Thursday, May 31, 2007
Phillippine volcano raises activity alert
Philippine scientists raised the alert level on a restive volcano Sunday after detecting increasing signs of activity that could be a precursor to a new bout of explosive eruptions, officials said.
The 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, has been showing signs of unrest since coming back to life in March 2006 with on-and-off ash and steam explosions.
Since it ejected ash on May 12, the mountain's northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded, prompting authorities on Sunday to raise the public alert level from one to two on a five-step scale, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
The alert upgrade indicates a shift from "low-level volcanic activity" to a "moderate level of volcanic unrest," said Crispulo Diolata, an official at the institute. An alert level of five means a life-threatening eruption is in progress, Diolata said.
"The high level of seismic activity and the observed inflation indicate increasing volcanic unrest," the institute said in its statement. "The current activity may lead to more explosive eruptions."
Villagers were warned not to venture into a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) "permanent danger zone" around the volcano.
The Philippine archipelago lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
In December, typhoon-triggered mudslides along the slopes of nearby Mayon volcano buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.
The 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, has been showing signs of unrest since coming back to life in March 2006 with on-and-off ash and steam explosions.
Since it ejected ash on May 12, the mountain's northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded, prompting authorities on Sunday to raise the public alert level from one to two on a five-step scale, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
The alert upgrade indicates a shift from "low-level volcanic activity" to a "moderate level of volcanic unrest," said Crispulo Diolata, an official at the institute. An alert level of five means a life-threatening eruption is in progress, Diolata said.
"The high level of seismic activity and the observed inflation indicate increasing volcanic unrest," the institute said in its statement. "The current activity may lead to more explosive eruptions."
Villagers were warned not to venture into a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) "permanent danger zone" around the volcano.
The Philippine archipelago lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
In December, typhoon-triggered mudslides along the slopes of nearby Mayon volcano buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Papua New Guinea flee volcano eruption!
UP to 2000 villagers have fled to higher ground from their seaside homes on Siassi Island in Papua New Guinea after a volcanic eruption on nearby Ritter Island.
There were no reports from the island of casualties, but sea surges reportedly destroyed four houses and a boat following Saturday's eruption, Morobe Province disaster and emergency director Roy Kamen said today.
Around 1500 to 2000 people from two villages had moved to higher ground for fear of tsunamis and locals were too afraid to travel by sea, he said.
"They reported waves and the level of the sea rising," Mr Kamen said.
"They still hear rumbling noises and see smoke coming out of the island and had a few tremors last night."
The islands lie between the PNG mainland and the island of New Britain.
Disaster officials had hoped to fly to the islands by helicopter today to assess the situation but no aircraft with floats for flying over the sea were available, Mr Kamen said.
The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory and the Geophysical Observatory in Port Moresby did not pick up indicative seismic activity from the eruption on their equipment.
Minor eruptions occurred on the 140m high uninhabited Ritter Island in 1972 and 1974.
In 1888 half the island collapsed in an eruption that triggered massive tsunamis that claimed an estimated 3000 lives on surroundings islands and the PNG mainland.
On April 2 this year an 8.1 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami in the northwest Solomon Islands that killed 52 people and left thousands homeless.
Many are still camped on higher ground above their destroyed seaside homes.
Aftershock quakes measuring above 5.0 magnitude continue to shake the region.
There were no reports from the island of casualties, but sea surges reportedly destroyed four houses and a boat following Saturday's eruption, Morobe Province disaster and emergency director Roy Kamen said today.
Around 1500 to 2000 people from two villages had moved to higher ground for fear of tsunamis and locals were too afraid to travel by sea, he said.
"They reported waves and the level of the sea rising," Mr Kamen said.
"They still hear rumbling noises and see smoke coming out of the island and had a few tremors last night."
The islands lie between the PNG mainland and the island of New Britain.
Disaster officials had hoped to fly to the islands by helicopter today to assess the situation but no aircraft with floats for flying over the sea were available, Mr Kamen said.
The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory and the Geophysical Observatory in Port Moresby did not pick up indicative seismic activity from the eruption on their equipment.
Minor eruptions occurred on the 140m high uninhabited Ritter Island in 1972 and 1974.
In 1888 half the island collapsed in an eruption that triggered massive tsunamis that claimed an estimated 3000 lives on surroundings islands and the PNG mainland.
On April 2 this year an 8.1 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami in the northwest Solomon Islands that killed 52 people and left thousands homeless.
Many are still camped on higher ground above their destroyed seaside homes.
Aftershock quakes measuring above 5.0 magnitude continue to shake the region.
Kamchatka spits out ashes!
Volcanic ash from an eruption of Eurasia's highest volcano, Klyuchevskoi, on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, is stretching over 500 km above the Bering Sea, a local volcanology institute spokesman said Monday.
