Activity at Soufrière Hills during 3-10 January remained at high levels. The active extruded lobe on the lava dome continued to grow mainly towards the NNE, although some growth also occurred on the N side of the summit region. Rockfalls and small-to-moderate pyroclastic flows spilled off of the active lobe mostly into White's Ghaut and to a lesser extent into Tuitt's Ghaut and the Tar River Valley. Pyroclastic flows and rockfalls also spilled off the domes's N and NW flanks onto Farrell's Plain and into Tyre's Ghaut. During the report week, the Washington VAAC stated that several low-level ash plumes were visible on satellite imagery.

Geological Summary. The complex, dominantly andesitic Soufrière Hills volcano occupies the southern half of the island of Montserrat. The summit area consists primarily of a series of lava domes emplaced along an ESE-trending zone. The volcano is flanked by Pleistocene complexes to the north and south. English's Crater, a 1-km-wide crater breached widely to the east by edifice collapse, was formed about 2000 years ago as a result of the youngest of several collapse events producing submarine debris-avalanche deposits. Block-and-ash flow and surge deposits associated with dome growth predominate in flank deposits, including those from an eruption that likely preceded the 1632 CE settlement of the island, allowing cultivation on recently devegetated land to near the summit. Non-eruptive seismic swarms occurred at 30-year intervals in the 20th century, but no historical eruptions were recorded until 1995. Long-term small-to-moderate ash eruptions beginning in that year were later accompanied by lava-dome growth and pyroclastic flows that forced evacuation of the southern half of the island and ultimately destroyed the capital city of Plymouth, causing major social and economic disruption.

Sources: Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO)