Activity for the week of 1 September-7 September 2004
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Updated by 2300 UTC every Wednesday, notices of volcanic activity posted on these pages are preliminary and subject to change as events are studied in more detail. This is not a comprehensive list of all of Earth's volcanoes erupting during the week, but rather a summary of activity at volcanoes that meet criteria discussed in detail in the "Criteria and Disclaimers" section. Carefully reviewed, detailed reports on various volcanoes are published monthly in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network.
New Activity / Unrest
Asamayama
| Honshu (Japan)
| 36.406°N, 138.523°E
| Elevation 2568 m
According to news reports, the eruption that began at Asama on 1 September subsided the following day. On the 1st, an eruption produced gas and ash that rose to ~ 2 km above the volcano and ash was deposited ~125 miles downwind. JMA reported to news agencies that red glow visible at the volcano in the evening was from a forest fire and not lava flows. About 40 people were evacuated from the neighboring state of Gunma. On the 2nd, tremor had subsided and there was a lull in volcanic activity. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 0-5).
Sources: Reuters, IOL News
Egon
| Flores Island (Indonesia)
| 8.676°S, 122.455°E
| Elevation 1661 m
Strong volcanic activity at Egon beginning on 3 September led DVGHM to raise the Alert Level from 3 to 4 (on a scale of 1-4) on 4 September. The increase in volcanic activity began on 27 August when plumes rose to ~300 m above the volcano and explosion earthquakes were recorded. This activity prompted DVGHM to raise the Alert Level from 2 to 3. On 3 September an ash plume rose ~1 km above the summit and on 4 September an ash plume rose to ~3 km. As a consequence, all those living in the villages of Baokrengit, Welimwatu, and Natakoli were evacuated. On 6 September, an explosion produced a plume as high as 2.5 km above the volcano that drifted SW. According to a report released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of 6 September activity at Egon led to the evacuation of 2,100 people. A total of 4,300 were expected to be evacuated.
Sources: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Etna
| Sicily (Italy)
| 37.748°N, 14.999°E
| Elevation 3295 m
According to news articles, on 7 September a fracture opened at the base of Etna's Southeast Crater between cones created by eruptions in 1999 and 2001.
Sources: Reuters, AGI News - Agenzia Giornalistica Italia
Ongoing Activity
Fuego
| Guatemala
| 14.473°N, 90.88°W
| Elevation 3763 m
During 2-3 September, small explosions at Fuego produced low-level plumes and avalanches of volcanic blocks traveled down the volcano's flanks. On 4 September a small lahar flowed down the volcano's S flank, partially blocking a road.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH)
Karymsky
| Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
| 54.049°N, 159.443°E
| Elevation 1513 m
Seismicity was slightly to moderately above background levels at Karymsky during 27 August to 3 September. During 26-29 August, there were 140-180 shallow earthquakes recorded daily. Based on interpretations of seismic data, several ash-and-gas plumes may have risen to ~5.5 km a.s.l. on 31 August and 1 September. Karymsky remained at Concern Color Orange.
Sources: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), Itar-Tass News
Kilauea
| Hawaiian Islands (USA)
| 19.421°N, 155.287°W
| Elevation 1222 m
During 2-6 September, surface lava flows were visible at Kilauea on the Pulama pali fault scarp, and all vents in the crater of Pu`u `O`o were incandescent. Seismicity was weak beneath Kilauea's summit and tremor was at moderate levels at Pu`u `O`o'. Small amounts of deformation occurred during the report period.
Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
Nyiragongo
| DR Congo
| 1.52°S, 29.25°E
| Elevation 3470 m
The Toulouse VAAC reported that satellite imagery showed a narrow and faint plume from Nyiragongo beginning at 0930 on 7 September. The plume may have contained ash, and was estimated to be at a height less than 5.5 km a.s.l. The plume was no longer visible by 1300 that day.
Source: Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Piton de la Fournaise
| Reunion Island (France)
| 21.244°S, 55.708°E
| Elevation 2632 m
According to the Toulouse VAAC, a new eruptive episode began at Piton de la Fournaise on 4 September from a vent at sea level, near the town of St. Philippe on Réunion Island's SE side. Ash fell near the volcano's summit. A lava flow entering the sea produced a steam-and-ash plume that rose ~2.1 km a.s.l. Emissions ceased the morning of 7 September.
Source: Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Santa Maria
| Guatemala
| 14.757°N, 91.552°W
| Elevation 3745 m
During 2-3 September, several weak-to-moderate explosions at Santa Maria's Santiaguito lava-dome complex produced ash clouds to a maximum height of 2 km above the volcano. Partial collapses of the lava dome caused several pyroclastic flows to travel down the volcano's NE and SW flanks.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH)
Sheveluch
| Central Kamchatka (Russia)
| 56.653°N, 161.36°E
| Elevation 3283 m
Seismicity was above background levels at Shiveluch during 27 August to 3 September, with weak earthquakes occurring 0-5 km beneath the lava dome. Gas-and-steam plumes rose to ~2.6 km a.s.l. on 1 September. Shiveluch remained at Concern Color Code Orange.
Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
Soufriere Hills
| Montserrat
| 16.72°N, 62.18°W
| Elevation 915 m
Volcanic and seismic activity at Soufrière Hills remained at low levels during 27 August to 3 September. The seismic network recorded two hybrid earthquakes. The sulfur-dioxide flux ranged between 240 and 456 metric tons per day. A small pond was observed on the volcano for the first time since the beginning of the eruption. The water in the pond pooled in the explosion pit formed on 3 March 2004.
