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Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 9-15 April 2014
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Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
9-15 April 2014
Sally Kuhn Sennert - Weekly Report Editor (kuhns@si.edu)
URL: http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm
New Activity/Unrest: Popocatépetl, Mexico | Reventador, Ecuador | Shishaldin, Fox Islands (USA) | Tungurahua, Ecuador | Ubinas, Peru
Ongoing Activity: Aira, Kyushu (Japan) | Chirinkotan, Kuril Islands (Russia) | Chirpoi, Kuril Islands (Russia) | Dukono, Halmahera (Indonesia) | Fuego, Guatemala | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands (USA) | Pacaya, Guatemala | San Cristóbal, Nicaragua | San Miguel, El Salvador | Santa MarÃa, Guatemala | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Updated by 2300 UTC every Wednesday, notices of volcanic activity posted on these pages are preliminary and subject to change as events are studied in more detail. This is not a comprehensive list of all of Earth's volcanoes erupting during the week, but rather a summary of activity at volcanoes that meet criteria discussed in detail in the "Criteria and Disclaimers" section. Carefully reviewed, detailed reports on various volcanoes are published monthly in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network.
Note: Many news agencies do not archive the articles they post on the Internet, and therefore the links to some sources may not be active. To obtain information about the cited articles that are no longer available on the Internet contact the source.
New Activity/Unrest
Popocatépetl | Mexico | 19.023°N, 98.622°W | Summit elev. 5426 m
CENAPRED reported that during 8-15 April seismicity at Popocatépetl indicated continuing emissions of water vapor, gas, and occasional small amounts of ash. Cloud cover sometimes prevented visual observations. On 9 April some of the larger emissions were accompanied by crater incandescence. A steam-and-gas plume containing small amounts of ash rose 1-1.1 km above the crater and drifted E. Explosions on 10, 12, and 13 April ejected incandescent material 100 m from the crater; ejecta on 12 April landed on the E flank. Nighttime incandescence was visible during 10-15 April. The Alert Level remained at to Yellow, Phase Two.
Geologic Summary. Volcán Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City to form North America's 2nd-highest volcano. The glacier-clad stratovolcano contains a steep-walled, 400 x 600 m wide crater. The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked Ventorrillo on the NW, a remnant of an earlier volcano. At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas to the south. The modern volcano was constructed south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone. Three major plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 CE, have occurred from Popocatépetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano. Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since precolumbian time.
Source: Centro Nacional de Prevencion de Desastres (CENAPRED) http://www.cenapred.unam.mx/es/
Reventador | Ecuador | 0.077°S, 77.656°W | Summit elev. 3562 m
IG reported that activity at Reventador remained high on 9-15 April; numerous explosions were detected each day. Steam-and-ash plumes rose less than 1 km above the crater and drifted W during 9-10 April. Lava flows down the SW flank were reported on 9 and 11 April. Clouds obscured views during 12-15 April.
Geologic Summary. Reventador is the most frequently active of a chain of Ecuadorian volcanoes in the Cordillera Real, well east of the principal volcanic axis. The forested, dominantly andesitic Volcán El Reventador stratovolcano rises to 3562 m above the jungles of the western Amazon basin. A 4-km-wide caldera widely breached to the east was formed by edifice collapse and is partially filled by a young, unvegetated stratovolcano that rises about 1300 m above the caldera floor to a height comparable to the caldera rim. Reventador has been the source of numerous lava flows as well as explosive eruptions that were visible from Quito in historical time. Frequent lahars in this region of heavy rainfall have constructed a debris plain on the eastern floor of the caldera. The largest historical eruption at Reventador took place in 2002, producing a 17-km-high eruption column, pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 8 km, and lava flows from summit and flank vents.
