Colima Volcano blasts ash and steam

Updated: Tue 3:37 PM, Jun 23, 2015

COLIMA, MX (NBC) - The Colima Volcano in Western Mexico blasted a column of ash and smoke into the air early Tuesday morning.

The volcano, also known as the 'Fire Volcano,' is one of the most active in Mexico.

It is included in the Colima Volcanic Complex, a prominent center of the Western Mexican Volcanic Belt.

As of now, the renewed activity has not affected nearby cities.

Source: http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/volcano-watch 

Guatemala volcano grows more active, spews ash

Guatemala City (AFP) - Guatemala's Fuego volcano shook from explosions Sunday and spewed ashes over nearby communities as it entered a more intense phase of activity, authorities said. The state Institute of Vulcanology reported "four or five explosions an hour accompanied by ashes (rising) to an altitude of 4,600 meters (15,000 feet)." The volcano is located 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Guatemala City. The sound of the explosions could be heard from a distance of 25 kilometers, and shock waves rattled roof-tops and windows in surrounding villages, it said. Ash from the volcano was falling on villages on Fuego's western slopes. In February, a strong eruption forced authorities to close the international airport because of the ashfall.

Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/28593896/guatemala-volcano-grows-... 

Japan raises volcano alert for Mount Hakone after small eruption

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/east-asia/story/japan-raises-...

Steam rising near Hakone's hot springs on May 6, 2015. -- PHOTO: AFP

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/east-asia/story/japan-raises-... 

http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/Regional/RegionalNews.aspx?...

Fear of volcano eruption in Ukhrul

A continuous flow of smoke and ashes from a swamp at a place near Old Wahong village of Manipur’s Ukhrul district has left villagers fearing of natural calamity in the form of volcanic eruption any time, a daily reported Tuesday. Villagers said that smoke radius of about two feet along with ashes have been seen gushing out from the earth’s surface at Shitru area, since last two weeks. Shitru is located a place border Manipur, Nagaland and Myanmar. Villagers and onlookers feared volcanic eruption at the area in a short time. However, with majority of the villagers preoccupied with cultivation of seasonal crops, and coupled with incessant rainfall, they are yet to inform State authorities about the mysterious phenomenon till date.  Yet, they are clueless and at the same time quite apprehensive in case the smokes and ashes turn out to be a prelude to a volcanic eruption. It may be mentioned that in 2013, a mud volcano erupted at the neighbouring village of New Tusom due to the shifting of tectonic plates of India and Myanmar. It may be mentioned that in 2013, a mud volcano erupted at the neighbouring village of New Tusom due to the shifting of tectonic plates of India and Myanmar.

Indonesian volcano disrupts flights

GOYA DMYTRYSHCHAK

A number of flights in and out of Bali have been cancelled due to the ash threat from the Mount Raung volcano in Indonesia.

Virgin Australia diverted four flights during the day on Saturday and cancelled six flights on Saturday night.

Virgin Australia spokesman Luke O'Donnell said four flights on Sunday had been cancelled.

"Our team of meteorologists are continuing to monitor the situation, in consultation with the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)," he said.

"The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority, and we will recommence normal operations as soon as the volcanic ash safely allows."

Jetstar cancelled all Bali flights for the remainder of Saturday.

Jetstar spokesman Luke Enright said the weather would monitored and an update on  Sunday's Bali services provided as soon as possible.

"We regret the impact these cancellations and delays are having on our passengers, particularly during the busy school holiday period, but we will always put safety before schedule," he said.

Weather conditions on Saturday resulted in an ash cloud from Mount Raung drifting closer to Denpasar International Airport.

Several flights were cancelled on Thursday and Friday after the VAAC raised its ash advisory from code orange to code red. VAAC meteorologist Craig Earl-Spurr said the ash cloud was currently coded orange.

"It's quite a thin plume, it's not a large eruption at all," he said.

"It's just a mild low-level eruption but the volcano's only about 80 nautical miles from Denpasar.

"The wind just happens to be blowing directly towards Denpasar from the volcano.

"It's not uncommon to see these plumes on and off and last a few days, sometimes even weeks.

"It's very difficult to tell if this is the end of it or if it will continue over the coming days."

 - Fairfax Media Australia

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/69970409/indonesian-volcano-disr... 

Eruption of Indonesia's Raung Volcano Causes Travel Chaos (Jul 10)

Ash spewing from a volcano on Indonesia's main island of Java sparked chaos for holidaymakers as airports closed and international airlines cancelled flights to tourist hotspot Bali, stranding thousands.

Ash emissions have been intense enough to produce a plume that rose to 17,000 ft (5 km) altitude and drifted more than 150 km to the SE. Five regional airports including Denpasar (DPS) on Bali have been closed.

Mount Raung in East Java province, about 150 kilometres from Bali's international airport, has been rumbling for several weeks. The level of activity increased in the past week and on Friday it blasted ash and debris 3,800 metres into the air.

Government volcanologist Gede Suantika said the eruption forced authorities to close five airports due to the risks posed by volcanic ash, though two airports on Lombok island reopened Friday afternoon. The Transport Ministry told airlines to avoid routes near the mountain. It said a decision about reopening other airports would be made later Friday.

Suantika said lava and ash fall from the 3,332-metre-high mountain on Indonesia's most densely populated island also caused the government to urge people to stay away from a three-kilometre (two-mile) -high danger zone around the volcano.

Evacuation of residents living near the volcano is still considered unnecessary, but authorities are urging people to wear masks.

"Ash can clog engines and harm other parts of the aircraft," said Transport Ministry spokesman Julius Adravida Barata.

Airports on the islands of Bali and Lombok as well as airports at Banyuwangi and Jember in East Java were closed late Thursday. Barata said thousands of travellers were stranded.

Flights within Indonesia were already overbooked as tens of millions of the country's Muslims pour out of major cities to return to their villages during an annual mass exodus to celebrate the end of the Islamic holy month.

The volcano has proven particularly problematic for Australians, who flock to Bali during Australia's school holidays.

Dozens of flights between Australia and Bali's Ngurah Rai airport by Australian carriers Jetstar and Virgin Australia have been cancelled over the past week, with the airlines citing safety concerns.

At Bali's international airport, many travellers arrived not knowing about the eruption and flight cancellations. The airport blocked access to ticket counters, adding to the confusion.

Some tourists slept on benches or stood at flight information boards filled with "postponed" and "delayed" notifications. Others complained of a lack of information about their delayed flights.

"The airline can't tell us if we're going to be here tonight or fly tomorrow or the next day," said Charmaine Scott, an Australian holidaymaker.

"This is really difficult for us. We have to basically find some way to stay."

Raung is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelago is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

Another Indonesian volcano, Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, has been erupting for two months, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.