Satellite data show a distinct ash cloud northeast of the volcano at a height of 8.2-8.7 km, which started to erupt on February 15. Although the ash cloud is making monitoring almost impossible, seismic reports suggest that the eruption could escalate.
"Ash is a hazard to aircraft flying into the ash cloud above the Bering Sea," the source said. "Ash particles with a diameter of up to 2mm can destroy engines if they get into turbines."
Ash is reportedly falling 40 km away from the volcano, and locals have reported hearing powerful explosions. Nearby villagers have been advised to leave their homes only in emergencies to prevent intoxication and other negative consequences.
Prior to February's volcanic activity, Klyuchevskoi last came to life in January-May 2005. Following that eruption, the volcano "sank" by 50 meters (about 165 feet), from 4,800 meters (about 16,000 feet) to the current 4,750 meters (15,845 feet).
Apart from powerful mud flows that could form from ice thawing on the volcano's sides, the current eruption of Klyuchevskoi does not pose a threat to locals.
Satellite data show a distinct ash cloud northeast of the volcano at a height of 8.2-8.7 km, which started to erupt on February 15. Although the ash cloud is making monitoring almost impossible, seismic reports suggest that the eruption could escalate.
"Ash is a hazard to aircraft flying into the ash cloud above the Bering Sea," the source said. "Ash particles with a diameter of up to 2mm can destroy engines if they get into turbines."
Ash is reportedly falling 40 km away from the volcano, and locals have reported hearing powerful explosions. Nearby villagers have been advised to leave their homes only in emergencies to prevent intoxication and other negative consequences.
Prior to February's volcanic activity, Klyuchevskoi last came to life in January-May 2005. Following that eruption, the volcano "sank" by 50 meters (about 165 feet), from 4,800 meters (about 16,000 feet) to the current 4,750 meters (15,845 feet).
Apart from powerful mud flows that could form from ice thawing on the volcano's sides, the current eruption of Klyuchevskoi does not pose a threat to locals.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Volcanon displays signs of activity in the Phillippines
Philippine scientists raised the alert level on a restive volcano on Sunday after detecting increasing signs of activity that could be a precursor to a new bout of explosive eruptions, officials said.
The 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, has been showing signs of unrest since coming back to life in March 2006 with on-and-off ash and steam explosions.
Since it ejected ash on May 12, the mountain’s northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded, prompting authorities on Sunday to raise the public alert level from one to two on a five-step scale, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
The alert upgrade indicates a shift from “low-level volcanic activity” to a “moderate level of volcanic unrest,” said Crispulo Diolata, an official at the institute. An alert level of five means a life-threatening eruption is in progress, Diolata said.
“The high level of seismic activity and the observed inflation indicate increasing volcanic unrest,” the institute said in its statement. “The current activity may lead to more explosive eruptions.”
Villagers were warned not to venture into a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) “permanent danger zone” around the volcano.
The Philippine archipelago lies on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
In December, typhoon-triggered mudslides along the slopes of nearby Mayon volcano buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.
The 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, has been showing signs of unrest since coming back to life in March 2006 with on-and-off ash and steam explosions.
Since it ejected ash on May 12, the mountain’s northeastern slope has swelled slightly and abnormally high numbers of earthquakes have been recorded, prompting authorities on Sunday to raise the public alert level from one to two on a five-step scale, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
The alert upgrade indicates a shift from “low-level volcanic activity” to a “moderate level of volcanic unrest,” said Crispulo Diolata, an official at the institute. An alert level of five means a life-threatening eruption is in progress, Diolata said.
“The high level of seismic activity and the observed inflation indicate increasing volcanic unrest,” the institute said in its statement. “The current activity may lead to more explosive eruptions.”
Villagers were warned not to venture into a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) “permanent danger zone” around the volcano.
The Philippine archipelago lies on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
In December, typhoon-triggered mudslides along the slopes of nearby Mayon volcano buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.
Is Mount St.Helens entering a new phase?
Mount St. Helens' latest eruption, which began more than two and half years ago, continues to slowly wind down, and it's unlikely now that the mountain's new lava dome will peek above the crater rim anytime soon.By last summer, the hissing, steaming dome of hot rock had risen to within less than 10 feet of the height of "Shoestring Notch," a low point on the crater rim on the Southeast side of the peak.
But the dome has settled and partially collapsed, and its top now is a good 60 to 70 feet below the notch, said Tom Pierson, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist who will give a free public presentation about the volcano today at the Johnston Ridge Observatory."It's anyone's guess" when the dome may again approach the volcano's rim, Pierson said earlier this week. "It's expanding sideways now. It wants to build sideways as much as it wants to build up."