Source: Instituto GeofÃsico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG) http://www.igepn.edu.ec/
Shishaldin | Fox Islands (USA) | 54.756°N, 163.97°W | Summit elev. 2857 m
AVO reported that elevated surface temperatures over Shishaldin's summit area were detected in satellite images on most days during 9-15 April; cloud cover occasionally prevented observations. Ground-coupled air waves from small explosions detected by the seismic network decreased during 9-10 April. Minor ash deposits were observed several hundred meters down flanks. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.
Geologic Summary. The beautifully symmetrical volcano of Shishaldin is the highest and one of the most active volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands. The 2857-m-high, glacier-covered volcano is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes along an E-W line in the eastern half of Unimak Island. The Aleuts named the volcano Sisquk, meaning "mountain which points the way when I am lost." A steady steam plume rises from its small summit crater. Constructed atop an older glacially dissected volcano, Shishaldin is Holocene in age and largely basaltic in composition. Remnants of an older ancestral volcano are exposed on the west and NE sides at 1500-1800 m elevation. Shishaldin contains over two dozen pyroclastic cones on its NW flank, which is blanketed by massive aa lava flows. Frequent explosive activity, primarily consisting of strombolian ash eruptions from the small summit crater, but sometimes producing lava flows, has been recorded since the 18th century.
Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) http://www.avo.alaska.edu/
Tungurahua | Ecuador | 1.467°S, 78.442°W | Summit elev. 5023 m
IG reported that on 9 April incandescent blocks ejected by Strombolian activity at Tungurahua rolled down the flanks as far as 3 km. An ash plume rose 3 km above the crater and drifted SW, W and NW. Minor ashfall was reported in Cahuaji, Choglontus (SW), and El Manzano (8 km SW). On 10 April an emission observed during a break in cloud cover rose 500 m and drifted W. Ash fell in Quero (20 km NW), Santa Anita, Calera, and El Manzano. Later that day a lava flow on the upper W flank, in the Mandur drainage, was estimated to be 2 km long, 100 m wide, and 15 m thick. On 11 April ash plumes drifted NW, and ashfall was reported in Quero and Tisaleo. The next day ash plumes rose 3 km and drifted W. Ejected blocks from Strombolian activity traveled 1 km down the flanks. A special bulletin released by IG on 14 April reported several small to moderate explosions. A significant explosion at 0831 produced an infrasound signal that was 150 decibels 5.5 km away. Unconfirmed reports indicated that windows in Chacauco and Cusúa shattered. The shock wave was also detected in other locations including Ambato and Riobamba. An ash plume rose 5 km. On 15 April plumes with low ash content rose 3 km and drifted W. Ash fell in Runtún and Mocha. A lahar descended the Achupashal drainage, causing a temporary halt to traffic traveling on the Baños- Penipe highway.
Geologic Summary. Tungurahua, a steep-sided andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano that towers more than 3 km above its northern base, is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Three major volcanic edifices have been sequentially constructed since the mid-Pleistocene over a basement of metamorphic rocks. Tungurahua II was built within the past 14,000 years following the collapse of the initial edifice. Tungurahua II itself collapsed about 3000 years ago and produced a large debris-avalanche deposit and a horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the west, inside which the modern glacier-capped stratovolcano (Tungurahua III) was constructed. 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. Prior to a long-term eruption beginning in 1999 that caused the temporary evacuation of the city of Baños at the foot of the volcano, the last major eruption had occurred from 1916 to 1918, although minor activity continued until 1925.
Source: Instituto GeofÃsico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG) http://www.igepn.edu.ec/
Ubinas | Peru | 16.355°S, 70.903°W | Summit elev. 5672 m
IGP's Observatorio Volcanologico de Arequipa (IGP-OVA) and Observatorio Vulcanológico del INGEMMET (OVI) reported that during 9-14 April seismicity at Ubinas remained high. Gas-and-ash plumes rose 0.3-2.2 km above the crater and drifted mostly E, SE, and S. Ashfall was reported in Ubinas (6.5 km SSE), Huatagua (14 km SE), Anascapa (11 km SE), Tonohaya (7 km SSE), San Miguel (10 km SE), Sacuaya, Querapi (4 km S), San Juan de Tarucani, Escacha, Ichuña, Yungas, and Chojata. On 13 April a significant explosion occurred that possibly removed the body of recently erupted lava on the crater floor; incandescent tephra was ejected from the crater. On 14 April an explosion ejected incandescent tephra from the crater that was deposited on the W flank.
