Saturday, December 29, 2007
Russian volcano erupted on December 19, 2007
An eruption of the most northern active volcano in Kamchatka – Shiveluch occurred this night and appeared to be one of the most powerful eruptions of the recent years.
Powerful flows of ash were coming from the volcano crater along with gas flows and fragments of magma substances with the temperature reaching 800 degrees Centigrade.
Ash belches went up to 10-12 kilometres high. Satellite photos distinctly show a 600-kilometre ash plume going west from the volcano.
At the moment specialists register powerful explosions in the volcano crater; it is said that in the closest time another eruption may take place.
Powerful flows of ash were coming from the volcano crater along with gas flows and fragments of magma substances with the temperature reaching 800 degrees Centigrade.
Ash belches went up to 10-12 kilometres high. Satellite photos distinctly show a 600-kilometre ash plume going west from the volcano.
At the moment specialists register powerful explosions in the volcano crater; it is said that in the closest time another eruption may take place.
Russian volcano erupted on December 19, 2007
An eruption of the most northern active volcano in Kamchatka – Shiveluch occurred this night and appeared to be one of the most powerful eruptions of the recent years.
Powerful flows of ash were coming from the volcano crater along with gas flows and fragments of magma substances with the temperature reaching 800 degrees Centigrade.
Ash belches went up to 10-12 kilometres high. Satellite photos distinctly show a 600-kilometre ash plume going west from the volcano.
At the moment specialists register powerful explosions in the volcano crater; it is said that in the closest time another eruption may take place.
Powerful flows of ash were coming from the volcano crater along with gas flows and fragments of magma substances with the temperature reaching 800 degrees Centigrade.
Ash belches went up to 10-12 kilometres high. Satellite photos distinctly show a 600-kilometre ash plume going west from the volcano.
At the moment specialists register powerful explosions in the volcano crater; it is said that in the closest time another eruption may take place.
NASA has a satellite observing volcanoes' activity
NASA has a satellite that is linked to orbiting and ground-based sensors designed to detect volcanic activity. When it detects an eruption, the actions of the satellite are adjusted to collect data in the active area.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Volcano eruption caught on tape!
For the first time ever, scientists have the goods on a large volcanic eruption at the bottom of the ocean.
Putting together more than 50,000 sea floor images, along with 10 exploratory dives with the Alvin submarine, an unprecedented map has been pieced together showing 22 million cubic meters of new lava coming out of the East Pacific Rise -- a seafloor spreading center off the Pacific coast of Mexico.
The area covered by the recent eruption is equivalent to metropolitan Oklahoma City, or nearly half of Manhattan. The discovery that an eruption was underway, however, was sort of an accident.
"We had an array of seismometers down there that weren't coming back," said marine geophysicist Maya Tolstoy of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. They were, in other words, buried by lava, she explained.
"We had seen increasing seismicity, and we suspected an eruption," she told Discovery News. So when eight of 12 ocean-bottom seismometers went missing in 2006, she instructed her assistants to look for telltale volcanic eruption chemicals in the water. They found them.
That discovery led another team of researchers, led by Adam Soule of Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, to undertake the dives and take the images to chart the extent of the eruption. Their results are reported in the December issue of the Geological Society of America's journal Geology.
"We knew something weird was going on," said Woods Hole's Dan Fornari, a coauthor of the Geology report. "What we needed to do was go there and map the heck out of it."
The results are some rare images of brand-new lava meeting older lava and detailed maps showing how the new lava followed channels in older lava beds. More significantly, the eruption is a real-time example of how the Earth makes new crust -- which is what happens at ocean spreading centers like the East Pacific Rise.
"This is basically where oceanic crust is forming," said Donna Blackman, chair of the Ridge 2000 Program, which focuses research on ocean spreading centers. "This is the process that forms most of the skin of the Earth."
The East Pacific Rise is a central part of such research, Blackman said, because unlike other active spreading centers, it is in waters that are relatively easy to reach year-round, and there's a lot of earlier data there with which to compare.
Putting together more than 50,000 sea floor images, along with 10 exploratory dives with the Alvin submarine, an unprecedented map has been pieced together showing 22 million cubic meters of new lava coming out of the East Pacific Rise -- a seafloor spreading center off the Pacific coast of Mexico.
The area covered by the recent eruption is equivalent to metropolitan Oklahoma City, or nearly half of Manhattan. The discovery that an eruption was underway, however, was sort of an accident.
"We had an array of seismometers down there that weren't coming back," said marine geophysicist Maya Tolstoy of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. They were, in other words, buried by lava, she explained.
"We had seen increasing seismicity, and we suspected an eruption," she told Discovery News. So when eight of 12 ocean-bottom seismometers went missing in 2006, she instructed her assistants to look for telltale volcanic eruption chemicals in the water. They found them.
That discovery led another team of researchers, led by Adam Soule of Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, to undertake the dives and take the images to chart the extent of the eruption. Their results are reported in the December issue of the Geological Society of America's journal Geology.