Friday marks the 27th anniversary of the eruption on May 18, 1980, which flattened 230 square miles of forest, killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes, sent a cubic mile of ash around the Earth.In contrast to that blast, the dome-building eruption that began in October 2004 has been a placid affair, with new lava piling up in the crater atop and adjoining a previous dome built in sporadic eruptions from 1980 to 1986.
Between them, the two lava domes have replaced about 11 percent of the mass of the volcano that shot skyward or toppled into the Toutle Valley in 1980. At its current rate of dome growth -- now less than a cubic meter a day -- the volcano could take 180 years to replace the old summit, the USGS estimates. Scientists still don't know when the current dome-building eruption will end, though some volcanoes have had dome-building eruptions that have lasted decades.
For example, Guatemala's Santa Maria volcano has a dome that has grown more or less continuously since 1922.In the Russian Far East, Bezymianny volcano erupted in 1956 in so similar a fashion to Mount St. Helens that it's been called a "twin" to the Southwest Washington peak. However, the Russian volcano has been dome-building near continuously since the late 1950s."That dome has filled up a huge percentage of the crater. It's way above the crater rim," Pierson said of Bezymianny, which means "no name" in Russian.
For an eruption to continue for decades, scientists believe volcanoes must periodically be "refueled " with fresh batches of gas-rich molten rock from deep in the earth's mantle. Whether that's happening at Mount St. Helens is under debate, but indicators point against it, Pierson said."We're not seeing fresher, hotter magma. There is hardly any gas coming off it now. When you bring in fresh magma, the gas content goes up in what is being released."Also, he said, there are no seismic signals to indicate a deep movement of magma.When it began in October 2004, the current eruption was pumping about 10 cubic yards of lava onto the surface every second.
That rate has fallen 90 percent, Pierson said."We don't really know how much (the dome) will keep growing. It can't go on ... too many more years," Pierson said.Even if it stopped today, the latest eruption has made some major changes in the crater. For one thing, it has divided the crater glacier in two. The glacier, which formed against the crater's shaded southern wall, had been a horseshoe-shaped mass of ice and rock. The two "arms" of the glacier have flowed northward, circling the dome, currently at a rate of about a meter a day in some places.
They've reached the breach at the open end of crater. They've also moved toward one another, now separated at their northern ends by less than the length of two football fields.They may not grow much more, Pierson said. The crater glacier is among the lowest-elevation glaciers in the Cascade Range --- roughly 6,000 feet above sea level -- and the more it creeps downward the faster it will melt.
Also, the new dome has filled up the glacier's "accumulation zone" -- the niche in the back of the crater where snow and rock get compressed together to feed the glacier."At some point the glacier will run out of 'oomph' " and may not grow much farther," Pierson said.
But the dome has settled and partially collapsed, and its top now is a good 60 to 70 feet below the notch, said Tom Pierson, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist who will give a free public presentation about the volcano today at the Johnston Ridge Observatory."It's anyone's guess" when the dome may again approach the volcano's rim, Pierson said earlier this week. "It's expanding sideways now. It wants to build sideways as much as it wants to build up."
Friday marks the 27th anniversary of the eruption on May 18, 1980, which flattened 230 square miles of forest, killed 57 people, destroyed 200 homes, sent a cubic mile of ash around the Earth.In contrast to that blast, the dome-building eruption that began in October 2004 has been a placid affair, with new lava piling up in the crater atop and adjoining a previous dome built in sporadic eruptions from 1980 to 1986.
Between them, the two lava domes have replaced about 11 percent of the mass of the volcano that shot skyward or toppled into the Toutle Valley in 1980. At its current rate of dome growth -- now less than a cubic meter a day -- the volcano could take 180 years to replace the old summit, the USGS estimates. Scientists still don't know when the current dome-building eruption will end, though some volcanoes have had dome-building eruptions that have lasted decades.
For example, Guatemala's Santa Maria volcano has a dome that has grown more or less continuously since 1922.In the Russian Far East, Bezymianny volcano erupted in 1956 in so similar a fashion to Mount St. Helens that it's been called a "twin" to the Southwest Washington peak. However, the Russian volcano has been dome-building near continuously since the late 1950s."That dome has filled up a huge percentage of the crater. It's way above the crater rim," Pierson said of Bezymianny, which means "no name" in Russian.
For an eruption to continue for decades, scientists believe volcanoes must periodically be "refueled " with fresh batches of gas-rich molten rock from deep in the earth's mantle. Whether that's happening at Mount St. Helens is under debate, but indicators point against it, Pierson said."We're not seeing fresher, hotter magma. There is hardly any gas coming off it now. When you bring in fresh magma, the gas content goes up in what is being released."Also, he said, there are no seismic signals to indicate a deep movement of magma.When it began in October 2004, the current eruption was pumping about 10 cubic yards of lava onto the surface every second.