Sources

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/eruption-of-indonesian-volcano-cause...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/raung/news.html

Mexico's Colima Volcano in 'Constant State of Activity' (Jul 10)

Colima volcano in western Mexico has erupted again, sending ash more than four miles (6.4km) into the air and lava down the peak.

Colima is now in a constant state of activity, announced the director of Mexico''s civil protection agency Luis Felipe Puente.

According to Puente, the volcano spewed ash and gas into the sky, reaching heights of around 7 kilometers.

People were advised by Puente to recognize a 5-kilometer perimeter around the peak and to avoid activities in this place.

The authorities of Colima and Jalisco in western Mexico, activated the preventive protocols and remain on alert, due to the volcano's massive eruption.

Sources

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/colima/news/53699/Colima-volcano-Me...

4 Volcanoes Ablaze in Mexico, Chile, Indonesia and Sumatra (Jul 12)
Volcanoes are erupting around the globe this weekend, causing flight cancellations in southeast Asia and evacuations in Mexico.  

Hundreds of people have been forced to flee from their villages located at the foot of the Colima Volcano in western Mexico's Colima State, following an eruption this weekend which saw the active mountain spew ash and fire.

The volcano, also known as the Volcano of Fire, also forced a local airport to close as authorities have sealed off a 7.5 mile area amid fears an even bigger eruption may follow.

In Chile, the Villarrica Volcano, around 460 miles south of the capital Santiago, has been erupting overnight.

The Villarrica, located near the popular tourist resort of Pucon is among the most active in South America.

In Bali, Indonesia a volcano eruption on the neighbouring island of Java has forced one of Indonesia's busiest airports to close for the second time in just a few days.

Mount Raung on Indonesia's main island of Java has been erupting for weeks, and on Thursday a cloud of drifting ash forced the closure of Bali airport during peak holiday season, and four others.

The airport on the resort island, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, reopened two days later as the ash drifted away, allowing some passengers to board flights home and others to arrive.

However the cloud returned Sunday morning, forcing authorities to shut the airport again. But the new closure lasted just a few hours and the airport was reopened in the afternoon as the ash shifted, the government said.

'Full, normal operations have resumed, however planes are to fly in and out from a westerly direction to avoid the ash,' transport ministry spokesman J. A. Barata told AFP.

Indonesian government vulcanologist Gede Suantika said that Mount Raung continued to erupt Sunday, spewing ash up to 3,200 feet into the air, and the wind had in the morning pushed the cloud of dust towards Bali, some 90 miles away.

Authorities raised the alert status of Mount Raung, a 3,300-metre volcano, late last month to the second highest level after it began to spew lava and ash high into the air.



Also in Indonesia, Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, has been erupting for two months, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.  

Source

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3158256/The-Earth-erupts-Sp...

Ash from Raung Volcano Continues to Shut Down Indonesian Airports (Jul 16)

Ash spewing from an erupting volcano closed the airport serving Indonesia's second-biggest city on Thursday as millions of people were travelling across the archipelago ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid.

The shutdown of the international airport serving Surabaya, on the main island of Java, came days after the airport on the nearby holiday island of Bali was closed by ash from the same volcano, stranding thousands of holidaymakers.

Authorities ordered the closure of Juanda Airport near Surabaya between 1:30pm and 8:30pm (9.30pm Singapore time) due to increased activity from Mount Raung, which has been erupting violently in recent weeks, airport spokesman Liza Anindya told AFP. "The concern is that the ash might affect flights," she said.

The closure came during peak holiday season in Indonesia, when people in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country flood out of cities and head to their home towns and villages to spend Eid with their families.

Authorities raised the alert status of Mount Raung, about 180 kilometres west of Surabaya, to the second-highest level at the end of last month as the volcano began emitting clouds of hot ash and lava.

The airport on Bali, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign visitors each year, was closed twice last week during peak season - with the longest shutdown lasting two days - due to the ash.

Thousands of tourists were left stranded at the island's Ngurah Rai airport and almost 900 flights were cancelled or delayed, according to airport officials.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that Mount Raung was hurling thick smoke up to 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the air on Thursday. No evacuations of nearby residents were necessary at the moment, he added.

Sources

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/volcano-ash-shuts/1...

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/07/16/4274847.htm

Another Indonesian Volcano Shuts Down Airport (Jul 16)

Sultan Babullah airport in Ternate, North Maluku was shut down this morning following the eruption of nearby Mount Gamalama.

“It was shut down at 10 a.m. local time after Mt. Gamalama erupted,” Transportation Ministry spokesman JA Barata said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Barata said he did not know when the airport would be reopened, as the authorities were still waiting for updates on weather conditions in the area.

Mt. Gamalama erupted at 9:58 a.m. local time, spewing dark clouds of volcanic ash around 1,500 meters into the sky.

The volcano had shown an increase in activity since Wednesday, including volcanic tremors reaching 90 times.

Mt. Gamalama’s last eruption was in December 2015. The eruption disrupted economic activities in Ternate and forced air authorities to shut the airport for two weeks because of the thick volcanic ash.

Sources

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/16/mt-gamalama-eruption-...  

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/16/mt-gamalama-erupts.html

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/gamalama/news/53729/Gamalana-volcan...

Explosion Shakes Aleutians’ Cleveland Volcano

An explosion shook Cleveland Volcano in the east-central Aleutian Islands at 8:17 local time Tuesday morning.

It’s the volcano’s first explosion since November.

Kristi Wallace with the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage called it “a small, discrete, short-duration event.”

Crater of Cleveland Volcano in July 2014. Pavel Izbekov, Alaska Volcano Observatory / University of Alaska Fairbanks photo.

“We aren’t certain whether or not a significant ash cloud was produced, likely not, mostly because it was short duration,” she said.

Clouds blocked the satellite view of the volcano Tuesday morning, and scientists haven’t received any reports from local pilots yet.

Grant Aviation said its flights in the area have been grounded because of fog.

The National Weather Service has put out an alert on the possibility of an ash cloud heading to the north and east, likely below 20,000 feet altitude.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has raised the alert level for the volcano from yellow to orange, meaning an eruption is underway with only minor ash emissions.

“This is pretty common for this volcano,” Wallace said. “Typically, you have one explosion and maybe nothing for months. Sometimes we have maybe a couple over a week-long period. So we’ll just wait and see.”

Since its last major eruption in 2001, Cleveland Volcano has been active occasionally, with small lava flows and ash clouds generally staying below 20,000 feet. Eruptions in 2001 sent ash clouds, which can threaten airplanes that encounter them, as high as 39,000 feet above sea level.

Cleveland Volcano is on uninhabited Chuginadak Island, about 45 miles west of the village of Nikolski, 150 miles southwest of Unalaska and 940 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The volcanic cone towers 5,676 feet above the Bering Sea.

