ash.
5/15 -
INDONESIA - Activity on Mount Merapi has intensified, with continuous clouds of ash, gas and rock fragments spewing from its crater. One of the emissions sent a pile of debris 4km (2.5 miles) down one side of the mountain. So far there have been no confirmed reports of fresh lava flows from Mount Merapi on Monday, but the volcano is becoming more active by the day. At least one village about 3 km ( 2 miles) from the crater has already been covered in a thin coat of volcanic ash. By Sunday more than 4,500 people living in the villages closest to the crater, or next to rivers that could provide channels for hot lava, had been moved to emergency shelters. Many more are still lining up by the side of the road, waiting for trucks to take them to safety.
There were more than 100 volcanic tremors Sunday. More than 90 tremors usually indicates an imminent eruption. Several streams of orange and black lava could be seen rolling down the slopes of Mount Merapi throughout the day on Sunday, merging with two mountain rivers nearly two kilometers, or more than a mile, from the crater. The closest villages are only three kilometers from Merapi's peak.
5/14 -
INDONESIA - Officials monitoring Mount Merapi volcano raised the threat status to a red alert, the highest level. They recorded 27 tremors from the volcano on Saturday. Many residents say they are waiting for specific signs - such as clouds in the shape of a sheep's fleece - to show them an eruption is imminent. But scientists are convinced of the danger, although they still cannot say when the volcano will erupt nor how powerful any explosion might be. Mount Merapi's pyrotechnic displays continue unabated with mini explosions sending clouds of burning ash, small rocks and spurts of lava high into the sky. Merapi is now in a state of "constant lava flow".
There were three reasons why the status of the volcano had been raised from "alert" to "caution" level. Firstly, the volcano`s lava dome has now turned red with increased pressure that could cause the lava to slide. Small hot clouds had also grown in number, while the smell of sulphur was also increasing. "We cannot be sure when the caution status will end. What is clear is that the process of hot cloud formation has begun and we are just waiting for big clouds to come."
30 blazing lava flows have been streaming towards rivers 1.5 kilometres from the volcano's peak along the south-western slopes of the mountain. A lava dome atop Mount Merapi has grown 75 metres in the past two weeks. Scientists say its collapse will release lava as well as deadly nuees ardentes, a geological term for clouds of volcanic gases, ash, and dust reaching temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius.
ECUADOR - Tungurahua volcano is emitting its loudest and most frequent explosions since it rumbled back to life nearly seven years ago after eight decades of inactivity, scientists said. The volcano registered 133 explosions of vapor and gas between Wednesday and Friday. But the increased activity was not necessarily a sign of an imminent eruption.
5/12 -
WASHINGTON - More than 200 feet of a fin-shaped slab that arose in the crater of Mount St. Helens has crumbled. The U.S. Geological Survey says it probably collapsed Sunday night when instruments detected an avalanche. (photos)
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi in Indonesia's densely populated central Java is spewing molten lava as far as 1,500 metres from its crater, prompting the country's vice president Thursday to urge an immediate evacuation of people living on the slopes. After a helicopter inspection of the active volcano, Vice President Jusuf Kalla called central Java's government authorities to evacuate 15,000 residents living in danger zones to makeshift shelters. "We shouldn't wait until the alert status is raised into the highest level, because volcanologists say (Merapi) may erupt any day." While volcanologists said the red-hot lava sliding down Merapi's west side towards Krasak river is a new development, they added that the 1,500-metre long flow is still far away from any inhabited areas. Molten lava was also flowing 200m down the south side of Merapi.
5/11 -
INDONESIA - Residents evacuated from the slopes of Indonesia's Mount Merapi are returning to their homes despite increasing signs of an imminent eruption. The volcano in Central Java has been on "standby" alert status for more than three weeks. One step higher requires the mandatory evacuation of all residents. In recent weeks, thousands of people voluntarily left their homes for shelters in safer areas as the volcano began oozing lava and spewing smoke. Officials say that about 1,000 evacuees have now returned home. Geologists say Merapi is continuing to show increasing activity, as a new lava dome at its peak continues to grow.
5/10 -
RUSSIA - Eruption of the volcano Bezymyanny, located in the central area of the Kamchatka Peninsula began Tuesday. The Bezymyanny is belching out ash to the altitude of 13 kilometers to 15 kilometers above sea level and the trail of smoke and ash is spreading northwards and northeastwards. Researchers are closely watching the natural phenomenon but they say it does not pose any threat to population centers.