That rate has fallen 90 percent, Pierson said."We don't really know how much (the dome) will keep growing. It can't go on ... too many more years," Pierson said.Even if it stopped today, the latest eruption has made some major changes in the crater. For one thing, it has divided the crater glacier in two. The glacier, which formed against the crater's shaded southern wall, had been a horseshoe-shaped mass of ice and rock. The two "arms" of the glacier have flowed northward, circling the dome, currently at a rate of about a meter a day in some places.
They've reached the breach at the open end of crater. They've also moved toward one another, now separated at their northern ends by less than the length of two football fields.They may not grow much more, Pierson said. The crater glacier is among the lowest-elevation glaciers in the Cascade Range --- roughly 6,000 feet above sea level -- and the more it creeps downward the faster it will melt.
Also, the new dome has filled up the glacier's "accumulation zone" -- the niche in the back of the crater where snow and rock get compressed together to feed the glacier."At some point the glacier will run out of 'oomph' " and may not grow much farther," Pierson said.
Technological device has been installed on underwater volcano
Researchers have installed a seismometer atop an active volcano called Kick 'em Jenny under the Caribbean Sea to warn of eruptions or earthquake activity, scientists said Saturday.
The device allows scientists to collect real-time rumbling from tremors or as bubbling magma and gases are released from the volcano, about 820 feet beneath the sea's surface off Grenada's northwest coast.
Advertisement “The system essentially acts as a kind of doctor's stethoscope so we can directly listen to the pulse of the volcano,” said Richard Robertson, director of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
He said the seismometer is connected to a flexible hose that runs to a buoy, where a high-frequency radio transmitter sends readings to an observatory in a northern Grenadian village – all within milliseconds.
A team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts attached the monitoring system to the volcano by a remote-controlled underwater craft on May 6.
“By putting a seismometer right on the volcano we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place,” said Woods Hole scientist Rob Reves-Sohn.
Since its discovery in 1939, when it shot a cloud of ash 900 feet above the sea surface, Kick 'em Jenny has erupted at least 12 times, most recently in 2001. The volcano, which rises above the sea floor on the steep inner western slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge, has not caused any deaths or injuries.
In 2003, scientists discovered a field of five other active underwater volcanos off Grenada's north coast. The largest, nearly one-mile high, was dubbed Kick 'em Jack, after its neighbor.
The device allows scientists to collect real-time rumbling from tremors or as bubbling magma and gases are released from the volcano, about 820 feet beneath the sea's surface off Grenada's northwest coast.
Advertisement “The system essentially acts as a kind of doctor's stethoscope so we can directly listen to the pulse of the volcano,” said Richard Robertson, director of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
He said the seismometer is connected to a flexible hose that runs to a buoy, where a high-frequency radio transmitter sends readings to an observatory in a northern Grenadian village – all within milliseconds.
A team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts attached the monitoring system to the volcano by a remote-controlled underwater craft on May 6.
“By putting a seismometer right on the volcano we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place,” said Woods Hole scientist Rob Reves-Sohn.
Since its discovery in 1939, when it shot a cloud of ash 900 feet above the sea surface, Kick 'em Jenny has erupted at least 12 times, most recently in 2001. The volcano, which rises above the sea floor on the steep inner western slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge, has not caused any deaths or injuries.
In 2003, scientists discovered a field of five other active underwater volcanos off Grenada's north coast. The largest, nearly one-mile high, was dubbed Kick 'em Jack, after its neighbor.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Another volcano eruption in the Phillippines
It was the sixth eruption of the 1,560-meter Mount Bulusan this year, said Espie del Mundo of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
"This is usually just ash, so the only hazard is from ash," such as respiratory ailments, del Mundo said.
The volcano erupted around 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) and winds first blew the ash plume toward the southwest and later shifted to the north, volcanologists said.
Bulusan, about 390 kilometers southeast of Manila, is one of the 22 active volcanos in the Philippines.
"This is usually just ash, so the only hazard is from ash," such as respiratory ailments, del Mundo said.
The volcano erupted around 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) and winds first blew the ash plume toward the southwest and later shifted to the north, volcanologists said.
Bulusan, about 390 kilometers southeast of Manila, is one of the 22 active volcanos in the Philippines.
Underwater volcano is being monitored!
Researchers have installed a seismometer atop an active volcano called Kick 'em Jenny under the Caribbean Sea to warn of eruptions or earthquake activity, scientists said Saturday.
The device allows scientists to collect real-time rumbling from tremors or as bubbling magma and gases are released from the volcano, about 820 feet beneath the sea's surface off Grenada's northwest coast.
