All times are local unless otherwise stated.

Eyjafjallajokull | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Eyjafjallajokull Iceland	The Institute of Earth Sciences at the Nordic Volcanological Center (NVC) reported that during 5-11 May the eruption from Eyjafjallajökull continued to produce ash plumes from the summit vent. Based on analyses of imagery from weather satellites, scientific overflights, and pilot reports, ash plumes ranging in color from light gray to black rose to altitudes of 4-9 km (13,100-29,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted ESE, SE, and S. The cinder cone in the summit crater continued to build and was near the level of the ice on the crater rim on 8 May. On 5 and 6 May explosive activity increased and effusive activity decreased, resulting in higher eruption plumes and increased tephra fallout. The lava flow stopped advancing, and very little steam rose from the edges of the flow. Ashfall was reported in areas 55-70 km away during 5-8 May, and was "considerable" on 6 and 7 May. Ash was reported in a few areas within 12 km E and SSE during 9-10 May. According to new articles, ash plumes again caused flight disruptions during 5-11 May in several European countries, including Scotland, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. Sources: Agence France-Presse (AFP), Institute of Earth Sciences, Reuters
Ketoi | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Ketoi Kuril Islands (Russia)	SVERT reported that increased fumarolic activity from Ketoi was noted in satellite imagery on 4 May. Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT)
Pagan | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Pagan Mariana Islands (USA)	Steam and gas plumes from Pagan were seen in satellite imagery on 28 April (UTC) and 3 May; no unusual thermal activity was identified. A visitor to the island saw a minor ash emission on the morning of 3 May. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Yellow and the Volcano Alert Level was raised to Advisory on 6 May based on the recent satellite observations and confirmed minor ashfall on the island. Source: Emergency Management Office of the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands and United States Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program
Reventador | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Reventador Ecuador	The IG reported that during 5-9 May observations of Reventador were not possible because of weather. The Washington VAAC reported that on 7 May an ash plume seen by a pilot rose to an altitude of 5.2 km (17,000 ft) a.s.l. Cloud cover prevented satellite observations of the area. On 8 May the IG noted a small lahar inside the caldera. Sources: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG-EPN), Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)
Rinjani | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Rinjani Lombok Island	Based on analysis of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 5 May a possible ash plume from Rinjani rose to an altitude of 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 150 km NW. The plume was not seen in imagery about six hours later. CVGHM advised the VAAC that intermittent activity could produce ash plumes to 1.5 km (5,000 ft) above the caldera. Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Santa Maria | 5 May-11 May 2010 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Santa Maria Southwestern Guatemala	On 7 May, INSIVUMEH reported that explosions from Santa María's Santiaguito lava dome complex produced ash plumes that rose to altitudes of 2.9-3.4 km (9,500-11,200 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SW. Seismic stations recorded 17 explosions within 24 hours. On 10 May a white plume rose 75 m high. No explosions were noted. Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH)