"We knew something weird was going on," said Woods Hole's Dan Fornari, a coauthor of the Geology report. "What we needed to do was go there and map the heck out of it."
The results are some rare images of brand-new lava meeting older lava and detailed maps showing how the new lava followed channels in older lava beds. More significantly, the eruption is a real-time example of how the Earth makes new crust -- which is what happens at ocean spreading centers like the East Pacific Rise.
"This is basically where oceanic crust is forming," said Donna Blackman, chair of the Ridge 2000 Program, which focuses research on ocean spreading centers. "This is the process that forms most of the skin of the Earth."
The East Pacific Rise is a central part of such research, Blackman said, because unlike other active spreading centers, it is in waters that are relatively easy to reach year-round, and there's a lot of earlier data there with which to compare.
Indonesian volcano has erupted!
One of Indonesia's deadliest volcanos began erupting Saturday, according to seismic readings, but there was no visual confirmation because the peak was cloaked in fog, a senior government volcanologist said.
Panicked residents fled the mountain's slopes in police trucks and volcano monitors abandoned their posts Saturday, witnesses said.
Although no lava or ash could be seen, seismic readings showed Mount Kelud, in the heart of densely populated Java island, was erupting, said Saut Simatupang, a leading scientist with Indonesia's Volcanology Center.
Hundreds of underground tremors have shaken the area and the temperature of its crater lake has reached the highest level since the mountain was put on high alert several weeks ago.
In 1990, Mt. Kelud killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that could be heard hundreds of miles away destroyed dozens of villages and killed at least 5,160.
Scientists fear a buildup of magma under the crater lake could trigger a violent blast, sending a torrent of mud, ash and rock careering down the side of the 1,731-meter (5,679-foot) mountain. On Thursday, police went door-to-door and used megaphones to order villagers to flee to tent camps.
More than 100,000 people living in areas considered to be at risk were ordered from their homes, but most never left or had returned, officials say.
Some who stayed behind were asked to sign a statement saying they would not seek compensation funds if they were injured or lost family members due to an eruption, said local community leader chief Susiadi, who also goes by a single name.
Indonesia has about 100 active volcanos, more than any nation.
The country is spread across 17,500 islands and is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called "Ring of Fire'' _ a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
Panicked residents fled the mountain's slopes in police trucks and volcano monitors abandoned their posts Saturday, witnesses said.
Although no lava or ash could be seen, seismic readings showed Mount Kelud, in the heart of densely populated Java island, was erupting, said Saut Simatupang, a leading scientist with Indonesia's Volcanology Center.
Hundreds of underground tremors have shaken the area and the temperature of its crater lake has reached the highest level since the mountain was put on high alert several weeks ago.
In 1990, Mt. Kelud killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that could be heard hundreds of miles away destroyed dozens of villages and killed at least 5,160.
Scientists fear a buildup of magma under the crater lake could trigger a violent blast, sending a torrent of mud, ash and rock careering down the side of the 1,731-meter (5,679-foot) mountain. On Thursday, police went door-to-door and used megaphones to order villagers to flee to tent camps.
More than 100,000 people living in areas considered to be at risk were ordered from their homes, but most never left or had returned, officials say.
Some who stayed behind were asked to sign a statement saying they would not seek compensation funds if they were injured or lost family members due to an eruption, said local community leader chief Susiadi, who also goes by a single name.
Indonesia has about 100 active volcanos, more than any nation.
The country is spread across 17,500 islands and is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called "Ring of Fire'' _ a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
Mexican volcano erupted
Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano on Saturday erupted several times, spewing steam and ash over 2 km high.
The eruption of the volcano, which is located some 70 km southeast to the Mexican capital, started at 6:20 a.m. local time (1220 GMT), and six eruptions occurred in 24 hours, said a statement issued by the National Disaster Prevention Center.
Some ash rained down the capital which can be seen in several streets, said local media. The government advised fewer outdoor activities or wearing gauze mask when going outdoor.
The authorities also said residents in the surrounding areas of the volcano should clean ash from cars and homes as soon as possible to avoid inhaling more ash.
The volcano, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain with a summit elevation of 5,452 meters above sea level, is Mexico's second highest mountain. Its first recorded eruption took place in 1345. In the past 13 years, it has become more active during the month of December.
The eruption of the volcano, which is located some 70 km southeast to the Mexican capital, started at 6:20 a.m. local time (1220 GMT), and six eruptions occurred in 24 hours, said a statement issued by the National Disaster Prevention Center.
Some ash rained down the capital which can be seen in several streets, said local media. The government advised fewer outdoor activities or wearing gauze mask when going outdoor.
The authorities also said residents in the surrounding areas of the volcano should clean ash from cars and homes as soon as possible to avoid inhaling more ash.