INDONESIA - A new dome at the peak of Indonesia's simmering Mount Merapi is growing rapidly but has ample space to develop before it turns unstable, a geologist said Tuesday. "Because of its position smack in the middle (of the peak), this means that it has the opportunity to expand."
5/7 -
WASHINGTON - Something amazing is happening on Mount St. Helens. As the winter clouds that hide the volcano from view for much of the year clear away, scientists have caught their first glimpse of a huge new mountain growing 5 feet higher per day inside the crater. Scientists call it the "fin," because the 300-foot tall slab of magma and rock stands straight up, and looks remarkably like a fin from one angle. Right now it's about the size of a football field standing on end. It started growing in November and is steadily moving west, pushing rock and other debris out of its way as it goes. The fin is just the latest in a series of at least seven distinct structures that have grown, then disintegrated inside the crater over the last year and a half. There is some concern that while the fin is growing straight up fueled by rocky magma from within the mountain, more energy is also pushing outward. The crater's dome is pushing outward at a rate of about one meter a day. A quarter century ago it was just such an outward bulge that eventually blew — not up, but outward, killing 57 people. At least for now the mountain erupts in a relatively slow, steady pattern. (photo)
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi volcano billowed ominous clouds of ash Saturday as a giant lava dome bulged off of its southern slope. Ash blasted more than 650 yards into the air and deep, sluggish lava oozed out of the mountain's cauldron. The lava dome has grown tenfold in less than a week, forming a 90-yard wide glowing bubble.
HAWAII - The East Lae'apuki lava bench on the ever-changing coastline at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has grown to 44 acres, creating ONE OF THE LARGEST DELTAS IN THE 23-YEAR HISTORY of the Kilauea eruption. The bench, fed by underground lava tubes, is larger than the 34 acres of newly formed land that collapsed into the sea without warning on Nov. 28, 2005. The new bench is about 1,110 yards long and 347 yards wide, or roughly the size of 40 football fields. It is expanding out over a steep underwater slope, on top of the rubble from the previous collapse and other volcanic debris. The new bench is extremely unstable and prone to submarine landslides. Observatory scientists who recently flew over the lava bench in a helicopter reported large cracks running parallel to the coastline. They were surprised to see water in most of the cracks. Officials said that despite warnings, a small number of people continue to enter the closed area at night, sometimes venturing out onto the bench. Steam explosions from bench collapses can send lava spatter and large rocks into the air. Collapses also create waves of scalding water that can wash onshore, burning onlookers. There have been four deaths in recent years associated with active lava benches. (photos)
RUSSIA - Weeks of mild ash eruptions have stained the snow around the Karymsky volcano of far eastern Russia. Karymsky is the most active volcano in the chain of volcanoes that line the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its current activity began on November 15, 2001.
5/5 -
INDONESIA - Lava started pouring down the slopes of Mount Merapi early yesterday, but stopped a few miles from inhabited areas. Indonesian authorities are preparing to evacuate thousands of people. Scientists have yet to raise the threat level to the highest alert, which would require the immediate evacuation of villages on Merapi's fertile slopes and foothills. But the lava flows and burning around the crater suggest that pressure within the volcano is reaching a critical point.
"The new crater holds between 80,000 and 100,000 cubic meters of magma." If the pressures continue to increase it would create either of two things, namely the magma would slide down to the south east side (if the crater is not strong to contain the magma), or the crater (if it was strong enough), would widen to the left side and would hold some four million cubic meters of magma which in turn could create new craters in the west side. On Thursday morning, Merapi spewed molten lava, with a flowing distance of around 200 meters from its peak at around 02.00 a.m. At least 25 multiphase tremors and seven lava fallouts were recorded. Earlier, on Wednesday (May 3), some 197 multiphase tremors, two tectonic earthquakes, a shallow volcanic earthquake and 29 fallouts were recorded. More magma is expected to escape from beneath the volcano.