Aira | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Aira Kyushu (Japan)	Based on information from JMA, the Tokyo VAAC reported that during 4-6 and 8-9 May explosions from Sakura-jima often produced plumes. Those plumes, along with ash plumes occasionally seen by pilots, rose to altitudes of 2.1-3.7 km (7,000-12,000 ft) a.s.l. and sometimes drifted N, NE, E, and SE. Source: Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)
Ambae | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Ambae Vanuatu	On 11 May the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory noted that there had been recent increases in activity from Aoba, starting with reports that local villagers saw a plume over the island in December 2009. Fluctuating gas emissions seen in satellite imagery were also noted at that time. Satellite imagery on 11 April revealed that sulfur dioxide emissions increased to a rate of more than 3,000 tons/day. Scientists flew over Aoba and confirmed increased gas emissions. They also noted two fumarolic zones in the SE part of Lake Manaro that were surrounded by discolored water. The Vanuatu Volcano Alert Level (VVAL) remained at 1 (on a scale of 0-4). Source: Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD)
Bagana | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Bagana Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)	Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that ash plumes from Bagana rose to altitudes of 2.4-3 km (8,000-10,000 ft) a.s.l. during 6 and 10-11 May and drifted 65 km W and SW. Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Dukono | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Dukono Halmahera	The Darwin VAAC reported that during 4 and 8-10 May ash plumes from Dukono were seen in satellite imagery drifting 25-100 km NW, NE, and SE at an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. On 6 May a pilot reported that a significant plume rose to an altitude of 4.6 km (15,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW, but there was no confirmation of the plume in satellite imagery. Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Gaua | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Gaua Banks Islands (Vanuatu)	On 11 May the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory reported that field observations of Gaua revealed continued activity during April through the beginning of May. Significant emissions of gas and ash caused damage to vegetation around the crater and in areas on the NW, W, and SW parts of the island, the dominant wind directions. Lahars on the W part of the island were seen in April. Seismic data revealed that tremors had become more frequent since the beginning of the year. The Vanuatu Volcano Alert Level (VVAL) remained at 2 (on a scale of 0-4). Source: Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD)
Karymsky | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Karymsky Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)	KVERT reported that during 30 April-7 May seismic activity from Karymsky was above background levels, suggesting that possible ash plumes rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. Satellite imagery revealed a thermal anomaly over the volcano during 28 April-2 May. The Aviation Color Code level remained at Orange. Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
Kilauea | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Kilauea Hawaiian Islands (USA)	During 5-11 May HVO reported that activity at Kilauea continued at the summit and the east rift zone. At the summit, episodic rising and falling of the lava-pool surface continued at the deep pit inset within the floor of Halema'uma'u crater; glow from the vent was visible. The plume of gas and ash from the summit vent drifted SW and W, dropping small amounts of ash, and occasionally Pele's hair and Pele's tears, downwind. The sulfur dioxide emission rate measured at the summit on 5 May was 880 tonnes/day. At the east rift zone, lava flows that broke out of the TEB lava-tube system had advanced down the Pulama pali onto the coastal plain and headed S into the ocean. Lava also flowed along the highway, after covering the county viewing area on 5 May. Incandescence was sometimes seen from a vent low on the S wall of Pu'u 'O'o crater. On 9 May lava flows near the county viewing area stalled. Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
Klyuchevskoy | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Klyuchevskoy Central Kamchatka (Russia)	KVERT reported that during 30 April-7 May seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi was above background levels. Ground observations were prevented due to meteorological cloud cover. Satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly from the volcano. Ash plumes drifted 125 km N on 2 May and 70 km W at an altitude of 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. on 3 May. Gas-and-steam plumes drifted 55 km W and SW both days. Based on information from KEMSD, the Tokyo VAAC reported that on 10 May an eruption produced a plume that rose to an altitude of 6.1 km (20,000 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code level remained at Orange. Sources: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)
Popocatepetl | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Popocatepetl Mexico	CENAPRED reported emissions of steam and gas from Popocatépetl during 5-11 May. Plumes contained small amounts of ash on 7 May. Source: Centro Nacional de Prevencion de Desastres (CENAPRED)
Sangay | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Sangay Ecuador	The Washington VAAC reported that on 6 May an ash plume from Sangay was seen by a pilot. Ash was not identified in satellite imagery, but a diffuse steam-and-gas plume was seen before weather clouds moved into the area. Source: Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)
Sheveluch | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Sheveluch Central Kamchatka (Russia)	KVERT reported that during 30 April-7 May seismic activity from Shiveluch was above background levels and suggested that possible ash plumes rose to an altitude of 4.5 km (14,800 ft) a.s.l. Satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly from the lava dome, and ash plumes that drifted about 18 km W on 3 May. The Aviation Color Code level remained at Orange. Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
Soufriere Hills | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Soufriere Hills Montserrat	MVO reported that activity at Soufrière Hills was low during 30 April-7 May. A pyroclastic flow traveled down the Tar River Valley on 3 May, stopping about 1 km before reaching the sea. The Hazard Level remained at 3. Source: Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO)
Tungurahua | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Tungurahua Ecuador	The IG reported that during 4-5 and 7-8 May lahars traveled down Tungurahua's N, W, and SW flanks. No activity from the crater was noted during 5-11 May, although meteorological cloud cover often prevented observations. Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG-EPN)
Yasur | 5 May-11 May 2010 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Yasur Vanuatu	On 11 May the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory reported that, following an assessment of Yasur during 26-27 April, activity from the volcano remained high. Strong degassing and ash emissions from all three active vents were noted. Ash fell on the E and W parts of the island. New bombs were deposited around the crater rim and in areas near the vents. Explosions were heard and seen from surrounding villages. Satellite imagery and seismic data confirmed strong degassing and explosive activity. The Vanuatu Volcano Alert Level (VVAL) remained at 2 (on a scale of 0-4). Source: Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD)