Source: http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/07/21/explosion-shakes-aleutians-c... 

Five Volcanoes Erupt In Indonesia, Blanketing Skies In Ash (Jul 22)

Major eruptions at five volcanoes shrouded the skies over the Indonesian archipelago Wednesday, forcing three airports to close.

Mount Raung on Java island blasted ash and debris up to 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) into the air after rumbling for several weeks.

Ash erupted also from Gamalama and Dukono mountains on the Moluccas islands chain, Sinabung volcano on Sumatra island and Mount Karangetang on Siau island, darkening the skies.

A total of more than 13,000 people have been evacuated due to the volcanic eruptions since last month, mostly from around the slopes of Sinabung in Tanah Karo District, added Surono.

Transport Ministry spokesman Julius Adravida Barata said Jember and Banyuwangi airports closed late Tuesday and Bali's international airport was closed for several hours on Wednesday, disrupting flights. Media reports said 37 flights to and from Bali's Ngurah Rai airport were cancelled.

An eruption of Raung early this month sparked chaos as the airport in the tourist hotspot of Bali and four other airports in the region were shutdown, stranding thousands of holiday-goers.

Last week, the ministry closed Sultan Babullah airport in North Maluku's Ternate town after eruptions at Gamalama and Dukono sent volcanic ash up to 1,700 meters (5,570 feet) into the sky.

Source

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/indonesia-volcanoes_55af9c08e4b...

Volcanic Ash Forces Airport Closures in Colombia (Jul 26)

Colombia's Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in an ash cloud on Sunday, prompting authorities to temporarily close two airports in the area.

The civil aeronautics agency said it closed airports at Manizales and Pereira as a precaution after the 8:30 am (1330 GMT) eruption.

Source

http://news.yahoo.com/volcanic-ash-forces-airport-closures-colombia...

Sumatra's Sinabung Volcano Unleashes Pyroclastic Flow (Jul 27)

Heightened activity remains essentially unchanged at the volcano.

Effusion of viscous lava continues to feed the lava dome with two active lobes on the SE and E upper flanks.

At 12:22 local time today, a part of the eastern lobe collapsed into a pyroclastic flow that traveled approx. 2.5 km towards the outskirts of the already evacuated and destroyed villages of Bekerah and Simacem.

Source

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/sinabung/news/53876/Sinabung-volcan...

Thermal signal from Raung volcano (MIROVA)

Pyroclastic flow at Sinabung volcano this morning

Ash plume, approx. 2 km tall, from an explosion at Popo this morning and the glow from the active lava dome in its crater (CENAPRED webcam)

Karymsky (Kamchatka): An ash plume from an explosion produced an ash plume that rose to 14,000 ft (4.2 km) altitude and drifted north this morning. The volcano continues to produce intermittent strombolian- to vulcanian-type explosive eruptions.

Chirinkotan (Northern Kuriles): Ash emissions were recorded on satellite imagery on 26 July, producing a plume that rose to 15,000 ft (4.5 km) altitude and drifted NW.

Kirishima (Kyushu): Elevated seismic activity has been recorded since early July, the Japan Meterological Agency (JMA) reported. Yesterday, a phase of volcanic tremor occurred that lasted 3 minutes and a slight ground deformation was detected. Sudden phreatic explosions could occur any time and pose a significant risk if visiting the crater area.

Akan (Hokkaido): A swarm of shallow volcanic earthquakes under the Ponmachineshiri crater of Mt Meakan volcano has been occurring since yesterday. 
The swarm follows a gradual increase in seismicity under the volcano noted since April this year.

Raung (East Java): The eruption, now over 4 weeks old, continues with no significant changes. Strong lava effusion inside the summit caldera is accompanied by near-constant ash emissions rising 1-2 km and drifting up to 100-200 km in mostly westerly directions.

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): A series of pyroclastic flows yesterday noon (see previous post) and this morning destroyed a part of the eastern lava lobe.

... [read more] 

Dukono (Halmahera): Strong ash emissions continue at the volcano. VAAC Darwin reported an ash plume extending 25 km north of the volcano yesterday.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The activity at the volcano has remained more or less unchanged over the past months. During the past days, explosive activity has been a bit higher than average. Intermittent explosions occur from the summit crater, where lava domes slowly grow until a series of stronger explosions destroy it and a new one grows.

Source

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/erupting_volcanoes.html

Large Explosive Eruption at Papua New Guinea's Manam Volcano (Jul 31)

A large explosive eruption occurred at the volcano today producing an ash column that rose to approx. 65,000 ft (20 km) altitude and started to drift SW.

VAAC Darwin changed aviation color code to red.

Ash from the Manam eruption has coated a number of towns, including Bogia, on the coast of New Guinea.

This explosion is the largest at the volcano in over 10 years. It seems to be similar to the powerful 24 Oct 2004 explosion.

In a bit of an eerie coincidence, officials from Manam and Bogia just recently settled their discord over the resettlement of over 1,000 volcanic refugee from the 2004 eruption of Manam to Bogia. The refugees from 2004 have yet to find permanent homes after having to leave the island. More than 9,000 were initially evacuated in 2004.

More than 5,000 people still live on the island and are being evacuated to the Madang mainland and will likely be permanently resettled. Two injuries from the eruption have been reported so far as well.

Sources

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/manam/news/53987/Manam-volcano-Papu...

http://www.wired.com/2015/07/manam-papua-new-guinea-unleashes-large...

Volcano erupts on Indian Ocean island of Reunion - video

Source:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/aug/01/volcano-erupts-i...

Violent Eruptions Continue at Sumatra's Sinabung Volcano (Aug 4)

At least two pyroclastic flows occurred today at the volcano, continuing the destruction of the lava lobes on the upper SE and E side.

Heavy ash falls were reported southeast of the volcano, forcing shops to close and people stay indoors.

Source

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/sinabung/news/54046/Sinabung-volcan...

Ongoing Eruption at Java's Raung Volcano Continues to Disrupt Air Travel (Aug 4)

The eruption at the volcano remains very intense and might have increased during the past days.

Virgin Australia has cancelled all flights to and from Bali today as volcanic ash from the erupting volcano continues to wreak havoc on airline travel.

“The latest advice from our team of meteorologists and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre is that conditions are not suitable for operations into and out of Denpasar Airport today,” the airline said in a statement.

“We have been advised that Mt Raung continues to erupt and winds are blowing in an unfavourable direction, and are forecast to continue to do so for the rest of the day.”

Jetstar has also had to cancel and delay flights to and from Bali again after seriously deteriorating flight conditions.

According to Indonesian press reports, new fissures have been reported and incandescent ejecta were seen to up to a height of 1500 m.

Sources

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/raung/news/54051/Raung-volcano-East...