PERU - After 40 years of dormancy, the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru has been spewing out toxic smoke and ash over the last few weeks. Most activity stopped by April 16, but most experts believe the reprieve is only temporary. A dome of molten lava is visibly building up inside the volcano, signaling that a high risk of explosive force may soon follow. So what has made the Ubinas volcano awaken after four decades of sleep? A clue may be that at the same time Ubinas has become active again, other volcanoes in Galeras, Columbia, and Lascar, Chile, among others in the region, have also flared up in recent weeks. Those recently active South American volcanoes are affected by the shifting of certain plates. ( article has lots of links to understanding basic vulcanology)
5/4 -
INDONESIA - Residents of Sengi hamlet on the slope of Mt Merapi on Wednesday asked to be evacuated as they had heard rumbling sounds coming from the volcano`s top. "They have been hearing the rumbling sounds since yesterday (Tuesday), an indication that Mount Merapi is to erupt." "The thunder-like sounds come at unpredictable moments, sometimes at noon, other times in the evening or at night." Mount Merapi has been placed under an alert status since April 12 and was expected to erupt within seven to 10 days. Former President Soekarnoputri has said Mt Merapi might erupt before May 6. "This is not a prediction, but a possibility. After studying the activities of the volcano, it appears that by May 6 an eruption may take place." However, volcanologists would not predict when Mount Merapi would erupt.
5/3 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi has grown 10 metres in height in three days with pools of lava forming at its smoking summit. Volcano watchers said a new dome of lava had formed in recent days and was getting bigger all the time, while yellow clouds of sulphur continued to spew out. "The dome has appeared on the southern part of the peak, while tremors are fluctuating in high numbers." Lava domes mean the cone-shaped volcano could erupt any day and its top has grown as trapped magma from a reservoir 1.5km below the summit began welling up on Sunday. "We no longer need to do measurements. Magma is already at the surface." Authorities have yet to order villagers living on the mountain to evacuate.
WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helen's volcano rumbled back to life in September 2004. Small eruptions continue each day. The new lava dome is growing at the rate of six feet per day and is now larger than the dome formed between 1980 and 1986.
-----------------------------------
4/30 -
The imminent eruption of three powerful volcanoes is endangering the lives of more than 70,000 people and threatening to affect the global climate by ejecting millions of tonnes of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. The most serious threat is posed by the Merapi volcano in central Java, one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the Pacific "Ring of Fire", which was yesterday throwing out ash and small rocks. Geologists believe that the 1.7-mile high volcano could violently erupt at any time. Two other volcanoes also giving cause for concern are the Galeras volcano in Colombia - expected to erupt within a matter of days or weeks - and the Urbinas volcano in southern Peru, which also appears to be gearing up for an eruption. The eruption of any volcano can have an effect on local and global climate and three large eruptions close together could have a significant impact, leading to cooler temperatures. There is also a dimming effect on the sun caused by the clouds of ash. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 led to a drop in global air temperature over the next three years of between 0.2 and 0.5 °C.
INDONESIA - Volcanic rocks have tumbled down from the peak of Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi volcano but its "standby" status remains unchanged, a vulcanologist said Saturday. The avalanche of rocks created a thin layer of dust that fell on two hamlets located on the western slope.
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano erupted on Saturday, belching ash 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) into the sky for the second time this year. “It’s already a mild eruption, but it’s not life threatening.” High sulfur dioxide gas readings of more than 1,000 tons a day, more than double the normal level, that were taken several days earlier, suggested “renewed activity” of the volcano. However, there is no imminent danger of a violent eruption.
ICELAND - On April 22, floods swamped the Skafta River. The flood water was accompanied by dangerously high levels of sulfur, possibly from increased geologic activity. The river flows out from under the Vatnajokull Ice Cap, a large permanent field of snow and ice that covers more than 8,000 square kilometers of southeastern Iceland, including a number of volcanoes and other regions of geothermal activity. Over these hotspots, the lower layer of the ice cap melts to form glacier lakes, some of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean through rivers such as the Skafta. Other lakes are dammed by walls of ice from the overlying glacier. Catastrophic floods can occur when water breaks through the ice dams and bursts into the rivers, or when geologic activity increases and melts more water. In this flooding, the fast-moving Skafta River swept over the dark, volcanic soil west of the ice cap, and carried it into the ocean, turning the ocean milky green with sediment.