Weekly Reports Archive

Since the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report began in November 2000, there have been 19,600 individual reports over 1,196 weeks (average of 16 per week) on 332 different volcanoes.

Use the dropdowns to choose the year and week for archived Weekly Reports.

 News Feeds and Google Placemarks

 Criteria & Disclaimers

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.

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 cover longer time periods and are 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.

5. USGS Disclaimer Statement for this Website:

Information presented on this website is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credit is requested. We strongly recommend that USGS data be acquired directly from a USGS server and not through other sources that may change the data in some way. While USGS makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information, various data such as names, telephone numbers, etc. may change prior to updating. USGS welcomes suggestions on how to improve our home page and correct errors. USGS provides no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of furnished data.

Some of the documents on this server may contain live references (or pointers) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that USGS does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this website are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act. Information may also be used for authorized law enforcement investigations. (Last modified September 21, 1999.)

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA
URL: https://volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm

 Acronyms and Abbreviations

a.s.l. - above sea level

AVO - Alaska Volcano Observatory

AVHRR - Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer

CENAPRED - Centro Nacionale de Prevencion de Desastres (México)

CONRED - Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres

COSPEC - Correlation Spectrometer

CVGHM (formerly VSI) - Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation

CVO - Cascades Volcano Observatory (USGS)

GMS - Geostationary Meteorological Satellite

GOES - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

GVO - Goma Volcano Observatory

GVP - Global Volcanism Program (Smithsonian Institution)

HVO - Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS)

ICE - Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (Costa Rica)

IG - Instituto Geofísico (Ecuador)

IGNS - Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (New Zealand) - now GNS Science

INETER - Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales (Nicaragua)

INGEMMET - Instituto Geológical Minero y Metalúrgico (Peru)

INGEOMINAS - Instituto Colombiano de Geología y Minería (Colombia)

INGV-CT - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Sezione di Catania (Italy)

INSIVUMEH - Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia e Hidrologia (Guatemala)

IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (France)

JMA - Japanese Meteorological Agency

KEMSD - Kamchatkan Experimental and Methodical Seismilogical Department

KVERT - Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team

M - magnitude

METEOSAT - Meteorological Satellite

MEVO - Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory

MODIS - Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

MVO - Montserrat Volcano Observatory

MWO - Meteorological Watch Office

NEIC - National Earthquake Information Center

NIED - National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (Japan)

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOTAM - Notice to Airmen

OVDAS - Observatorio Volcanologico de los Andes del Sur (Chile)

OFDA - Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance

ONEMI - Oficina Nacional de Emergencia - Ministerio del Interior (Chile)

OVPDLF - Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise (France)

OVSICORI-UNA - Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional (Costa Rica)

PHIVOLCS - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philippines)

RSAM - Real-time Seismic Amplitude Measurement

RVO - Rabaul Volcano Observatory

SERNAGEOMIN - Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria (Chile)

SIGMET - Significant Meteorological Information

SNET - Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (El Salvador)

SVERT - Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (Russia)

USAID - US Agency for International Development

USGS - United States Geological Survey

UTC - Coordinated Universal Time

VAAC - Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

VAFTAD - Volcanic Ash Forecast Transport And Dispersion

VDAP - Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (USGS)

VHP - Volcano Hazards Program (USGS)

VRC - Volcano Research Center (Japan)