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/08/05/04/15/flights-in-and-out-o...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3185114/Jetstar-cancels-fli...

http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/volcanic-ash-cloud-again-de...

Mexico's Colima Volcano Spews Huge Ash Cloud (Aug 3)

Mexico's famous "volcano of fire" spewed an ash cloud two miles (3km) into the sky on Monday.

Source

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/colima-volcano-fir...

Inactive Geyser Bursts Through New Zealand City Centre (Aug 10)

Parts of a New Zealand city have been closed after an old geyser suddenly burst back into life and started spitting steam and water 15m into the air.

Rotorua city, on the country’s north island, is well-known for its geothermal activity, with many tourists drawn to its unusual boiling mud pools and geysers.

But the old bore that began spraying dirt and gravel onto roofs yesterday provided an unlikely CBD spectacle for tourists.

Video posted to the Rotorua Daily Post shows the geyser gushing up from underneath the ground down a small cobbled lane in front of concerned onlookers.

"Mum, shall I ring 911?" says the man recording the footage. Police were called and shops in the surrounding area were reportedly closed for several hours.

A spokesperson from the local council said the geyser burst through an old bore in the city centre.

"Once the bore has been shut down contractors and staff will have a better idea about why it blew this afternoon," he said.

"The area has been cordoned off for safety reasons and we will have security guards there overnight to ensure public safety."

Sources

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/08/10/06/05/15m-geyser-bursts-in...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/70960901/old-rotorua-bore-burs...

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/emergency/geyser-erupts-in-rotorua...

Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador Erupts after 75 Years - August 14

The Cotopaxi volcano, located 60 kilometers from Quito in Ecuador, which has been silent for almost 75 years has erupted.

Reports of falling ash and the smell of sulphur is being reported in nearby Machachi, Ecuador following Cotopaxi volcano eruption.

The last major eruption was in 1940, but since then the Cotopaxi had been quiet. However, in the last few months, Ecuador's volcano monitoring agency - IG-EPN had raised fears that the volcano may go active again as there have been some 100 small earthquakes per day in the region. Signature tremor associated with fluid movement at volcano also was reported.

Ash from Cotopaxi has considerably affected visibility in Quito and other areas. Local residents are wearing masks in the city streets. * Two phreatic eruptions took place at Cotopaxi volcano this morning. A phreatic eruption is a steam eruption without lava ejection. It is a common precursor of volcanic activity.

Volcanologists from the Instituto Geofisico are expected to visit the summit to access the situation.

Locals have been asked by the government officials to use precautions when venturing outside to avoid inhaling ash. No evacuations have been ordered yet. * "We are monitoring the situation closely,"

Ecuador's volcano monitoring agency - IG-EPN. * Locals heard two loud explosions followed by a rain of ash and strong smell of sulphur. *

Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and the second highest summit in the country.

Cotopaxi's most violent eruptions in historical times occurred in the years 1744, 1768, and 1877. In the 1877 eruption pyroclastic flows descended all sides of the mountain, with lahars travelling more than 100 km into the Pacific Ocean and western Amazon basin draining the valley.

There was a major eruption in 1903 through 1904, and some minor activity in 1942 as well as 1975 but it did not produce any major events. (via sguisard.astrosurf.com)

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.in/live-cotopaxi-volcano-ecuador-erupts-after...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cotopaxi+volcano+map&view=...

Sakurajima volcano threatens to erupt: Thousands prepare to evacuate as huge blast feared just miles from nuclear reactor

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/sakurajima-volcano-threaten...

Thousands of people are being evacuated after Japan warned a massive volcano close to a nuclear power plant is threatening to erupt.

Japan warned Sakurajima volcano, which is just 50 km (31 miles) from a nuclear reactor is showing signs of increased activity.

The mountain - on the southern island of Kyush - is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and erupts almost constantly.

But a larger than usual eruption could be in the offing, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

"There is the danger that stones could rain down on areas near the mountain's base, so we are warning residents of those areas to be ready to evacuate if needed," the official added.
The agency also said it had raised the warning level on the peak, 990 km southwest of Tokyo, to an unprecedented 4, for prepare to evacuate, from 3. Roughly 100 people could be affected.

Japan on Tuesday restarted a reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant, some 50 km from Sakurajima. It is the first reactor to be restarted under new safety standards put in place after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Northwest side of the Indo-Australian Plate feeling pressure lately with buoy 23227 off Sumatra showing undersea displacements as well as Barren Island volcano to the north.

A 5000-ft ash plume was reported this morning extending 50 km to the east from the Barren Island volcano.

Barren Island, a possession of India in the Andaman Sea about 135 km NE of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, is the only historically active volcano along the N-S-trending volcanic arc extending between Sumatra and Burma (Myanmar).

Sources

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/barren-island/news/54298/Barren-Isl...

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=23227&type=2&...

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

Mexico's Colima Volcano erupts twice, spewing ash into air

Thursday, August 20, 2015, 4:22 - The Colima Volcano erupted twice on Thursday (August 20) morning, spewing ash and smoke more than 3 kilometres (1.86 miles) into the air.

Located in the southwestern Mexican state of Colima, the Fire Volcano's first eruption occurred at 8:00 am local time (1300 GMT) and the second at 9:20 am (1420 GMT).

The volcano has been exhibiting activity since July 9. Over the last month, nearby villages have been blanketed with thick coats of ash, prompting evacuations. 

Officially known as the Colima Volcano, it was previously active in January and February of 2015 and is part of the Pacific's Ring of Fire Mexico contains over 3,000 volcanos but only 14 are considered active. 

Major eruptions have included the 1953 eruption of the Paricutin Volcano in Michoacan, the 1982 eruption of Tacana Volcano in Chiapas and the 1986 eruption of the Colima Volcano. 

The Colima Volcano has erupted more than 40 times since the 16th century and local authorities have an emergency plan that includes continuous observation of the volcano and mandatory evacuations, if needed.

Source: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/extreme-weather/m...

Increasing Activity at Ecuador's Cotopaxi Volcano (Aug 22)

Ash emissions have been increasing and producing plumes that rose 2 km above the summit and drifted west for over 50 km.

Ash fall occurred in several populated areas including Mulalo, Chaupi, Lasso, Machachi, Aloag, Tambillo.

According to Ministry of Security, evacuation routes and over 120 "albergues" - shelters - have been prepared to accommodate evacuees.

On August 21, the volcano’s penetrating sulfurous gases burned the nose and throat of Marco Toctauano, 32, as he chased his sheep down the mountain.

The surgical mask shielding his nose and mouth was of little help little. The crater is less than 2 miles away.

“We have cattle up on the mountainside. There’s no more we can do,” he said. “With the ash, they’re suffocating and could be dying. We’re pretty bad, too.”