HAWAII - Mauna Loa's massive eruptions and rivers of lava could pose a danger to much of Hawaii island , depending on where it comes pouring out. One of the biggest area of concern is on the volcano's southwest rift zone, where people have built homes and where lava could erupt right from the ground. "When there is an eruption of Mauna Loa - that means a vent can break out underneath your house." "This is the most active shield volcano on the face of the earth....the face of the earth." Scientists can't say when it will erupt, but they do say - be prepared, watch for warning signs and be ready to leave a danger area.
JAPAN - the government is continuing to prepare for a possible eruption of Mount Fuji by creating evacuation plans and procedures. There is no indication that Fuji will erupt anytime soon.
ALASKA - Augustine volcano has been downgraded from orange to yellow. The volcano is still restless and an eruption may still occur.
4/28 -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi is spewing volcanic ash and magma has fully covered its crater, and a powerful eruption could come any day, a scientist warned Thursday. A vulcanologist at a monitoring post near Merapi's peak said "the crater is fully covered by magma," predicting "an enormous and dreadful eruption" within days. Indonesia's official Antara news agency, meanwhile, reported that volcanic debris has begun pouring into Ngargomulyo village in the nearby Central Java district of Magelang. Authorities said, however, they were not ready to raise the alert to the highest level, which requires immediate evacuation of villagers living on the slopes of the 3,000-metre peak.
PERU - Health officials believe people in the Ubinas volcano region in Peru are in danger of suffering serious health risks, even if the volcano never erupts. Residents of nearby villages could contract "bronchial problems, asthma, irritation in the trachea and headaches." The volcano "is releasing particles of matter and gases" which are contaminating the air and water.
CONGO - By night, the red glow of boiling lava lights up the sky. As if Congo did not have enough problems, one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes towers over the city of Goma. The volcano has erupted at least 15 times since 1883 and destroyed large areas of Goma in 2002. The next eruption, when it comes, could be the most devastating yet. Goma's population doubles every decade - at least 560,000 people now live within 10 miles of Nyiragongo's crater. Save for the area around Mount Vesuvius in Italy, nowhere else in the world carries the same risk of volcanic disaster. Moreover, the next eruption will come from a network of fissures stretching outwards from the volcano's cone that extend beneath Goma itself. Liquid lava, straight from the earth's mantle, flows as fast as 25 mph - too fast to outrun. "we might have the worst volcanic catastrophe in history. It's just unbelievable that we have such a big city so close to an active volcano."
4/27 -
INDONESIA - Indonesian health officials have warned villagers living on the slopes of rumbling Mount Merapi to be on the lookout for rats escaping the rising heat of the volcano, a report said Wednesday. Health officials fear that as Merapi heats up, the rats could swarm down the volcano spreading disease. The rat caution comes after scientists warned that the deadliest threat from an erupting Merapi may be super-hot heat clouds, known locally as "shaggy goats", which would rush down the mountain burning everything in their path. The heat clouds - high-density mixtures of hot, dry rock fragments and gases that move away from the vent that spews them at high speeds - can reach 600°C and move at more than 100km/h an hour. Merapi's last eruption in 1994 emitted heat clouds that travelled about 7.5km down the slope of the volcano, killing more than 60 people.
4/26 -
INDONESIA - As Java's towering Mount Merapi spews smoke, officials are urging villagers to flee, but it is to animals on the slopes of the rumbling volcano that aged residents are looking for a final warning of disaster. Villagers living on the slopes or in the shadows of Mount Merapi said on Tuesday they would stay put until nature gives its signals, or the government forces them to leave. Many residents of the Mount Merapi area trust to traditional ways to detect a coming eruption, like animals moving downhill or visible lightning bolts on top of the mystical peak. "The animals have not come down yet." Vulcanologists say the mountain may erupt at the end of the month.
4/25 -
RUSSIA - Mount Ebeko, a volcano on the island of Paramushir, which belongs to the Northern Kuril chain in Russia's Far East, has started emitting vapor and gas. There are 36 active volcanoes on the Kuril chain, and at least seven others are also considered to be dangerous, including the Mendeleyev, Golovnin, Tyatya, Grozny, Baransky, Chirip, and Chikurachki.
