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Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 7-13 December 2011
From: "Faulk, Elisabeth" <FaulkE@si.edu>
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Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
7-13 December 2011
Elisabeth Faulk - Weekly Report Editor
faulke@si.edu
URL: http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/
New Activity/Unrest: | Galeras, Colombia | Gamalama, Halmahera | Ijen, Eastern Java (Indonesia) | Tungurahua, Ecuador | Zubair Group, Yemen
Ongoing Activity: | Dukono, Halmahera | Hierro, Canary Islands (Spain) | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Kizimen, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Popocatépetl, México | Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, Central Chile | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
New Activity/Unrest
GALERAS Colombia 1.22°N, 77.37°W; summit elev. 4276 m
INGEOMINAS reported that activity continued at Galeras during 14-20 December, with steam rising from the main crater and two craters to the N and SW (Paisita and Chavas, respectively). The Alert Level remains at III (Yellow; "changes in the behavior of volcanic activity").
Geologic Summary. Galeras, a stratovolcano with a large breached caldera located immediately W of the city of Pasto, is one of Colombia's most frequently active volcanoes. The dominantly andesitic Galeras volcanic complex has been active for more than 1 million years, and two major caldera collapse eruptions took place during the late Pleistocene. Longterm extensive hydrothermal alteration has affected the volcano. This has contributed to large-scale edifice collapse that has occurred on at least three occasions, producing debris avalanches that swept to the W and left a large horseshoe-shaped caldera inside which the modern cone has been constructed. Major explosive eruptions since the mid Holocene have produced widespread tephra deposits and pyroclastic flows that swept all but the southern flanks. A central cone slightly lower than the caldera rim has been the site of numerous small-to-moderate historical eruptions since the time of the Spanish conquistadors.
Source: Instituto Colombiano de Geología y Minería (INGEOMINAS) http://www.ingeominas.gov.co/Pasto.aspx
GAMALAMA Halmahera 0.80°N, 127.33°E; summit elev. 1715 m
Based on a SIGMET and information from the Ujung Pandang City MWO, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 14 December an ash plume from Gamalama rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 140 km S.
Geologic Summary. Gamalama (Peak of Ternate) is a near-conical stratovolcano that comprises the entire island of Ternate off the western coast of Halmahera and is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. The island of Ternate was a major regional center in the Portuguese and Dutch spice trade for several centuries, which contributed to the thorough documentation of Gamalama's historical activity. Three cones, progressively younger to the N, form the summit of Gamalama, which reaches 1,715 m. Several maars and vents define a rift zone, parallel to the Halmahera island arc, that cuts the volcano. Eruptions, recorded frequently since the 16th century, typically originated from the summit craters, although flank eruptions have occurred in 1763, 1770, 1775, and 1962-63.
Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/AU/messages.html
IJEN Eastern Java (Indonesia) 8.058°S, 114.242°E; summit elev. 2799 m
CVGHM reported that during 1 October-30 November white plumes from Ijen rose 50-150 m above the crater and lake water temperatures ranged from 26 to 31.6 degrees Celsius. During 1-14 December brownish-white plumes rose 50-200 m above the crater. The lake water temperature was 26.8 and 34.2 degrees Celsius on 8 and 14 December, respectively. Based on increased seismicity, visual observations, and lake water temperature increases, CVGHM raised the Alert Level from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). During 15-17 December seismicity significantly increased and sulfur dioxide gas emissions around the lake also increased. On 17 December the color of the lake water changed from light green to white. The Alert Level was raised to 3 the next day.
Geologic Summary. The Ijen volcano complex consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the large 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The N caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the caldera rim is buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi stratovolcano, which forms the 2,799 m high point of the Ijen complex. Immediately W of Gunung Merapi is the renowned historically active Kawah Ijen volcano, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid crater lake. The picturesque lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. A half dozen small-to-moderate phreatic eruptions have taken place from Kawah Ijen during the 20th century.
Source: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/
TUNGURAHUA Ecuador 1.467°S, 78.442°W; summit elev. 5023 m
IG reported a decrease in activity from Tungurahua during 14-20 December. On 15 December steam plumes rose as high as 300 m above the crater and drifted W. Additional steam plumes observed on 17 December also drifted W.
Geologic Summary. The steep-sided Tungurahua stratovolcano towers more than 3 km above its northern base. It sits ~140 km S of Quito, Ecuador's capital city, and is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Historical eruptions have all originated from the summit crater. They have been accompanied by strong explosions and sometimes by pyroclastic flows and lava flows that reached populated areas at the volcano's base. The last major eruption took place from 1916 to 1918, although minor activity continued until 1925. The latest eruption began in October 1999 and prompted temporary evacuation of the town of Baños on the N side of the volcano.
Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG) http://www.igepn.edu.ec/index.php/recursos/noticias.html
ZUBAIR GROUP Yemen 15.05°N, 42.18°E; summit elev. 191 m
According to local news, fishermen from the port city of Salif on the western Red Sea coast of Yemen reported an off shore eruption from the island of Jebel Zubair, about 60 km SW, with lava fountains rising 20-30 m above the summit on 19 December. On 19 December a SO2 cloud was detected in an OMI satellite image. MODIS imagery from 20 December shows a plume rising from a submarine eruption about 1.5 km SW of Haycock and N of Rugged (near the N end of the Az-Zubair island group), and about 12 km NE of Jebel Zubair island. A bathymetric sketch map made in 1973 indicates a water depth of about 100 m in that area.
Geologic Summary. The 5-km-long Jebel Zubair Island is the largest of a group of 10 small islands and submerged shoals that rise from a shallow platform in the Red Sea rift. The platform and eruptive vents forming the islands and shoals are oriented NNW-SSE, parallel to the rift. An early explosive phase was followed by a brief period of marine erosion, and then by renewed explosive activity accompanied by the extrusion of basaltic pahoehoe lava flows. This latest phase of activity occurred on the morphologically youngest islands of Zubair, Centre Peak, Saba, and Haycock. Historical explosive activity was reported from Saddle Island in the 19th century. Spatter cones and pyroclastic cones were erupted along fissures that form the low spine of Zubair Island.
Sources: Yemen Observer http://www.yobserver.com/local-news/10021711.html, Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/FR/messages.html, NASA/KNMI/NIVR/FMI http://so2.gsfc.nasa.gov/ , NASA's Land Atmosphere Near Real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) http://lance.nasa.gov/imagery/rapid-response/
Ongoing Activity
DUKONO Halmahera 1.68°N, 127.88°E; summit elev. 1335 m
Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 13-15 December ash plumes from Dukono rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l and drifted 55-75 km SW.
Geologic Summary. Reports from this remote volcano in northernmost Halmahera are rare, but Dukono has been one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. More-or-less continuous explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, occurred from 1933 until at least the mid-1990s, when routine observations were curtailed. During a major eruption in 1550, a lava flow filled in the strait between Halmahera and the N-flank cone of Gunung Mamuya. Dukono is a complex volcano presenting a broad, low profile with multiple summit peaks and overlapping craters. Malupang Wariang, 1 km SW of Dukono's summit crater complex, contains a 700 x 570 m crater that has also been active during historical time.
Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/AU/messages.html
HIERRO Canary Islands (Spain) 27.73°N, 18.03°W; summit elev. 1500 m
Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) reported that during 14-20 December the submarine eruption continued S of El Hierro Island. During the beginning of the week, high-amplitude pulses were registered in the tremor signal every 5-10 minutes. On 15 December there were two long pulses around 7 minutes each, and after the second one the mean tremor amplitude values remained similar to those of previous weeks.
Six seismic events were located during this period, both offshore to the N and inland, at depths between 3 and 22 km. GPS deformation data analyses showed stability in the horizontal components and deflation in the vertical component.
Geologic Summary. The triangular island of Hierro is the SW-most and least studied of the Canary Islands. The massive Hierro shield volcano is truncated by a large NW-facing escarpment formed as a result of gravitational collapse of El Golfo volcano about 130,000 years ago. The steep-sided 1500-m-high scarp towers above a low lava platform bordering 12-km-wide El Golfo Bay, and three other large submarine landslide deposits occur to the SW and SE. Three prominent rifts oriented NW, NE, and south at 120 degree angles form prominent topographic ridges. The subaerial portion of the volcano consists of flat-lying Quaternary basaltic and trachybasaltic lava flows and tuffs capped by numerous young cinder cones and lava flows. Holocene cones and flows are found both on the outer flanks and in the El Golfo depression. Hierro contains the greatest concentration of young vents in the Canary Islands. Uncertainty surrounds the report of an historical eruption in 1793.
Source: Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) http://www.ign.es/ign/resources/volcanologia/html/informesHIERRO.html
KARYMSKY Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) 54.05°N, 159.45°E; summit elev. 1536 m
KVERT reported that seismic activity continued at a moderate level at Karymsky during 9-16 December and indicated that possible ash plumes rose to an altitude of 4.1 km (13,500 ft) a.s.l. during 8-10 and 14 December. Satellite imagery showed a daily thermal anomaly and ash plumes that drifted 160 km SE during 12-13 December. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Geologic Summary. Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed about 7,600-7,700 radiocarbon years ago. Construction of the Karymsky stratovolcano began about 2,000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2,300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been Vulcanian or Vulcanian-Strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions has originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, which is located immediately S of Karymsky volcano and erupted simultaneously with Karymsky in 1996.