Geologic Summary. A small, 1.4-km-wide caldera cuts the top of Ubinas, Peru's most active volcano, giving it a truncated appearance. Ubinas is the northernmost of three young volcanoes located along a regional structural lineament about 50 km behind the main volcanic front of Perú. The growth and destruction of Ubinas I volcano was followed by construction of Ubinas II volcano beginning in the mid-Pleistocene. The upper slopes of the andesitic-to-rhyolitic Ubinas II stratovolcano are composed primarily of andesitic and trachyandesitic lava flows and steepen to nearly 45 degrees. The steep-walled, 150-m-deep summit caldera contains an ash cone with a 500-m-wide funnel-shaped vent that is 200 m deep. Debris-avalanche deposits from the collapse of the SE flank of Ubinas about 3700 years ago extend 10 km from the volcano. Widespread plinian pumice-fall deposits from Ubinas include one of Holocene age about 1000 years ago. Holocene lava flows are visible on the volcano's flanks, but historical activity, documented since the 16th century, has consisted of intermittent minor-to-moderate explosive eruptions.
Sources: Instituto GeofÃsico del Perú (IGP) http://www.igp.gob.pe/,
Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico (INGEMMET) http://www.ingemmet.gob.pe/
Ongoing Activity
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) | 31.593°N, 130.657°E | Summit elev. 1117 m
JMA reported that during 7-11 April two explosions from Showa Crater at Aira Caldera€™s Sakurajima volcano ejected tephra as far as 800 m. Incandescence from the crater was detected during the night of 10 April. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-5). The Tokyo VAAC reported that on 10 and 12 April plumes rose to an altitude of 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. Plumes drifted SE on 10 April.
Geologic Summary. The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of the 17 x 23 km caldera about 22,000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the Aira caldera, along with several post-caldera cones. The construction of Sakurajima began about 13,000 years ago on the southern rim of Aira caldera and built an island that was finally joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit cone ended about 4850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minamidake. 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.
Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/,
Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/svd/vaac/data/vaac_list.html
Chirinkotan | Kuril Islands (Russia) | 48.98°N, 153.48°E | Summit elev. 724 m
SVERT reported that satellite images of Chirinkotan showed gas-and-steam emissions on 9 April drifting more than 50 km SE. Cloud cover obscured views during 10-15 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.
Geologic Summary. The small, mostly unvegetated 3-km-wide island of Chirinkotan occupies the far end of an E-W-trending volcanic chain that extends nearly 50 km west of the central part of the main Kuril Islands arc. Chirinkotan is the emergent summit of a volcano that rises 3000 m from the floor of the Kuril Basin. A small 1-km-wide caldera about 300-400 m deep is open to the SE. Lava flows from a cone within the breached crater reached the north shore of the island. Historical eruptions have been recorded at Chirinkotan since the 18th century. Fresh lava flows also descended the SE flank of Chirinkotan during an eruption in the 1880s that was observed by the English fur trader Captain Snow.
Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT) http://www.imgg.ru/?id_d=659
Chirpoi | Kuril Islands (Russia) | 46.525°N, 150.875°E | Summit elev. 742 m
SVERT reported that on 13 April satellite images over Snow, a volcano of Chirpoi, detected steam-and-gas emissions. Cloud cover obscured views on the other days during 9-15 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.