"The system essentially acts as a kind of doctor's stethoscope so we can directly listen to the pulse of the volcano," said Richard Robertson, director of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
He said the seismometer is connected to a flexible hose that runs to a buoy, where a high-frequency radio transmitter sends readings to an observatory in a northern Grenadian village -- all within milliseconds.
A team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts attached the monitoring system to the volcano by a remote-controlled underwater craft on May 6.
"By putting a seismometer right on the volcano we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place," said Woods Hole scientist Rob Reves-Sohn.
Since its discovery in 1939, when it shot a cloud of ash 900 feet above the sea surface, Kick 'em Jenny has erupted at least 12 times, most recently in 2001. The volcano, which rises above the sea floor on the steep inner western slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge, has not caused any deaths or injuries.
In 2003, scientists discovered a field of five other active underwater volcanos off Grenada's north coast. The largest, nearly one-mile high, was dubbed Kick 'em Jack, after its neighbor.
The device allows scientists to collect real-time rumbling from tremors or as bubbling magma and gases are released from the volcano, about 820 feet beneath the sea's surface off Grenada's northwest coast.
"The system essentially acts as a kind of doctor's stethoscope so we can directly listen to the pulse of the volcano," said Richard Robertson, director of the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
He said the seismometer is connected to a flexible hose that runs to a buoy, where a high-frequency radio transmitter sends readings to an observatory in a northern Grenadian village -- all within milliseconds.
A team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts attached the monitoring system to the volcano by a remote-controlled underwater craft on May 6.
"By putting a seismometer right on the volcano we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place," said Woods Hole scientist Rob Reves-Sohn.
Since its discovery in 1939, when it shot a cloud of ash 900 feet above the sea surface, Kick 'em Jenny has erupted at least 12 times, most recently in 2001. The volcano, which rises above the sea floor on the steep inner western slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge, has not caused any deaths or injuries.
In 2003, scientists discovered a field of five other active underwater volcanos off Grenada's north coast. The largest, nearly one-mile high, was dubbed Kick 'em Jack, after its neighbor.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Volcano becomes active in the Phillippines but is not dangerous yet!
A volcano in the central Philippines shot clouds of grayish ash and steam four kilometers (2.5 miles) high Saturday, but residents were in no immediate danger from the eruption, volcanologists said.
It was the sixth eruption of the 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan this year, said Espie del Mundo of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
"This is usually just ash, so the only hazard is from ash,'' such as respiratory ailments, del Mundo said.
The volcanic ash caused "zero visibility'' over some parts of Juban and Irosin towns, making it hazardous for motorists, said Mayor Edwin Hamor of nearby Casiguran who visited the area.
He said fire trucks were needed to wash ash off the roads to prevent it from being churned up into clouds of choking dust to avoid accidents.
The volcano erupted around 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) and winds first blew the ash plume toward the southwest and later shifted to the north, volcanologists said.
Before Saturday's eruption, Bulusan twice spewed ash on April 9 in steam-driven or phreatic explosions, del Mundo said.
Volcanologists say the volcanic hazards from Bulusan were less than its cousin, the Mayon Volcano, in nearby Albay province whose deadly eruptions have been characterized by glowing rivers of lava and pyroclastic flows -- clouds of extremely hot gases, ash and other debris that race down mountain slopes at high speed, incinerating everything in their path.
Bulusan, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, is one of the 22 active volcanos in the Philippines. Volcanic activity as well as earthquakes are common in the Philippines since it lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire.''
It was the sixth eruption of the 1,560-meter (5,149-foot) Mount Bulusan this year, said Espie del Mundo of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
"This is usually just ash, so the only hazard is from ash,'' such as respiratory ailments, del Mundo said.
The volcanic ash caused "zero visibility'' over some parts of Juban and Irosin towns, making it hazardous for motorists, said Mayor Edwin Hamor of nearby Casiguran who visited the area.
He said fire trucks were needed to wash ash off the roads to prevent it from being churned up into clouds of choking dust to avoid accidents.
The volcano erupted around 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) and winds first blew the ash plume toward the southwest and later shifted to the north, volcanologists said.
Before Saturday's eruption, Bulusan twice spewed ash on April 9 in steam-driven or phreatic explosions, del Mundo said.
Volcanologists say the volcanic hazards from Bulusan were less than its cousin, the Mayon Volcano, in nearby Albay province whose deadly eruptions have been characterized by glowing rivers of lava and pyroclastic flows -- clouds of extremely hot gases, ash and other debris that race down mountain slopes at high speed, incinerating everything in their path.
Bulusan, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila, is one of the 22 active volcanos in the Philippines. Volcanic activity as well as earthquakes are common in the Philippines since it lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire.''