PERU - Peruvian authorities have been sending aid to hundreds of evacuees after declaring a state of emergency in the area near the erupting Ubinas volcano. Gas and cinder began spewing from the volcano in southern Peru three weeks ago. Tons of aid, particularly tents, water and powdered milk, have been shipped into the affected zone. The army has been brought in to help evacuate nearby villages, although some residents are reluctant to leave. The civil defence institute has recommended that the entire population in the district of Ubinas, about 3,500 people, be evacuated as soon as possible. A dome of incandescent lava seems to be building up in the crater.
INDONESIA - A thick column of sulfurous smoke surged into the sky Monday as Mount Merapi continued to show signs of an imminent eruption. Merapi has a history of being unpredictable, and many of the nearby villagers are distrustful of modern science and the government, turning instead to beliefs steeped in ancient Javanese mythology. As a result, most of the 60,000 people living within striking distance are ignoring the government's call to abandon their homes. On the western end of the mountain, near the town of Magelang, people trade rumors of a mysterious sparkling light sweeping across the sky in the early morning hours, or the distant sounds of howling wolves, both signs of a coming eruption. The Javanese believe increased volcanic activity at Merapi signifies a coming political change and is a warning to politicians to settle disputes.
4/24 -
INDONESIA - Authorities in Indonesia's densely populated Central Java province said on Sunday surface tremors and multifaced quakes continue on Mount Merapi and warned that a major eruption could take place in a few days. Vulcanologists said a total of nine surface tremors and as many as 156 multifaced quakes were recorded from Merapi's crater in the previous 24 hours. "It's very clear something will happen, but it is very difficult to say when." An expert warned that it is merely a "matter of time" before Merapi's status will be upgraded into a state of alert, when residents living on the danger zones will have to flee their homes immediately.
4/23 -
COLUMBIA - On March 28, the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining changed the alert level for Galeras Volcano to II (likely eruption in days or weeks). The area is in a critical state due to the creation of a solidified lava dome capping the main crater and a reduction of seismic activity of the volcano. Most eruptions of the volcano over the past 17 years have occurred when these parameters were similar. April 18 they reported an overall volume of the lava dome corresponding to 3,200,000 m3 (a volume approximately 15 times that of eruptions in 1992). National and local authorities are making progress in upgrading 12 temporary shelters in the three municipalities concerned. Approximately 489 households (2,366 persons) are now hosted in five temporary shelters in Pasto municipality. Another 7 temporary shelters remain empty. Due to the reluctance of the major part of the population to move from high risk areas, the authorities have asked the UN system to help them persuade communities at risk to move to safe locations. In the event of an eruption, water sources would be contaminated and access routes could be blocked for 4 to 5 days.
4/21 -
PERU - The Ubinas volcano in southern Peru threw plumes of smoke high into the sky today, prompting authorities to declare an "orange alert" to encourage villagers to evacuate the area. The explosion sent gases high into the sky, forming a gigantic mushroom-shaped cloud that stretched more than 1km above the earth. Livestock have been poisoned by eating grass that is coated with volcanic ash. "They've told us we've got to learn to live with the volcano and the ash, but we'd never seen anything like this," said a peasant farmer. "We're terrified." The Ubinas volcano is one of the most active in Peru. It erupted 17 times from 1550 until 1969, when it was last active.
INDONESIA - seismic activity in Merapi continues to increase and "the motion of lava inside the crater is becoming more active." The revered king of the city closest to Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi warned that an eruption was likely within 10 days. "This is not a prediction from a mystic, but is based on scientific data and experience."
GREECE - About 30 homes have been evacuated on the western island of Zakynthos, a popular holiday resort, due to damage caused by about a dozen earthquakes as strong as magnitude 5.9 in the past month. The latest quake, of magnitude 4.6, struck yesterday off the southern coast of the Ionian Sea island.
PERU - At least 1,000 people have suffered respiratory problems from a tower of ash spewing from the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru, and 20 llamas have died after eating poisoned grass. The volcano continued to spit out ash and smoke on Wednesday, and the wind was carrying it north. In recorded history, Ubinas has never had a lava eruption. In the hamlet of Querapi, home to 42 farming families three miles from the volcano, Civil Defense authorities distributed gas masks and recommended evacuation earlier this week.