Geologic Summary. Chirpoi, a small island lying between the larger islands of Simushir and Urup, contains a half dozen volcanic edifices constructed within an 8-9 km wide, partially submerged caldera. The southern rim of the caldera is exposed on nearby Brat Chirpoev Island. Two volcanoes on Chirpoi Island have been historically active. The symmetrical Cherny volcano, which forms the 691 m high point of the island, erupted twice during the 18th and 19th centuries. The youngest volcano, Snow, originated between 1770 and 1810. It is composed almost entirely of lava flows, many of which have reached the sea on the southern coast. No historical eruptions are known from 742-m-high Brat Chirpoev, but its youthful morphology suggests recent strombolian activity.
Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT) http://www.imgg.ru/?id_d=659
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia) | 1.68°N, 127.88°E | Summit elev. 1335 m
Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 10-13 and 15 April ash plumes from Dukono rose to altitudes of 1.8-2.4 km (6,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 75-280 km SE and E.
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 north-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) ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/gen/vaac/
Fuego | Guatemala | 14.473°N, 90.88°W | Summit elev. 3763 m
INSIVUMEH reported that during 9-10 April seismic activity at Fuego increased, along with the number and magnitude of explosions. Ash plumes rose 850 m above the crater and drifted 10 km W and SW. Explosions were heard in areas up to 15 km away and shock waves were detected 8 km away. At night incandescent blocks in the Santa Teresa (S), Ceniza (SSW), and Trinidad (S) drainages were noted. During 10-11 April explosions produced ash plumes that rose 500-800 m and drifted 8-10 km W and SW, and caused structures to vibrate in local towns. In a special report from 11 April INSIVUMEH noted that activity had increased. Ash plumes rose as high as 1.1 km and drifted 12 km W. Ashfall was reported in areas downwind, including Panimaché (8 km SW) and Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW). Avalanches descended the Trinity drainage. Activity continued during 13-14 April though cloud cover prevented visual observations; explosions generated shock waves, and sounds resembling avalanches on the S and SW flanks were reported. During 14-15 April explosions produced ash plumes that rose 760 m and drifted 10 km W and SW. Shock waves were detected in areas within 10 km and explosions were heard within 15 km. At night incandescent blocks in the Santa Teresa (S), Ceniza (SSW), and Trinidad (S) drainages were again noted.
Geologic Summary. Volcán Fuego, one of Central America's most active volcanoes, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's former capital, Antigua. The scarp of an older edifice, Meseta, lies between 3763-m-high Fuego and its twin volcano to the north, Acatenango. Construction of Meseta volcano dates back to about 230,000 years and continued until the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Collapse of Meseta volcano may have produced the massive Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit, which extends about 50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. Growth of the modern Fuego volcano followed, continuing the southward migration of volcanism that began at Acatenango. In contrast to the mostly andesitic Acatenango volcano, eruptions at Fuego have become more mafic with time, and most historical activity has produced basaltic rocks. Frequent vigorous historical eruptions have been recorded at Fuego since the onset of the Spanish era in 1524, and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows and lava flows.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/
Karymsky | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) | 54.05°N, 159.45°E | Summit elev. 1536 m
KVERT reported that Vulcanian and Strombolian activity continued at Karymsky during 4-11 April. Satellite images detected a bright thermal anomaly on the volcano daily. Ash plumes drifted 100 km E on 4 April. 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 during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, which is located immediately south of Karymsky volcano. The caldera enclosing Karymsky volcano formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the Karymsky stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-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.
Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php
Kilauea | Hawaiian Islands (USA) | 19.421°N, 155.287°W | Summit elev. 1222 m
During 9-15 April HVO reported that the circulating lava lake occasionally rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u Crater. Gas emissions remained elevated. The plume from the vent continued to deposit variable amounts of ash, spatter, and Pele's hair onto nearby areas; smaller particles may have been dropped several kilometers away. At Pu'u 'O'o Crater, glow emanated from spatter cones on the N and S portions of the crater floor, and from the lava pond in the NE spatter cone (during most of the reporting period). The Kahauale€™a 2 lava flow continued to advance, with breakouts from the main stalled lobe, and burn adjoining forest. A satellite image acquired on 9 April showed the farthest point of activity was 8.3 km NE of Pu€™u 'O'o.