Underwater volcano eruption is being closely monitored
This week, researchers will begin direct monitoring of the rumblings of a submarine volcano in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. On May 6, a team of scientists led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) installed a new underwater earthquake monitoring system on top of Kick‘em Jenny, a volcano just off of the north coast of the island nation of Grenada.
The new mooring- and seismic monitoring technology will significantly improve the ability of natural hazard managers to notify and protect the island’s residents from volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
Part of a project to develop new technology for earthquake monitoring in coastal areas, the Real Time Offshore Seismic Station (RTOSS) uses an ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) deployed directly on top of the volcano—250 meters beneath the sea surface—to collect real-time data from Kick‘em Jenny.
RTOSS employs a special mooring design that allows seismic data to be transmitted by high-frequency radio to a land-based observatory in the village of Sauteurs. The data will reach the shore within milliseconds of being collected, which will significantly improve the ability of researchers to monitor seismic activity as it happens, a basic requirement for reducing hazards from volcanic gas and rock bursts and from tsunami-generating seafloor avalanches.
“This is the first time that radio telemetry has been used to transmit data from an underwater seismic monitoring station,” said Rob Reves-Sohn, an associate scientist in the WHOI Department of Geology and Geophysics and an RTOSS project leader. Scientists will be able to observe the “inhaling and exhaling” of the volcano as it draws in and expels seawater, magma, and superheated fluids. “By putting a seismometer right on the volcano, we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place.”
The WHOI research team is coordinating with the National Disaster Management Agency in Grenada and the Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies so that the data is incorporated into the existing regional monitoring network.
A key element of RTOSS, developed by engineers at WHOI, is the flexible, stretchy hose that connects the seafloor anchor and instruments to the buoy on the sea surface. This hose is designed to compensate for the movement of waves, tides, and currents (which are notoriously rough around Kick‘em Jenny), and stretches to more than two times its original length without snapping. Electrical conductors are spiraled through the wall of the hose so that the wires straighten out, rather than break, when the hose stretches.
A surface buoy on the end of the mooring uses solar panels to power the radio transmitters that send the data approximately seven kilometers (four miles) to a shore station near the coast.
The mooring system was developed by engineers Keith von der Heydt and Dan Frye of the WHOI Instrument Systems Development Laboratory, along with geologist Uri ten Brink of the U.S. Geological Survey. Other team members include Spahr Webb of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who designed the seismometer, and Richard Robertson at the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies, who manages the regional monitoring network.
Kick'em Jenny provides scientists with a unique natural laboratory to study the activity at a shallow submarine volcano that will one day emerge from the ocean as a new volcanic island. It is the only “live” submarine volcano in the West Indies, and it has erupted at least twelve times since 1939. The last major eruption occurred in 2001.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, independent organization in Falmouth, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment.
The new mooring- and seismic monitoring technology will significantly improve the ability of natural hazard managers to notify and protect the island’s residents from volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
Part of a project to develop new technology for earthquake monitoring in coastal areas, the Real Time Offshore Seismic Station (RTOSS) uses an ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) deployed directly on top of the volcano—250 meters beneath the sea surface—to collect real-time data from Kick‘em Jenny.
RTOSS employs a special mooring design that allows seismic data to be transmitted by high-frequency radio to a land-based observatory in the village of Sauteurs. The data will reach the shore within milliseconds of being collected, which will significantly improve the ability of researchers to monitor seismic activity as it happens, a basic requirement for reducing hazards from volcanic gas and rock bursts and from tsunami-generating seafloor avalanches.
“This is the first time that radio telemetry has been used to transmit data from an underwater seismic monitoring station,” said Rob Reves-Sohn, an associate scientist in the WHOI Department of Geology and Geophysics and an RTOSS project leader. Scientists will be able to observe the “inhaling and exhaling” of the volcano as it draws in and expels seawater, magma, and superheated fluids. “By putting a seismometer right on the volcano, we will significantly improve our ability to detect precursory activity before an eruption takes place.”
The WHOI research team is coordinating with the National Disaster Management Agency in Grenada and the Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies so that the data is incorporated into the existing regional monitoring network.
A key element of RTOSS, developed by engineers at WHOI, is the flexible, stretchy hose that connects the seafloor anchor and instruments to the buoy on the sea surface. This hose is designed to compensate for the movement of waves, tides, and currents (which are notoriously rough around Kick‘em Jenny), and stretches to more than two times its original length without snapping. Electrical conductors are spiraled through the wall of the hose so that the wires straighten out, rather than break, when the hose stretches.
A surface buoy on the end of the mooring uses solar panels to power the radio transmitters that send the data approximately seven kilometers (four miles) to a shore station near the coast.