Source: Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/updates.php
KILAUEA Hawaii (USA) 19.421°N, 155.287°W; summit elev. 1222 m
During 14-20 December, HVO reported that the lava lake circulated and periodically rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u Crater, remaining below the inner ledge (75 m below the crater floor). Almost daily measurements indicated that the gas plume from the vent continued to deposit variable amounts of ash and fresh spatter nearby.
Incandescence was visible along the 21 September fissure on the SE flank of Pu'u 'O'o cone, from a skylight on the lava tube, and from small spatter cones on the E and S edges of the Pu'u 'O'o crater floor. Pahoehoe flows that were 300-400 m wide, fed by lava tubes from the fissure, continued to be active about 6.8 km SE of Pu'u 'O'o and entered the ocean W of Ka'ili'ili. The lava delta now extends 15-20 m into the ocean at a point 6.4 km W of the Chain of Craters Road. During 17-20 December the lava flow branched, with lobes advancing NE and W into the ocean. Infrequent plumes were observed from the ocean entry during 18-20 December.
Geologic Summary. Kilauea, one of five coalescing volcanoes that comprise the island of Hawaii, is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Eruptions at Kilauea originate primarily from the summit caldera or along one of the lengthy E and SW rift zones that extend from the caldera to the sea. About 90% of the surface of Kilauea is formed of lava flows less than about 1,100 years old; 70% of the volcano's surface is younger than 600 years. A long-term eruption from the East rift zone that began in 1983 has produced lava flows covering more than 100 sq km, destroying nearly 200 houses and adding new coastline to the island.
Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/
KIZIMEN Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) 55.130°N, 160.32°E; summit elev. 2376 m
KVERT reported increased seismic activity at Kizimen during 9-16 December. A series of strong seismic events were detected during 0547-0628 on 14 December. Explosions possibly produced ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 7.5 km (24,600 ft) a.s.l. Video observations showed hot avalanches from the lava flow and occasional large pyroclastic flows. During 0620-0810 a large pyroclastic flow with co-ignimbrite clouds was observed. Satellite images showed a thermal anomaly on the volcano all week and a gas-and-steam plume with ash from the pyroclastic flows that drifted 150 km during 13-14 December. A large lava flow on the NE and E flanks continued to effuse. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
The Tokyo VAAC reported that on 14 December an eruption detected in satellite imagery produced ash plumes that rose to altitudes of 6.1-7.6 km (20-25,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E. Subsequent notices stated that ash emissions which continued later that day dissipated on 15 December.
Geologic Summary. Kizimen is an isolated, conical stratovolcano that is morphologically similar to Mount St. Helens prior to its 1980 eruption. The summit of Kizimen consists of overlapping lava domes, and blocky lava flows descend the flanks of the volcano, which is the westernmost of a volcanic chain north of Kronotsky volcano. The 2,376-m-high Kizimen was formed during four eruptive cycles beginning about 12,000 years ago and lasting 2,000-3,500 years. The largest eruptions took place about 10,000 and 8300-8400 years ago, and three periods of longterm lava-dome growth have occurred. The latest eruptive cycle began about 3,000 years ago with a large explosion and was followed by lava-dome growth lasting intermittently about 1,000 years. An explosive eruption about 1,100 years ago produced a lateral blast and created a 1.0 x 0.7 km wide crater breached to the NE, inside which a small lava dome (the fourth at Kizimen) has grown. A single explosive eruption, during 1927-28, ha
s been recorded in historical time.
Sources: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/updates.php, Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/JP/messages.html
POPOCATEPETL México 19.023°N, 98.622°W; summit elev. 5426 m
CENAPRED reported that during 14-20 December steam-and-gas emissions rose from Popocatépetl. Those emissions occasionally contained small amounts of ash on 14, 15, and 20 December. On 15 December an ash plume rose 1.2 km above the crater and drifted NE. During 18-19 December crater incandescence was observed early in the morning. An ash plume rose 900 m above the crater on 20 December.
Geologic Summary. Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5,426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City and is North America's second-highest volcano. Frequent historical eruptions have been recorded since the beginning of the Spanish colonial era. A small eruption on 21 December 1994 ended five decades of quiescence. Since 1996 small lava domes have incrementally been constructed within the summit crater and destroyed by explosive eruptions. Intermittent small-to-moderate gas-and-ash eruptions have continued, occasionally producing ashfall in neighboring towns and villages.