Geologic Summary. Kilauea volcano, which overlaps the east flank of the massive Mauna Loa shield volcano, has been Hawaii's most active volcano during historical time. Eruptions of Kilauea are prominent in Polynesian legends; written documentation extending back to only 1820 records frequent summit and flank lava flow eruptions that were interspersed with periods of long-term lava lake activity that lasted until 1924 at Halemaumau crater, within the summit caldera. The 3 x 5 km caldera was formed in several stages about 1500 years ago and during the 18th century; eruptions have also originated from the lengthy East and SW rift zones, which extend to the sea on both sides of the volcano. About 90% of the surface of the basaltic shield volcano is formed of lava flows less than about 1100 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/
Pacaya | Guatemala | 14.381°N, 90.601°W | Summit elev. 2552 m
INSIVUMEH reported that during 9-10 April an explosion from Pacaya generated an ash plume that rose 50 m and drifted 1 km SSE. During 9-11 and 13-15 April white plumes from Mackenney Crater drifted S and N.
Geologic Summary. Eruptions from Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes, are frequently visible from Guatemala City, the nation's capital. Pacaya is a complex basaltic volcano constructed just outside the southern topographic rim of the 14 x 16 km Pleistocene Amatitlán caldera. A cluster of dacitic lava domes occupies the southern caldera floor. The post-caldera Pacaya massif includes the ancestral Pacaya Viejo and Cerro Grande stratovolcanoes and the currently active Mackenney stratovolcano. Collapse of Pacaya Viejo volcano between 600 and 1500 years ago produced a debris-avalanche deposit that extends 25 km onto the Pacific coastal plain and left an arcuate somma rim inside which the modern Pacaya volcano (Mackenney cone) grew. A subsidiary crater, Cerro Chino, was constructed on the NW somma rim and was last active in the 19th century. During the past several decades, activity at Pacaya has consisted of frequent strombolian eruptions with intermittent lava flow extrusion that has partially filled in the caldera moat and armored the flanks of Mackenney cone, punctuated by occasional larger explosive eruptions that partially destroy the summit of the growing young stratovolcano.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/
San Cristóbal | Nicaragua | 12.702°N, 87.004°W | Summit elev. 1745 m
Based on analysis of satellite images, the Washington VAAC reported that on 11 April a gas plume from San Cristóbal that possibly contained small amounts of ash drifted 20 km W. A thermal anomaly was present in short-wave infrared satellite images. Periods of elevated seismicity were also detected.
Geologic Summary. The San Cristóbal volcanic complex, consisting of five principal volcanic edifices, forms the NW end of the Marrabios Range. The symmetrical 1745-m-high youngest cone, named San Cristóbal (also known as El Viejo), is Nicaragua's highest volcano and is capped by a 500 x 600 m wide crater. El Chonco, with several flank lava domes, is located 4 km to the west of San Cristóbal; it and the eroded Moyotepe volcano, 4 km to the NE of San Cristóbal, are of Pleistocene age. Volcán Casita, containing an elongated summit crater, lies immediately east of San Cristóbal and was the site of a catastrophic landslide and lahar in 1998. The Plio-Pleistocene La Pelona caldera is located at the eastern end of the San Cristóbal complex. Historical eruptions from San Cristóbal, consisting of small-to-moderate explosive activity, have been reported since the 16th century. Some other 16th-century eruptions attributed to Casita volcano are uncertain and may pertain to other Marrabios Range volcanoes.
Source: Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html
San Miguel | El Salvador | 13.434°N, 88.269°W | Summit elev. 2130 m
According to SNET, the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) reported that on 12 April moderate to strong gas plumes from San Miguel rose from the crater and drifted SW. The most robust plume occurred at 1607 and rose 400 m. Images recorded by a webcam showed that the plumes had dark tones, suggesting small amounts of ash.