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi status - On the 18th they observed 113 multi-phase tremors, 8 streams of lava, 7 volcanic tremors, and white and thick SO2 smoke of 400 m height from the crater. They confirmed on April 19th that based on the scientific data, Mt. Merapi will most likely erupt. The Government of Indonesia is working on a third case scenario, one level below the worst-case scenario, anticipating over 80,000 people to be displaced. Communities were encouraged not to conduct any activities in the river having its upper course at Mt. Merapi. Large amounts of evacuation supplies, tents, ambulances and 160 body bags have been mobilized.
4/19 -
PERU - Officials urged the small farming town of Querapi in southern Peru to evacuate on Tuesday after a volcano sent smoke and ash 2,600 feet (800 meters) into the air, but residents were reluctant to leave. "A yellow alert has been called, which means precaution due to emission of gases and steam. Civil Defense has sent small anti-gas masks to the town of Querapi and covers for their water deposits." The volcano has not been this active since 1969. The volcano, in the Moquegua region 550 miles (900 km) south of Lima, has been belching for much of the month. It has sent ash and sulfur as far away as the town of Ubinas, home to 3,500 people five miles (eight km) away. Small tremors have also been felt in nearby towns. Emissions had affected crops and water sources.
INDONESIA - Villagers living near rumbling and swelling Mount Merapi volcano have ignored calls to evacuate and local officials were told on Tuesday to prepare for the worst. The complacency stemmed from the fact that the volcano's swelling, a sign of imminent eruption, was not yet visible to the naked eye.
4/18 -
TANZANIA - Experts have moved in to investigate the increasing incidents of volcanic eruptions at Oldonyo Lengai Mountain in Ngorongoro in Arusha egion which has been sending shockwaves to the whole region. Though the volcano at the mountain is live, and has been erupting frequently almost every year, the numbers of eruption and dimensions have been on the rise daily in recent months. "I have seen for sure the eruptions this year are bigger than any other time. But we are lucky that nobody or animal has been affected as a result so far." Late last month, a volcano erupted on Mt Oldonyo Lengai forcing over 3,000 inhabitants to flee from the area. The eruption rocked the villages of Nayobi, Magadini, Engaruka, Malambo, Ngaresero, Gelai-bomba and Kitumbeine. There was an exodus after the volcanic mountain rumbled into a red-hot landslide, spewing scalding fumes and lava all over the neighbourhood. A major explosive eruption took place from January to about June in 1917. Ash was deposited as much as 25 - 30 miles away. The mountain is less than 370,000 years old, and is the youngest volcano in the Rift Valley.
4/17 -
INDONESIA - A huge volcano in the heart of densely populated Java today was spewing thick clouds of smoke and hot lava, triggering plans to evacuate thousands of villagers. Authorities placed Mount Merapi, on Orange Code, or the second highest alert level. "Due to a high level of tremor activities and the spewing of the lava, Mount Merapi is now on alert status." Officials said the military had deployed more than 200 trucks and buses to evacuate villagers living on the slopes.
TANZANIA - A travel warning has been issued for Oldonyo Lengai Mountain, following two major volcanic eruptions last month. The alert was said to be necessary because more volcanic eruption was imminent. "We have been forced to take precautionary measures, because we are not sure when another eruption will occur and to what proportions." The advisory also warned the local people living around the mountain to vacate for their own safety. However, sources say tourists continue to flock near Oldonyo Lengai, with the aim of witnessing the volcanic eruption.
4/13 -
An undersea volcano in the Pacific is growing from its summit and could breach the ocean surface within a few decades, a new study reveals. In the meantime, it is creating a thriving environment for some sea creatures, but a death trap for others. The Vailulu'u Seamount is an active volcano lying off the coast of the Samoan archipelago. The volcano has sprouted a new 1,000-foot cone at its summit since it was last explored 5 years ago.
4/12 -
INDONESIA - Government authorities in Indonesia's densely-populated Central Java have banned mountain climbers from Merapi volcano as the province's crater has heated up. The volcano has increased in activity since mid-March, and scientists have since closely monitored its activity. Volcanic tremors had risen in frequency to nearly 100 on Sunday, while hot lava was seen sliding down into the area of Pasar Bubar village, about 350-metres from the Merapi's crater. Vulcanologists have upgraded the volcano's alert stage one level below ordering an evacuation and two below a full eruption.