The mooring system was developed by engineers Keith von der Heydt and Dan Frye of the WHOI Instrument Systems Development Laboratory, along with geologist Uri ten Brink of the U.S. Geological Survey. Other team members include Spahr Webb of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who designed the seismometer, and Richard Robertson at the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies, who manages the regional monitoring network.
Kick'em Jenny provides scientists with a unique natural laboratory to study the activity at a shallow submarine volcano that will one day emerge from the ocean as a new volcanic island. It is the only “live” submarine volcano in the West Indies, and it has erupted at least twelve times since 1939. The last major eruption occurred in 2001.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, independent organization in Falmouth, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment.
Japanese scientists x-ray a volcano!
Japanese scientists have taken the first 'x-ray' pictures of the inside of a volcano.
The researchers hope that a better understanding of volcanic activity will help to better predict and understand future eruptions.
No artificial x-ray source could be made large enough or powerful enough to penetrate the kilometres of rock concealing a volcano's internal activity, so the scientists turned to a natural source.
Rather than x-rays they relied on naturally occurring cosmic rays which have a comparable ability to penetrate solid matter, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
By detecting sub-atomic particles called muons as they passed through the volcano after arriving from space, the scientists were able gradually to build up a picture of the interior of Mount Asama in central Japan.
Denser rock absorbs more muons so, armed with existing knowledge of the average number of muons striking any part of the Earth's surface, the scientists were able to estimate the density of the rock through which the muons were passing.
Combined with understanding a typical volcano's structure, this information is enough to identify the material itself.
The scientists from Tokyo University and Nagoya University completed their first successful imaging experiment last month.
According to press reports, the researchers were able to create images of cavities through which lava was passing deep inside the volcano.
They were even able to track moving solid objects, such as rocks as they were pushed along by the magma flow inside.
Previous attempts to map the interior of a volcano have relied on cruder images built up by detecting seismic waves.
The researchers hope that a better understanding of volcanic activity will help to better predict and understand future eruptions.
No artificial x-ray source could be made large enough or powerful enough to penetrate the kilometres of rock concealing a volcano's internal activity, so the scientists turned to a natural source.
Rather than x-rays they relied on naturally occurring cosmic rays which have a comparable ability to penetrate solid matter, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
By detecting sub-atomic particles called muons as they passed through the volcano after arriving from space, the scientists were able gradually to build up a picture of the interior of Mount Asama in central Japan.
Denser rock absorbs more muons so, armed with existing knowledge of the average number of muons striking any part of the Earth's surface, the scientists were able to estimate the density of the rock through which the muons were passing.
Combined with understanding a typical volcano's structure, this information is enough to identify the material itself.
The scientists from Tokyo University and Nagoya University completed their first successful imaging experiment last month.
According to press reports, the researchers were able to create images of cavities through which lava was passing deep inside the volcano.
They were even able to track moving solid objects, such as rocks as they were pushed along by the magma flow inside.
Previous attempts to map the interior of a volcano have relied on cruder images built up by detecting seismic waves.
Mount Etna has lava eruption!
Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, is once again registering seismic tremors and spewing lava down the mountain side but so far there is no threat to residents, the volcanology institute in Catania, Sicily said.
“Since 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) Sunday,” the institute said it had registered an increase in volcanic tremors as well as an “explosive activity at the summit of the crater.”
Overnight Sunday to Monday, a gash opened in Etna’s side, allowing molten lava to spill down the mountain, but the white-hot fluid was so far not threatening inhabited areas, according to the institute.
Etna experienced similar eruptions in March and April, and last December the nearby airport of Catania had to be closed at night for two weeks because of ash blown into the atmosphere by volcanic activity.
Etna’s last major eruption was in mid-2001.
“Since 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) Sunday,” the institute said it had registered an increase in volcanic tremors as well as an “explosive activity at the summit of the crater.”
Overnight Sunday to Monday, a gash opened in Etna’s side, allowing molten lava to spill down the mountain, but the white-hot fluid was so far not threatening inhabited areas, according to the institute.
Etna experienced similar eruptions in March and April, and last December the nearby airport of Catania had to be closed at night for two weeks because of ash blown into the atmosphere by volcanic activity.
Etna’s last major eruption was in mid-2001.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The story of Mount Usu's eruption last March
The 732m-high Mt. Usu in Hokkaido erupted at 1:10 pm on March 31st followed by three eruptions on April 1st. The black-gray volcanic smoke reached higher than 3000m into the sky, as the volcano expelled volcanic ash and rocks. There are numbers of craters on the west side of Mt. Usu.