Toctauano figures he’s lost 17 or 18 head of cattle worth a total of some $7,500. A lot more could be lost if Cotopaxi were to blow.

All but a quarter of Ticatitlin’s 200 residents have evacuated. Those who remain are mostly elderly, like 84-year-old Adelaida Iza. She is more or less resigned to fate, noting as she cut alfalfa for her animals.

“If the volcano blows, we’re dead.”

Sources

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/cotopaxi/activity/aug2015-eruption....

http://globalnews.ca/news/2180386/few-linger-in-shadow-of-ecuadors-...

Piton de la Fournaise Volcano erupts on Reunion Island

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/piton-de-la-fournaise-volcano-erupts-on-re...

The Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion Island erupted on 24 August, prompting tourists and locals to endure the cold night to watch molten lava erupt from the crater. This was the fourth eruption this year for the Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanos in the world.

The previous eruption happened on 31 July while Reunion Island was in the spotlight as beach cleaners found a piece of plane wing believed to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupted at 6.50pm local time, after an increase of its seismic activity during the entire day, local authorities said in a written press release. The eruption was visible from Piton de Bert located at 2000m and not accessible by car, but reachable after a one hour walk.

Local hikers and tourists eager to watch the volcano in action ventured on the path at night with their headlamps, hiking shoes, cameras and a temperature of about zero degrees. This is the first eruption of my life, this is the first time I come here, it has been all about first times in the last 24 hours, said Francoise, a tourist from Clermont-Ferrand, in Mainland France.

If some of the tourists on the site saw a volcanic eruption for the first time, others were regular watchers of eruptions, such as Romain, who is originally from Mainland France, but has moved to la Reunion Island in 2014.

It is so wonderful that I am always ready. You put your sport shoes on and you go directly there. It is too beautiful; there is nothing more beautiful than that. It makes some nice souvenirs pictures, Romain, who hasnt missed an eruption in 2015, said.

Hikers stayed watching the volcanos lights, red smoke and lava all night. The road leading to the path to reach the view spot was particularly busy all night, with many cars queuing. As cars proceeded slowly towards the beginning of the path, local policemen were busy managing the traffic.

Our experience during the last eruptions – those of end of July and May – shows that we can see some 2500 cars per day, between eight and midnight, local police captain Tanguy Madec said.

Mount Lokon erupts on August 28, 2015

Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, erupted on 11:49 p.m. local time on Saturday and spewed volcanic ash from its Tompaluan Crater, which reached several areas of Manado city.

Local residents reported that Mt. Lokon spewed a column of ash around 1,500 meters high, which spread in a northern and northeastern direction away from the volcano.

“Winds have pushed the volcanic ash areas, starting from Manado to North Minahasa. The ash is covering our houses. We have to get masks,” said Amanda, a Winangun resident, on Sunday.

Kompas.com reported that Saturday’s eruption had caused flight delays at Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado as thick volcanic ash covered its runways.

At least three flights that should have departed for Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), Jakarta and Surabaya (East Java) on 6 a.m. local time on Sunday had to be rescheduled.

Authorities said they delayed their departures because of the poor condition of the airport’s runways.

There have been no reports of fatalities or injuries during the eruption. Lokon is one of active volcanoes in North Sulawesi that has frequent eruptions. Lokon last erupted in May. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/30/mount-lokon-erupts.html

Flurry of activity at Kilauea Volcano last week on Hawaii Island

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/flurry-activity-kilauea-volca...

Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii Island, continuously erupting since 1983 and considered one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has not disappointed these last few days. Last Thursday, Aug 27, a large new lava breakout occurred on the north side of its Puu Oo cone; lava broke the surface inside Puu Oo crater in a new eruption; and the summit lava lake in Halemaumau crater has been rising, falling and even spattering with recent seismic activity.

Readers may recall the Puu Oo cone from its June 27, 2014 flow that sent lava northeast from its crater and oozing toward subdivisions, roads and even homes late last year.
The new Puu Oo cone breakout occurred off of a lava tube supplying distant and ongoing flows. The activity died on the same day, after traveling about 1,640 feet. Lava is still being supplied to a forested area northeast of the crater, but is not near structures and remains within about five miles northeast of the Puu Oo crater. The portion of the lava flow that edged close and threatened residential communities stopped receiving fresh lava in early March.

According to the USGS’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s (HVO) daily updates, none of Kilauea’s lava flows or breakouts from existing flows currently pose a threat to area communities. However, it is unknown how breakout activity—like the one that occurred on Thursday—might impact “the vigor of the distant flows to the northeast,” reports HVO.
Beginning on Friday, Kilauea’s summit experienced some inflation and deflation—an indication that magma below the surface is moving—and seismic tremors have caused some spattering on the summit lava lake, sometimes visible on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park webcams [see below for links].

Large Ash Plume at Sumatra's Mt Sinabung (Sep 15)

A large pyroclastic flow occurred this morning (08:22 local time) at the volcano.

The associated ash plume rose to 18,000 ft (5.4 km) altitude.

During the past months, Sinabung has continued to extrude viscous lava that accumulates at its top in the form of a dome with lobes on the upper slopes.

When parts of these unstable features collapse, they generate avalanches of hot gas and rock that can reach speeds of 700 km/h (450 mph) and temperatures up to 1,000 °C (1,830 °F).

Source

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/sinabung/news/54599/Sinabung-volcan...

Mauna Loa recent volcanic activity could pave the way for an eruption

http://www.dailytimesgazette.com/mauna-loa-recent-volcanic-activity...

Hawaiian authorities from the USGS (US Geological Survey) have heightened alert levels for Mauna Loa, the largest of the volcanoes that comprised Hawaii and currently holds the distinction of being the largest volcano in the planet.

As per West Hawaii Today, the USGS had reported that the volcano had been displaying “signs of unrest” since Sept. 17, 2015, paving the way for the change in alert levels from normal to advisory.

Frank Trusdell, a geologist, said that. “It doesn’t mean an eruption is imminent, but it’s a reminder to the residents of Hawaii, that Mauna Loa is still an active volcano.”

Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984, has been observed with an increase in seismic activity, prompting officials to issue warning to residents.

10 earthquakes every week is common for the area, but as of late more than 40 earthquakes were registered per week have been registered by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).

Strong activity Telica volcan / Nicaragua

Wednesday September 23, 2015

http://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:33841-fuerte-activi...

https://translate.google.es/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_66OtNhpl14

The Telica volcano in western Nicaragua , expelled a large amount of gas and ash Wednesday morning.
From about 8 am, the colossus began to emanate a huge column that could be seen from several kilometers.

As a result of this strong activity, ashfall was reported in communities like Los Angeles and Quezalguaque.

political secretary in the department of León, reported that already activated the Municipal Committee for the Prevention and Attention to Disasters (COMUPRED) to address the effects on families by falling ash in the already cited communities. CONTINUE...