Source: Centro Nacional de Prevencion de Desastres (CENAPRED) http://www.cenapred.unam.mx/cgi-bin/popo/reportes/consulta.cgi
PUYEHUE-CORDON CAULLE Central Chile 40.590°S, 72.117°W; summit elev. 2236 m
Based on seismicity during 14-20 December, OVDAS-SERNAGEOMIN reported that the eruption from the Cordón Caulle rift zone, part of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex, continued at a low level. Plumes observed with the web camera during 14-15 December rose 2.4-2.5 km above the crater and plumes were identified in satellite imagery drifting 30-50 km SE, S, and NE during 14-18. Satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 40-270 km SE, S, and NE during 14-18 December. The Alert Level remained at Red.
Geologic Summary. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC) is a large NW-SE-trending late-Pleistocene to Holocene basaltic-to-rhyolitic transverse volcanic chain SE of Lago Ranco. The 1799-m-high Pleistocene Cordillera Nevada caldera lies at the NW end, separated from Puyehue stratovolcano at the SE end by the Cordón Caulle fissure complex. The Pleistocene Mencheca volcano with Holocene flank cones lies NE of Puyehue. The basaltic-to-rhyolitic Puyehue volcano is the most geochemically diverse of the PCCVC. The flat-topped, 2236-m-high Puyehue volcano was constructed above a 5-km-wide caldera and is capped by a 2.4-km-wide summit caldera of Holocene age. Lava flows and domes of mostly rhyolitic composition are found on the eastern flank of Puyehue. Historical eruptions originally attributed to Puyehue, including major eruptions in 1921-22 and 1960, are now known to be from the Cordón Caulle rift zone. The Cordón Caulle geothermal area, occupying a 6 x 13 km wide volc
ano-tectonic depression, is the largest active geothermal area of the southern Andes volcanic zone.
Source: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN) http://www.sernageomin.cl
SAKURA-JIMA Kyushu 31.585°N, 130.657°E; summit elev. 1117 m
Based on information from JMA, the Tokyo VAAC reported that during 14-20 December explosions from Sakura-jima produced plumes that rose to altitudes of 1.2-2.4 km (4,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE and S. On 15 December satellite imagery showed ash emissions that later dissipated. A pilot reported that an ash plume rose to an altitude of 1.5 km (5,000 ft) and drifted 32 km S on 18 December.
Geologic Summary. Sakura-jima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, is a post-caldera cone of the Aira caldera at the northern half of Kagoshima Bay. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow was associated with the formation of the 17 x 23-km-wide Aira caldera about 22,000 years ago. The construction of Sakura-jima began about 13,000 years ago and built an island that was finally joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kita-dake summit cone ended about 4,850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minami-dake. Frequent historical eruptions, recorded since the 8th century, have deposited ash on Kagoshima, one of Kyushu's largest cities, located across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km from the summit. The largest historical eruption took place during 1471-76.
Source: Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/JP/messages.html
SHIVELUCH Central Kamchatka (Russia) 56.653°N, 161.360°E; summit elev. 3283 m
KVERT reported that moderate seismic activity was detected at Shiveluch during 9-16 December. Satellite imagery showed a daily thermal anomaly over the lava dome. Ground-based observers noted that a viscous lava flow continued to effuse in the crater formed during a 2010 eruption. Moderate fumarolic activity at the lava dome was observed during 10-11 and 13-15 December; clouds prevented observations on the other days of the week. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Based on information from Yelizovo Airport (UHPP) and satellite images, the Tokyo VAAC reported that on 19 December an eruption produced a plume that rose to an altitude of 6.1 km (20,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E. On 20 December an ash plume drifted SE at an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l.
Geologic Summary. The high, isolated massif of Shiveluch volcano (also spelled Sheveluch) rises above the lowlands NNE of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group and forms one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes. The currently active Molodoy Shiveluch lava-dome complex was constructed during the Holocene within a large breached caldera formed by collapse of the massive late-Pleistocene Strary Shiveluch volcano. At least 60 large eruptions of Shiveluch have occurred during the Holocene, making it the most vigorous andesitic volcano of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Frequent collapses of lava-dome complexes, most recently in 1964, have produced large debris avalanches whose deposits cover much of the floor of the breached caldera. Intermittent explosive eruptions began in the 1990s from a new lava dome that began growing in 1980. The largest historical eruptions from Shiveluch occurred in 1854 and 1964.
Sources: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/updates.php, Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/OTH/JP/messages.html
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