Source: Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO)
Spurr
| United States
| 61.299°N, 152.251°W
| Elevation 3374 m
Elevated levels of seismicity continued at Spurr during 27 August to 3 September and did not change significantly in comparison to the previous few weeks. During the report week, 101 earthquakes were recorded within 30 km of the summit, averaging ~14 per day. Although seismicity was greater than typical background levels, there were no signs that an eruption was imminent. Spurr remained at Concern Color Code Yellow.
Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
Tungurahua
| Ecuador
| 1.467°S, 78.442°W
| Elevation 5023 m
During 2-6 September volcanic and seismic activity were at low levels at Tungurahua, with the occurrence of weak steam-and-ash emissions and sporadic long-period earthquakes. Incandescence was visible in the crater on the evening of 2 September.
Sources: Instituto GeofÃsico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG), Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)
Veniaminof
| United States
| 56.17°N, 159.38°W
| Elevation 2507 m
Both low-level tremor and intermittent bursts of tremor continued at Veniaminof during 27 August to 3 September. AVO scientists believed tremor episodes likely represented low-level ash-and-steam emissions similar to those observed during the previous 2 months. Minor emissions of ash and steam were occasionally seen on the web camera during clear weather. Veniaminof remained at Concern Color Code Yellow.
Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
News Feeds and Google Placemarks
The RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed is identical to the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report minus some features including the header information (latitude and longitude and summit elevation), the Geologic Summary, and a link to the volcano's page from the Global Volcanism Program. Each volcano report includes a link from the volcano's name back to the more complete information in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report on the Smithsonian website.
The CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) feeds are XML files specifically formatted for disaster management. They are similar in content to the RSS feed, but contain no active links.
A Google Earth network link for the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report can be loaded into the free Google Earth software, and in turn will load placemarks for volcanoes in the current weekly report. Placemark balloons include the volcano name, report date, report text, sources, and links back to the GVP volcano page for that volcano and to the complete Weekly Report for that week.
Criteria & Disclaimers
Criteria
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report does not necessarily include all volcanic activity that occurred on Earth during the week. More than a dozen volcanoes globally have displayed more-or-less continuous eruptive activity for decades or longer, and such routine activity is typically not reported here. Moreover, Earth's sea-floor volcanism is seldom reported even though in theory it represents the single most prolific source of erupted material. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report summarizes volcanic activity that meets one or more of the following criteria:
- A volcano observatory raises or lowers the alert level at the volcano.
- A volcanic ash advisory has been released by a volcanic ash advisory center (VAAC) stating that an ash cloud has been produced from the volcano.
- A verifiable news report of new activity or a change in activity at the volcano has been issued.
- Observers have reported a significant change in volcanic activity. Such activity can include, but is not restricted to, pyroclastic flows, lahars, lava flows, dome collapse, or increased unrest.
Volcanoes are included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report if the activity occurs after at least 3 months of quiescence. Once a volcano is included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section, updates will remain in that section unless the activity continues for more than 1 month without escalating, after which time updates will be listed in the "Continuing Activity" section. Volcanoes are also included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section if the volcano is undergoing a period of relatively high unrest, or increasing unrest. This is commonly equal to Alert Level Orange on a scale of Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, where Red is the highest alert. Or alert level 3 on a scale of 1-4 or 1-5.
It is important to note that volcanic activity meeting one or more of these criteria may occur during the week, but may not be included in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report because we did not receive a report.
Disclaimers
1. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is intended to provide timely information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Consequently, the report is generated rapidly by summarizing volcanic reports from various sources, with little time for fact checking. The accuracy of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is dependent upon the quality of the volcanic activity reports we receive. Reports published in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network are monthly, and more carefully reviewed, although all of the volcanoes discussed in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report are not necessarily reported in the Bulletin. Because of our emphasis on rapid reporting on the web we have avoided diacritical marks. Reports are updated on the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report web page as they are received, therefore information may be included regarding events that occurred before the current report period.
2. Rapidly developing events lead to coverage that is often fragmentary. Volcanoes, their eruptions, and their plumes and associated atmospheric effects are complex phenomena that may require months to years of data analysis in order to create a comprehensive summary and interpretation of events.
3. Preliminary accounts sometimes contain exaggerations and "false alarms," and accordingly, this report may include some events ultimately found to be erroneous or misleading.
4. Many news agencies do not archive the articles they post on the Internet, and therefore the links to some sources may not be active. To obtain information about the cited articles that are no longer available on the Internet contact the source.
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RSS and CAP Feeds
An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed for the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report first made available on 5 March 2008 can be utilized with the aid of various free downloadable readers. The report content of the news feed is identical to the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report minus some features including the header information (latitude and longitude and summit elevation), the Geologic Summary, and a link to the volcano's page from the Global Volcanism Program. Each volcano report includes a link from the volcano's name back to the more complete information in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report on the Smithsonian website. On 12 March 2009, GeoRSS tags were added so that the latitude and longitude for each volcano could be included with the feed.
At the end of each individual report is a list of the sources used. We would like to emphasize that the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) website (http://www.wovo.org/) lists the regional volcano observatories that have the most authoritative data for many of these events.
CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) feeds are XML files specifically formatted for disaster management.
Google Earth Placemarks
A Google Earth network link for the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report was first made available on 1 April 2009. This file can be loaded into the free Google Earth software, and in turn will load placemarks for volcanoes in the current weekly report. Placemark balloons include the volcano name, report date, report text, sources, and links back to the GVP volcano page for that volcano and to the complete Weekly Report for that week.