MAP; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telica_%28volcano%29

Residents Warned of Falling Debris from Mexico's Colima Volcano (Sep 24)

The area highlighted in yellow is the most susceptible to ash fall.

The Colima Volcano continues to be active, sending a 1,500-meter column of smoke skyward at 7:08 this morning.

Civil Protection’s national coordinator, Luis Felipe Puente Espinosa, reported the eruption on his Twitter account, advising that the smoke, with a low ash content, was moving southwest.

The ash expelled by the volcano consists of material less than two millimeters in diameter and moves with the wind. But rock projectiles from the Volcano of Fire, as it is also known, are a different matter.

They can be up to 50 millimeters in diameter and are sent shooting out of the crater at high speed, before falling to the ground. This volcanic material can cause damage and injuries in populated areas, particularly if they are hot, which can result in fires.

The falling pieces of rock can be a danger within a five-kilometer radius of the volcano.

Puente Espinosa issued a call to residents near the volcano to stay informed about the volcano’s activity. It has been active since early July, when ash falls were severe enough to require the evacuation of 700 people from nearby communities. The volcano straddles the border between Colima and Jalisco.

Sources

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/more-activity-seen-at-the-colima-vo...

http://media.watoday.com.au/featured/timelapse-of-mexican-volcano-6...

Increased Explosions at Nicaragua's Telica Volcano (Sep 26)

The Telica volcano in northwestern Nicaragua belched gas, ashes and rocks on Saturday in a series of blasts that raised fears of a full-on eruption, authorities said.

A series of 5 moderately strong explosions lasted half an hour. It produced dense ash plumes and ejected blocks to up to 500 m distance.

"Five explosions of medium intensity accompanied by a volcanic tremor were registered," said First Lady Rosario Murillo, citing reports by the Nicaraguan Institute of Earth Studies.

Murillo, who is the government's chief spokesperson, said the activity had raised concerns that a volcanic eruption may be in the offing. "We had 25 minutes of anomalous activity," she said, adding that experts were closely monitoring the activity.

Earlier this week, the volcano sent up dense columns of ash after a series of explosions and produced ash plumes that rose to approximately 500 meters. Ash fell up to 30 km west of the volcano in the department of Chinandega.

Telica, which is 1,060 meters (3,478 feet) high, is located some 150 kilometres (93 miles) northwest of the capital Managua.

Sources

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/nicaraguan-volcano/215328...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/telica/news/54675/Telica-volcano-Ni...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/telica/news/54692/Telica-volcano-Ni...

 Eruptions Increasing at Peru's Ubinas Volcano (Sep 29)

The Ubinas volcano in southwestern Peru erupted again today for the second time in as many days, sending a cloud of ash up to 13,000 feet into the air.

Authorities have issued an ash alert for towns and communities surrounding the volcano.

On Sunday, Ubinas volcano registered a large explosion lasting 59 seconds and sending a large amount of ash 3,600 feet above the base of the crater,

“In the last six days, OVS stations reported an increased number of earthquakes of the volcano-tectonic type, but with low energy. This activity is associated just to the variation in the internal pressure in the mountains,” said Orlando Macedo, director of the South Volcano Observatory (OVS).

The OVS report said that the emission of ash was recorded for about 37 minutes. The wind blew the current toward the east of the volcano.

It is estimated the eruption emitted an energy of 5 Megajoules (MJ). OVS experts don’t doubt that new mild or moderate exhalations will occur in the upcoming days.

Prior to Sunday's eruption, the last strong eruption occurred Sept. 21 and caused a plume of ash that reached 1,500 meters above the crater and then scattered in a radius of 10 kilometers.

Sources

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-news/world/video-perus-ubin...

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-ubinas-volcano-registers-new-explo...

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-new-ubinas-volcano-explosion-affec...

Large Pyroclastic Flows at Guatemala's Santa Maria Volcano (Sep 29)

A series of partial collapses from the Caliente lava dome have been generating pyroclastic flows over 5 km in length that contain rock fragments and hot gas 500 degrees Celsius moving 100 km per hour.

The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh) and the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) report that Santiaguito volcano is in a phase of high activity.

So far no community near the volcano is being affected.

Sources

http://www.soy502.com/articulo/volcan-santiaguito-encuentra-activo-...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/guatemala/santiaguito/news/54715/Sa...

Active Undersea Volcano Discovered off Alaska (Sep 23)

Scientists have found another underwater volcano in Southeast Alaska waters. And this one is active.

About two years ago, geologists studying an ocean channel near Ketchikan spotted something unusual. It was a submerged volcano, about 150 feet below the surface.

It was dormant. The experts estimated it hadn’t erupted for about 10,000 years.

Now, scientists have discovered another underwater volcano, near Dixon Entrance, just north of Alaska’s maritime border with British Columbia.

“Nothing like that had been mapped in the area before, so we knew then that we had discovered something new,” said Gary Greene, a marine geologist working with the Sitka Sound Science Center.

He and a Canadian counterpart found the volcano Sept. 23 during a study of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System. That’s been the epicenter of some recent earthquakes.

“We had just completed some survey work and we modified our line to go to another place to look. And as we were transiting, we came across this big plume and this big cone where the plume was coming out of,” he said.

The plume, made up of methane gas, was being released by a volcanic vent about 3,000 feet below. It stretched up about two-thirds of the way to the ocean’s surface.

But Greene said there was no fresh lava — or anything else to worry about.

“We worked over the vent, right over the vent. And we’re still around to tell about it. So I think it’s probably OK for mariners,” he said.

He said the discovery sheds light on the workings of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System, which is offshore British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.

It’s where a huge, moving chunk of the Earth’s crust, called the Pacific Plate, rubs up against the North American Plate.

“It means that this fault acts as a conduit to deeper in the Earth to places where either magma or fluids that are heated by magma or geothermally heated at depth can migrate up through the fault to the surface,” he said.

Tory O’Connell, research director for the Sitka Sound Science Center, said the research is providing “really important new information about earthquake hazards in our area.”

“It’s also helping direct future research that will help define the significance of understanding the fluidity of that fault,” she said.

Lava and other volcanic fluids lubricate faults, lessening the chance of sudden movement. But that can increase pressure on other areas along the fault, forcing them to jerk forward, causing earthquakes.

Greene said the new volcano was found as scientists investigated another underwater hazard.

“This is an area that had had indications that there were failures occurring on the slope here. And large failures, that is, large landslides that may general tsunamis,” he said.

The new volcano is not alone. Greene said the study found others nearby, but none were active.

Several other venting volcanos have been found along the fault in recent years off the shores of British Columbia.

The Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault study took place Sept. 15-23 on board a Canadian Coast Guard ship, the John P. Tully. It included Greene, Vaughn Barrie of the Geological Survey of Canada and other scientists and technicians from the Geological Survey of Canada and the U.S. Geological Survey. Funding for Greene’s work came from the U.S. Geological Survey, through the Sitka Sound Science Center.

Source

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/10/02/active-underwater-volcano-fo...

Ecuador Volcano Spews Giant Ash Columns (Oct 8)

Ecuador's restive Cotopaxi volcano has been spewing plumes of ash and gas far above its crater and volcanologists say its activity has been on the upswing.

The country's Geophysics Institute says Cotopaxi shot out a plume more than a mile (2 kilometers) high on Wednesday, and an impressive new emission burst from the volcano on Thursday. And it says incandescent material has been seen in the crater.

The giant ash column was visible from Quito, 45km to the north of the volcano, considered one of the world's most dangerous because its snow cap is vulnerable in an eruption and because of its close proximity to densely populated areas.

Ecuador's security coordination ministry said ash rose 2 000m above the volcano's crater, and warned some could fall on Quito's southern neighbourhoods.

The government declared a state of emergency in August after the volcano roared to life and has been conducting evacuation drills among the population.

An estimated 325 000 people could be affected if the eruption triggers mudslides and avalanches, according to the authorities.

The 19,347-foot (5,897-meter) volcano is just about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Ecuador's capital of Quito and a sizable eruption could affect tens of thousands of people. The last large eruption was in 1877.

Sources

http://www.news24.com/Green/News/Ecuador-volcano-spews-giant-ash-co...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/08/new-bursts-ash-and-gas-rise...

Strong Activity at Guatemala's Fuego Volcano (Oct 8)

A volcano near the Guatemalan capital roared back to life on Wednesday, spewing ash high into the air.

Pulsating lava fountains from two summit vents also fed two lava flows that descended the southern and western flanks of the volcano through the Trinidad and Santa Teresa canyon, reaching 1000 and 600 m, respectively.

The Fuego volcano, which is just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Guatemala City and its population of one million people, coughed out gas and ash 4,800 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level.

Despite at least two lava flows, Alejandro Maldonado, secretary of the disaster reduction office CONRAD, said the so-called "Fire Volcano" was not yet sufficiently dangerous to justify the evacuation of nearby villages.

The activity so far has not resulted in the generation of the much-feared pyroclastic flows, but remains intense and could trigger such flows, if parts of the lava flows on the steep flanks collapse.

Experts say the volcano -- one of the most active in Central America -- may become increasingly violent in the coming hours and could affect air traffic.

In February, a powerful eruption at Fuego forced authorities to declare an alert and close the airport in the capital.

Sources

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fuego/news/54819/Fuego-volcano-Guat...

http://news.yahoo.com/guatemala-volcano-roars-back-life-214146249.html

Strong Explosions at Colima Volcano (Oct 5)

Mexico's Colima volcano erupted late on 4 October and continued on until 5 October spewing ash and smoke into the air, authorities reported. According to Jalisco Civil Protection, the plume of gas and ash reached a height of 1,500m, heading north.

Along with the ash cloud and gas, the volcano expelled pyroclastic flows that travelled hundreds of metres down the slope. The day before, a spectacular explosion was recorded at 6.29pm, sending clouds of ash and smoke 2,500m above the crater.

Located in the south-western Mexican state of Colima, the Fire Volcano has been exhibiting activity since 9 July. Over the past two months, nearby villages have been blanketed with thick coats of ash, prompting evacuations.

Source

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mexico-colima-volcano-erupts-again-spewing...

Second volcano spews ash near Ecuador's capital

Volcanoes Erupt in Mexico and Peru (Oct 21)

Ubinas volcano, in the Moquegua region of Peru, erupted this morning at 7:56 a.m. and sent an ash column 1,000 meters into the sky.

Winds then sent the cloud of ash 10 kilometers to the northeast and east of the crater.

The cloud affected the districts of Querapi, Ubinas and Escacha.

On Oct 20, Mexicos Popocatepetl volcano erupted, belching ash and smoke that rose 2,500 metres above the volcano.

Mexico's National Centre for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) reported that a total of 42 exhalations were reported that day.

Sources

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-ubinas-volcano-erupts-emitting-ash...

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/mexico-rumbling-popocatepetl-volcano-erupt...

Volcanoes Erupt in Russia and Indonesia (Oct 22)

Shiveluch Volcano on Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula erupted this morning.

"Seismic stations nearby Shiveluch have registered that the giant volcano sent a plume of ash up to six kilometres into the sky today [October 22]," a spokesperson for the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Service told TASS on Thursday.

Earlier, TASS cited the Klyuchevskaya volcano observatory of the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences as saying that Shiveluch had been demonstrating increased activity in recent days as fire avalanches were going from the lava dome down up to 0.5-1km along the volcano slopes towards the Baidarnaya and Bekesh rivers.

In southern Indonesia, Batu Tara volcano also erupted this morning, producing an ash plume at estimated 5,000 ft (1.5 km) altitude was reported extending 50 km SW of the volcano.

Sources

http://tass.ru/en/society/830786

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/batu-tara/news/55008/Batu-Tara-volc...

Rinjani volcano (Lombok Island, Indonesia): small eruption reported this morning

Volcanic Activity Summary (Oct 26)

Explosion at Aso volcano early on 23 Oct 2015

Seismic recording of Soputan volcano today (image: Andi / VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia)

Active vent inside Dukono's crater (image: Aris Yanto)

Eruption at Turrialba yesterday morning (OVSICORI-UNA webcam)

Cotopaxi volcano today

Eruption at Tungurahua volcano yesterday

Aso (Kyushu): While the volcano continues to degas strongly and has intermittent, mostly small ash emissions, a stronger explosion occurred again early on 23 Oct around 6 am local time. An ash plume rose approx. 1.5 km above the Nakadake crater and dissipated quickly. Alert level remains at 3 out of 5, and an exclusion zone of 2 km around the crater is in place.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): Ash emissions occurred from the volcano yesterday, suggesting ongoing mild explosive activity. VAAC Darwin reported a low-level plume extending 50 km northwest from Bagana.

Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): A volcanic ash plume at 5,000 ft (1.5 km) altitude extending 80 km west of the volcano was reported by VAAC Darwin this morning.

Soputan (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): The volcano is calm at the surface, but seismic activity shows it is at unrest and might erupt again soon. Deep volcanic quakes (5-10 km depth) and shallow tremors has been more frequent (10 -15 times per day) since 3 oct - 22 October. This suggests there is probably magma raising up slowly, but there are still no glowing spots visible.

Dukono (Halmahera): The volcano continues to erupt continuous, loud, roaring jets of gas and small amounts of spatter from vents at the bottom of the deep crater.
Ash plumes are regularly being reported by VAAC Darwin.