More than 17,000 people live in the surrounding area. Date, Abuta and Sobetsu towns were evacuated. Authorities are currently allowing some residents to return to their homes for up to 7 hours in the day time. However, more eruptions are predicted and there are also warnings for mudflows from the volcanic ash mixed with melted snow and rain. Many residents from the areas close to the eruption region will remain evacuated. The volcanic cinders damaged homes in Abuta-town. The good news is that no injuries are currently reported.
Train services are canceled between Oshamanbe and Higashi muroran stations in JR Muroran-line. It is recommended that travelers avoid or bypass the area. Train services between Hakodate and Sapporo stations are also changed. If you are planning to go to Sapporo by train, be sure to ask an JR officer about the train schedules.
Mt. Usu has erupted nine times since 1626, and this eruption was the first time since 1977. Mt Usu is located about 30 miles southwest of Sapporo-city and 12 miles northwest of Nuroran-city. It is one of the 36 active volcanos in Japan. The most known volcano in Japan is Mt. Fuji. Other well-known active volcanoes are Mt. Asama and Oshima in Honshu and Mt. Aso and Sakura-Jima in Kyushu. For more information about volcanoes in Japan, refer to Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan.
Mt. Usu is a part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park which consists of spectacular crater lakes, hot springs, and mountains formed by volcano eruptions. Toya-lake, Shikotsu-lake, Mt. Showa-shinzan, which was created in the early 20th century during an eruption by Mt. Usu. (The name means "new mountain of Showa-period") , and Nobori-betsu onsen are popular among tourists. For information about Hokkaido, please refer to my Hokkaido links.
More than 17,000 people live in the surrounding area. Date, Abuta and Sobetsu towns were evacuated. Authorities are currently allowing some residents to return to their homes for up to 7 hours in the day time. However, more eruptions are predicted and there are also warnings for mudflows from the volcanic ash mixed with melted snow and rain. Many residents from the areas close to the eruption region will remain evacuated. The volcanic cinders damaged homes in Abuta-town. The good news is that no injuries are currently reported.
Train services are canceled between Oshamanbe and Higashi muroran stations in JR Muroran-line. It is recommended that travelers avoid or bypass the area. Train services between Hakodate and Sapporo stations are also changed. If you are planning to go to Sapporo by train, be sure to ask an JR officer about the train schedules.
Mt. Usu has erupted nine times since 1626, and this eruption was the first time since 1977. Mt Usu is located about 30 miles southwest of Sapporo-city and 12 miles northwest of Nuroran-city. It is one of the 36 active volcanos in Japan. The most known volcano in Japan is Mt. Fuji. Other well-known active volcanoes are Mt. Asama and Oshima in Honshu and Mt. Aso and Sakura-Jima in Kyushu. For more information about volcanoes in Japan, refer to Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan.
Mt. Usu is a part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park which consists of spectacular crater lakes, hot springs, and mountains formed by volcano eruptions. Toya-lake, Shikotsu-lake, Mt. Showa-shinzan, which was created in the early 20th century during an eruption by Mt. Usu. (The name means "new mountain of Showa-period") , and Nobori-betsu onsen are popular among tourists. For information about Hokkaido, please refer to my Hokkaido links.
Vanuatu volcano erupts!
Vanuatu’s Lopevi Volcano released a plume on May 3, 2007. The same day, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of the plume and its larger consequences.
The U.S. Air Force Weather Agency reported an extensive area of vog resulting from the volcanic eruption. When gases from a volcano—particularly sulfur dioxide—react with oxygen, water, dust, and sunlight, volcanic smog (or vog) results.
Besides Lopevi and its neighboring islands, this image shows the volcanic plume blowing westward away from the volcano. The plume appears as a small, mostly opaque puff of gray-beige. The resulting area of vog, which appears as a more transparent dingy gray haze, dwarfs the diminutive plume.
Lopevi is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of solidified lava, hardened ash, and volcanic rocks. One of the island nation’s most active volcanoes, this volcanic island is only about 7 kilometers (4 miles) wide. Eruptions have been recorded at Lopevi since the middle of the 19th century.
The U.S. Air Force Weather Agency reported an extensive area of vog resulting from the volcanic eruption. When gases from a volcano—particularly sulfur dioxide—react with oxygen, water, dust, and sunlight, volcanic smog (or vog) results.
Besides Lopevi and its neighboring islands, this image shows the volcanic plume blowing westward away from the volcano. The plume appears as a small, mostly opaque puff of gray-beige. The resulting area of vog, which appears as a more transparent dingy gray haze, dwarfs the diminutive plume.
Lopevi is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of solidified lava, hardened ash, and volcanic rocks. One of the island nation’s most active volcanoes, this volcanic island is only about 7 kilometers (4 miles) wide. Eruptions have been recorded at Lopevi since the middle of the 19th century.