The volcano, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain with a summit elevation of 5,452 meters above sea level, is Mexico's second highest mountain. Its first recorded eruption took place in 1345. In the past 13 years, it has become more active during the month of December.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Volcano eruption in Nicaragua
The Concepcion volcano in Nicaragua sent huge columns of ash into the sky in eruptions that prompted a ripple of small earthquakes, local seismologists said Sunday.
The volcano, one of two on an island in the region's largest lake, erupted Saturday night and related earthquakes continued to rattle the area on Sunday. No one was injured by the blast, Nicaragua's Institute of Territorial Studies said in a statement.
The 1,610-meter (5,282-foot) volcano is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of the capital, Managua, on an island popular with adventure tourists in Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest lake.
Ash rained down on local communities on Sunday, as strong winds carried it to toward the capital, the institute said.
The Concepcion volcano, which shares its lake island with the dormant Maderas volcano, last erupted in 2005.
The volcano, one of two on an island in the region's largest lake, erupted Saturday night and related earthquakes continued to rattle the area on Sunday. No one was injured by the blast, Nicaragua's Institute of Territorial Studies said in a statement.
The 1,610-meter (5,282-foot) volcano is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of the capital, Managua, on an island popular with adventure tourists in Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest lake.
Ash rained down on local communities on Sunday, as strong winds carried it to toward the capital, the institute said.
The Concepcion volcano, which shares its lake island with the dormant Maderas volcano, last erupted in 2005.
Does Kilauea's lava flow threaten Kalapena?
A new lava outbreak from Kilauea volcano hasn't gained much ground over the last few days, easing fears that it could threaten Kalapana and the Royal Gardens subdivision.
The change in the eruption of the lava started Wednesday directly from a fissure in the volcano, creating two new lava flows nearly directly over an eruption site that became active July 21.
Researchers observed from a flight Friday that the "Thanksgiving eve" flows advanced just 330 feet, stalled and began to pool.
"The lava is just kind of pooling up in this area," said volcanologist Tim Orr.
The official report on lava threats hasn't changed over the last four months.
"There are no immediate threats directly from lava flows," according to the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory.
The road to Kalapana dead ends, as it has since 1990, in a hardened lava flow that still looks fresh.
Robert Keliihoomalu, who runs an awa bar from his property, said he doesn't want to see a repeat of the 1990 flow, when the lava came to the edge of his property before stopping.
"This lava can go anywhere where God wishes it to go. It all depends on where man lives their life. We must live in prayer," he said. "I think it belongs over there, and I hope it stays there."
Next to Keliihoomalu's awa bar, Teresa Nicole sells handcrafted jewelry to tourists who want to see the black sand beach nearby.
She isn't worried about her business being threatened by the lava because she could easily move it to another high-traffic area if she needed to.
"I'm excited, definitely, about the flow coming into our view again," she said. "We'll see."
Close to 200 structures were destroyed by lava since Kilauea's current eruption began in 1983.
The lava channel is located 11 miles above Pahoa Village and surrounding rural suburbs.
An average of 500,000 cubic meters of molten rock has emerged daily since it first broke through in July.
It moved in a different direction from previous Kilauea lava that long flowed into the ocean.
Fingers of lava extended as far as 3 1/2 miles northeast from the eruption.
There are two people who still live in the Royal Gardens subdivision, including a bed-and-breakfast operation, Orr said.
"The flows are still a long way away," he said.
The change in the eruption of the lava started Wednesday directly from a fissure in the volcano, creating two new lava flows nearly directly over an eruption site that became active July 21.
Researchers observed from a flight Friday that the "Thanksgiving eve" flows advanced just 330 feet, stalled and began to pool.
"The lava is just kind of pooling up in this area," said volcanologist Tim Orr.
The official report on lava threats hasn't changed over the last four months.
"There are no immediate threats directly from lava flows," according to the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory.
The road to Kalapana dead ends, as it has since 1990, in a hardened lava flow that still looks fresh.
Robert Keliihoomalu, who runs an awa bar from his property, said he doesn't want to see a repeat of the 1990 flow, when the lava came to the edge of his property before stopping.
"This lava can go anywhere where God wishes it to go. It all depends on where man lives their life. We must live in prayer," he said. "I think it belongs over there, and I hope it stays there."
Next to Keliihoomalu's awa bar, Teresa Nicole sells handcrafted jewelry to tourists who want to see the black sand beach nearby.
She isn't worried about her business being threatened by the lava because she could easily move it to another high-traffic area if she needed to.
"I'm excited, definitely, about the flow coming into our view again," she said. "We'll see."
Close to 200 structures were destroyed by lava since Kilauea's current eruption began in 1983.
The lava channel is located 11 miles above Pahoa Village and surrounding rural suburbs.
An average of 500,000 cubic meters of molten rock has emerged daily since it first broke through in July.
It moved in a different direction from previous Kilauea lava that long flowed into the ocean.
Fingers of lava extended as far as 3 1/2 miles northeast from the eruption.
There are two people who still live in the Royal Gardens subdivision, including a bed-and-breakfast operation, Orr said.
"The flows are still a long way away," he said.