Turrialba (Costa Rica): After several months of relative calm, the volcano began to erupt ash plumes again since 23 Oct. Some of the explosions have been relatively strong and caused very small pyroclastic flows limited to the crater area. The origin of these emissions are likely phreatic explosions, i.e. caused by overheated ground water flashing to steam. Whether this is the case or at least some fresh magma is involved is unclear. Seismic activity, which could suggest the rise of new magma, has been reported to have picked up recently.

Cotopaxi (Ecuador): No significant changes have occurred during the past days. The activity remains characterized by intense degassing and occasional mild ash emissions mixed into the plume.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Mild to moderate ash emissions, with ash plumes rising 1-2 km above the crater, have become more frequent over the past days, suggesting the volcano's activity has started to picking up. An explosion at 04:33 yesterday morning was seen ejecting incandescent material that rolled down the western flank to up to 1 km distance.
Light ash fall occurred later in Chacauco, Cotaló and Manzano. The ash was reported to be black and red in color and sugary in grain size. The first (color) suggest that it is from new magma (as opposed to typically gray-brown colored ash from pulverized older rock). The volcano observatory also reported an increase in seismic activity associated with fluid movements. One possibility is that the volcano (after all, one of the world's most active ones) enters a more vigorous phase of activity in the near future, as often occurred in the past.

Source

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/55101/Volcani...

Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano released a column of gas and ash into the sky on Tuesday in the latest of a series of eruptions at the site in central Costa Rica.

The eruption, which occurred at about 8:30 Tuesday morning, is a continuation of a series of eruptions which have been generated since the end of the week, geologist Floribet Vega told the International Business Times.

“Today's [eruption] was a little bit stronger, not extremely bigger that it sent ash to the central valley, but it's a little bigger than what we have seen,” she said.  

Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission told QCostaRica.com that the volcano was especially active over the preceding weekend, with at least 26 eruptions accompanied by seismicity.

The Turrialba Volcano National Park, about an hour’s drive from the capital in San Jose, has been shut since 2009 due to the increased activity at the site, the IBT reports.

Although significant emissions of ash have been reported at the volcano in recent years, magma has rarely been observed at Turrialba's crater.

"When there is a magmatic eruption, we're not going to find that a high proportion of material has been moved around,” said volcanologist Geoffroy Avard. “We're going to find a majority of material which is fresh and young and very little material which has been moving around. So the proportion is going to be the opposite of what we have today.”

Source: http://www.weather.com/science/nature/news/costa-rica-volcano-spews... 

An Unexpected Eruption From Chile’s Lascar Volcano

LASCAR, IN THE northern Andes of Chile, erupted unexpectedly today, producing a small plume of light grey ash that reached 2.5 kilometers (~8,200 f... above the volcano (see above). The fact that there seemed to be little in the way of precursory activity (earthquakes, increased gas emissions) from Lascar suggests that this blast may have been a phreatic explosion driven by water flashing to steam in the volcano’s summit crater or conduit.

Due to this minor eruption, the SERNAGEOMIN has raised the alert status at Lascar to Yellow, although the volcano is in a fairly remote part of the Chilean Andes—the Global Volcanism Program reports only ~8,100 people living within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of Lascar.

It has been over 2 years since Lascar last did anything and its last major eruption of Lascar was in 2005. However, it has produced some spectacular eruptions in the recent past, including the 1993 eruption that was a VEI 4. As with any of these small blasts, volcanologists will watch Lascar to see if this is a sign that it is awakening or merely a blip. Based on images on the Lascar webcam, the eruption appears to have waned rapidly (see below).

The SERNAGEOMIN maintains two webcams pointed at Lascar, although only one is running right now.

Sources: http://www.wired.com/2015/10/unexpected-eruption-from-chiles-lascar/ 

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/chile/lascar/news/55130/Lascar-volc...

Flights to Bali Canceled by Volcanic Eruption (Nov 3)

Volcanic ash is again wreaking havoc on Bali holidaymakers, with hundreds of flights in and out of Denpasar cancelled.

By Wednesday, that had resulted in the cancellation of 692 flights, both domestic and international, leaving many travelers stuck on the island or unable to reach it.

Two other airports in the region -- one on Lombok and the other in Banyuwangi in East Java -- have also been closed for the same period as Denpasar, Barata said.

Days after the Indonesian island volcano Mount Rinjani erupted, the blast has deterred travel to and from the area for many people, pro golfers included. Jessica Korda, Beatriz Recari, Azahara Munoz and So Yeong Ryu were all stuck on Bali, a nearby island, as ash, smoke and debris left the surrounding area unsafe for air travel.

The eruption has intensified considerably over the past few days. Activity takes place from a lateral vent on the Barujari cone inside the volcano's caldera, producing continuous ash emissions and feeding a new viscous lava flow. The lava flow has been advancing more than 500 m in two lobes towards the NE.

This current more intense phase of the eruption seems ot have started in the early afternoon of 2 Nov, when ash emissions became large enough to produce a plume that drifted westwards and reached Bali, where the airport of Denpasar was shut down. The plume was almost 400 km long this morning and the shut-down of the airport has been causing significant flight disruptions. When it can be reopened will depend on whether ash emissions continue and the prevailing wind direction in the coming days.

On Lombok island itself, the rumblings from the eruptions are heard in many areas. Access to the summit area of Rinjani has been closed and a 3 km exclusion zone around the caldera rim is in place. Several villages on Lombok reported ash falls.

Sources

http://www.wpbf.com/money/travel/hundreds-of-bali-flights-canceled-...

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/lpga-pros-wd-from-japan-event-after...

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/jetstar-virgin-australia-cancels-...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/rinjani/news/55144/Rinjani-volcano-...

http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/virgin-and-jetstar-cancel-b...

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/rinjani/news/55174/Rinjani-volcano-...

Peru's Ubinas Volcano Erupts Again (Nov 5)

Ubinas volcano registered a new explosion today and sent ashes over local communities in the Moquegua region of southern Peru.

The Volcanological Observatory of the Institute of Geological Mining and Metallurgy (Ingemmet) reported that the eruption has sent ashes over Querapi, Ubinas, Escacha, Tonohaya, Sacohaya and San Miguel villages.

The explosion was recorded at 12:15 p.m. today and emitted a moderate plume of ashes and gases that reached about 2,000 meters above the crater of Ubinas volcano.

The ashes dispersed over a distance of 10 kilometers to the southeast toward the mentioned villages.

About 600 families live near Ubinas volcano within a radius of 12 kilometers. In situations such as these, authorities advise that locals protect themselves with masks and goggles and guard water supplies from contamination.

Source

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-ubinas-volcano-registers-new-erupt...