MONTESERRAT - Residents in Montserrat are being warned of increased dangers as a result of the "vigorous resumption of dome growth" within the Soufriere Hills volcano. A preliminary statement issued by the Scientific Advisory Committee said the eight month old lava dome had grown within the crater to a height of about 250 metres above its base. The scientists say while the dome must grow much larger to approach the size of that of late 2002 to 2003, the potential for collapse of the dome lava leading to pyroclastic flows in the Gage's valley and Tyer's Ghaut has increased.
4/9 -
ALASKA - There was a minor eruption at a volcano in Alaska Thursday, but it wasn't Augustine creating the noise this time. Mt. Veniaminof on the Alaska Peninsula began to emit ash in the morning. The weather service issued an ashfall advisory for areas to the east of the volcano including the community of Chignik.
CALIFORNIA - Three members of a ski-patrol team, including an avalanche expert, died Thursday when they fell into a volcanic fissure at the Mammoth Mountain resort, about 6 hours from Los Angeles. After they fell, two of the men could be heard calling for help and then were silent within a minute or two. They were probably asphyxiated by poisonous gas spewing from the vent. The vent releases volcanic gas from deep within the earth. It is normally surrounded by a plastic fence to keep skiers away, but the fence had been nearly buried by a RECORD 52 feet of snow. The patrol went to the site Thursday to raise the fence before opening the area. The snow under the team collapsed, causing two patrol members to fall 21 feet to the rocky bottom of the 6-foot-diameter hole. A third patrol member attempted a rescue and died, and a fourth man then went in wearing an oxygen mask, but he also fell unconscious. Another patrol member then held his breath, went in about 15 feet, hooked a rope to the fourth man, and pulled him out.
4/6 -
COLUMBIA - While 55 percent of inhabitants in high-risk areas have already been moved to safe places, the Colombian government has decided anyway to stop people´s circulation through roads near Galeras volcano. According to experts, the increase in seismic movements in the Galeras volcano has forced the authorities to pass from alert 3 to level 2, which implies that a new eruption may happen anytime within days or weeks. To avoid potential victims and material damages, the government has ordered the evacuation of more than 9,000 people living in the high-risk department of Narino, and in the municipalities of Pasto, Narino and La Florida.
INDONESIA - The Barren Island Volcano erupted on April 5, sending a plume of volcanic ash and steam toward the northeast over the Andaman Sea. This is the only historically active volcano in the north-south volcanic arc between Sumatra and Myanmar (Burma).
4/5 -
TANZANIA - A volcano in northern Tanzania known to locals as "the mountain of God" has erupted, forcing about 3,000 people to flee clouds of ash. Oldonyo Lengai Mountain erupted on Sunday and Monday. Oldonyo Lengai is the only remaining active volcanic mountain in Tanzania and its last significant eruption was in 1983, though the inside of the crater is active year-round.
4/2 -
TANZANIA - Villagers living around Mount Oldonyo Lengai in northern Tanzania have fled their homes as the active volcano started erupting again. Minor eruptions at the volcano are not unusual. Eruptions are a common phenomenon at Mount Oldonyo Lengai because they occur almost every year. Eyewitnesses said that they heard rumbling sounds before the volcano began to discharge ashes and lava on Thursday. Mount Oldonyo Lengai is the world's only active sodium carbonite volcano and is therefore the world's only volcano that erupts natrocarbonatite lava. Natrocarbonatite lava usually contains almost no silicon and is much cooler in temperature than other lavas. The last explosive activity of Mount Oldonyo Lengai was recorded in 1966.
---------------------------------
3/30 -
COLUMBIA - Authorities have demanded the evacuation of nearly 9,000 residents close to Colombia’s most active volcano after the geological institute said an eruption may be days or weeks away. The status of the Galeras volcano was raised to level two following increased activity in the volcano’s core. “I trust the scientists and my feeling is that this could be a big eruption. We are appealing to the common-sense of the people to leave the area of danger and so save their lives.”
PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano spewed a column of ash nearly 1.5km into the sky late Tuesday, raising fears of a major eruption. Officials said they were considered increasing the alert level. More earthquakes had been recorded in the area recently, a possible sign that the volcano may be about to erupt more powerfully. The ash column may have been created by a reaction between water and hot materials, a "possible sign of rising magma". A four-km exclusion zone is already in place around the volcano.
SOUTH AMERICA - Vilama Caldera may be another unappreciate