Geologic Summary. The symmetrical cone of San Miguel volcano, one of the most active in El Salvador, rises from near sea level to form one of the country's most prominent landmarks. The unvegetated summit of the 2130-m-high volcano rises above slopes draped with coffee plantations. A broad, deep crater complex that has been frequently modified by historical eruptions (recorded since the early 16th century) caps the truncated summit of the towering volcano, which is also known locally as Chaparrastique. Radial fissures on the flanks of the basaltic-andesitic volcano have fed a series of historical lava flows, including several erupted during the 17th-19th centuries that reached beyond the base of the volcano on the north, NE, and SE sides. The SE-flank lava flows are the largest and form broad, sparsely vegetated lava fields crossed by highways and a railroad skirting the base of the volcano. The location of flank vents has migrated higher on the edifice during historical time, and the most recent activity has consisted of minor ash eruptions from the summit crater.
Source: Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (SNET) http://www.snet.gob.sv/
Santa MarÃa | Guatemala | 14.756°N, 91.552°W | Summit elev. 3772 m
INSIVUMEH reported that during 9-11 and 14-15 April explosions from Santa MarÃa's Santiaguito lava-dome complex generated ash plumes that rose 600-800 m and drifted 8-10 km. Ashfall was reported in San Marcos (10 km SW), La Florida (5 km S), Rosario, and other areas in Palajunoj (18 km SSW). Avalanches from lava flows descended the flanks during 10-11 and 13-14 April.
Geologic Summary. Symmetrical, forest-covered Santa MarÃa volcano is one of the most prominent of a chain of large stratovolcanoes that rises dramatically above the Pacific coastal plain of Guatemala. The 3772-m-high stratovolcano has a sharp-topped, conical profile that is cut on the SW flank by a large, 1.5-km-wide crater. The oval-shaped crater extends from just below the summit of Volcán Santa MarÃa to the lower flank and was formed during a catastrophic eruption in 1902. The renowned plinian eruption of 1902 that devastated much of SW Guatemala followed a long repose period after construction of the large basaltic-andesite stratovolcano. The massive dacitic Santiaguito lava-dome complex has been growing at the base of the 1902 crater since 1922. Compound dome growth at Santiaguito has occurred episodically from four westward-younging vents, the most recent of which is Caliente. Dome growth has been accompanied by almost continuous minor explosions, with periodic lava extrusion, larger explosions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/
Shiveluch | Central Kamchatka (Russia) | 56.653°N, 161.36°E | Summit elev. 3283 m
KVERT reported that during 4-11 April lava-dome extrusion onto Shiveluch€™s SE flank was accompanied by ash explosions, incandescence, hot avalanches, and fumarolic activity. A bright thermal anomaly was detected daily in satellite images. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Geologic Summary. The high, isolated massif of Shiveluch volcano (also spelled Sheveluch) rises above the lowlands NNE of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. The 1300 cu km Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanic structures. The summit of roughly 65,000-year-old Stary Shiveluch is truncated by a broad 9-km-wide late-Pleistocene caldera breached to the south. Many lava domes dot its outer flanks. The Molodoy Shiveluch lava dome complex was constructed during the Holocene within the large horseshoe-shaped caldera; Holocene lava dome extrusion also took place on the flanks of Stary Shiveluch. At least 60 large eruptions of Shiveluch have occurred during the Holocene, making it the most vigorous andesitic volcano of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Widespread tephra layers from these eruptions have provided valuable time markers for dating volcanic events in Kamchatka. Frequent collapses of dome complexes, most recently in 1964, have produced debris avalanches whose deposits cover much of the floor of the breached caldera.
Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php
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Sally Kuhn Sennert
SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report Editor
Global Volcanism Program
http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
Department of Mineral Sciences, MRC-119
Washington, D.C., 20560
Phone: 202.633.1805
Fax: 202.357.2476
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