All times are local unless otherwise stated.

Grimsvotn | 23 September-29 September 2020 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Grimsvotn Iceland	The Icelandic Meteorological Office raised the Aviation Color Code for Grímsvötn to Yellow on 30 September, noting that activity had been increasing over time and was above background levels. The report stated that seismicity increased over the past month, cauldrons had deepened in several places around the caldera signifying increased geothermal activity, surface deformation surpassed the level prior to the 2011 eruption, and magmatic gases were present in emissions over the summer. Additionally, water levels in the subglacial lake were comparable to levels prior to floods in 2004 and 2010. Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO)
Sangay | 23 September-29 September 2020 | New Activity / Unrest Cite this Report
Sangay Ecuador	IG issued a report with additional information about the large explosive event at Sangay on 20 September. The event began at 0440 and ended at 0610 and produced an ash plume that rose 15 km (49,200 ft) a.s.l., or about 9.7 km above the summit. The lower part of the plume was the most ash-rich and drifted W, causing significant ashfall in areas W (especially in the Cebadas parish, Guamote district). The gas-rich higher part of the plume drifted E. Parts of the plume also drifted S. Researchers visited several sites to measure ashfall and collect samples, allowing them to estimate the volume of the deposits at 1.5-3.4 million cubic meters, signifying a VEI 2 event. Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG-EPN)

Aira | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Aira Kyushu (Japan)	JMA reported that very small eruptive events at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) were occasionally recorded during 14-21 September. Crater incandescence was visible at night. The daily sulfur dioxide emission rate was high at 2,000 tons per day on 25 September. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale). Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)
Copahue | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Copahue Central Chile-Argentina	SERNAGEOMIN reported continuing activity at Copahue during 1-15 September. Webcams recorded gas-and-ash plumes rising as high as 1.1 km, sometimes associated with nighttime crater incandescence. The plumes drifted 6-15 km SW and SE. Sulfur dioxide emissions were high, averaging 1,499 tonnes per day (ranging from 1,148 to 1,850 tonnes per day), with a high value of 3,435 on 12 September. Two thermal anomalies were identified in satellite images. The Alert Level was remained at Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale). ONEMI maintained the Yellow Alert (the middle level on a three-color scale) for residents of the Alto Biobío municipality and access to an area within 1 km of El Agrio Crater was restricted to the public. Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI)
Dukono | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Dukono Halmahera	Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 23-28 September ash plumes from Dukono rose 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W and WNW. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone. Sources: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)
Ebeko | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Ebeko Paramushir Island (Russia)	Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of Ebeko, observed explosions during 20-23 September that sent ash plumes up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SE, E, and NE. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was visible in satellite data on 21 and 22 September. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale). Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
Ibu | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Ibu Halmahera	PVMBG reported that at 0554 on 26 September a white-to-gray ash plume from Ibu rose 600 m and drifted S. At 0641 on 27 September and at 0554 on 28 September ash plumes rose 500 m and drifted N. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the active crater, and 3.5 km away on the N side. Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)
Laguna del Maule | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Laguna del Maule Central Chile-Argentina	SERNAGEOMIN reported that during 1-15 September inflation continued to be detected at the Laguna del Maule Volcanic Complex, although at a lower rate of 0.7 cm per month which is below the 2 cm per month average for this year. Seismicity in the S sector was low in both number and magnitude of events. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, the second lowest color on a four-color scale, as activity remained above baselines. ONEMI recommended restricted access within a radius of 2 km from the emission center. Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI)
Langila | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Langila New Britain (Papua New Guinea)	Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind-model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 23 September an ash plume from Langila rose to an altitude of 2.7 km (9,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW. Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
Nevados de Chillan | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Nevados de Chillan Central Chile	SERNAGEOMIN reported that activity at Nevados de Chillán’s Nicanor Crater was ongoing during 1-15 September. Explosions at the lava dome in the crater produced plumes that rose less than 1.5 km. Ashfall was mainly distributed within 300 m E and NE. Deposits from larger explosions were visible to the ESE. Incandescence at the E part of the crater was visible. The lava flow on the NNE flank (L5) was 500 m long and was advancing at a rate of 1.7 meters per hour by 15 September. The W levee of the flow channel ruptured, causing the channel to widen and the toe of the flow to thicken. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, the second lowest level on a four-color scale, and residents were reminded not to approach the crater within 3 km. ONEMI stated that Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-color scale) remained in place for the communities of Pinto and Coihueco, noting that the public should stay at least 3 km away from the crater on the W and SW flank and 5 km away on the NE flank. Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI)
Sabancaya | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Sabancaya Peru	Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) reported a daily average of 36 explosions at Sabancaya during 21-27 September. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 2.5 km above the summit and drifted NE, E, SE, SW, and NW. Eleven thermal anomalies over the crater were identified in satellite data. Minor inflation was detected in areas N of Hualca Hualca (4 km N) and on the SE flank. Ashfall was reported in Lluta (30 km SW) and Huanca (75 km SSE) on 24 September. The Alert Level remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale) and the public were warned to stay outside of a 12-km radius. Source: Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP)
Sheveluch | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Sheveluch Central Kamchatka (Russia)	KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 18-25 September. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale). Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
Suwanosejima | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Suwanosejima Ryukyu Islands (Japan)	JMA reported nighttime incandescence at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater during 18-25 September. An explosion at 0923 on 25 September generated a gray-white ash plume that rose 600 m above the crater rim and disappeared into weather clouds. Ashfall was reported in Toshima village, 4 km SSW. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level scale). Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)
Villarrica | 23 September-29 September 2020 | Continuing ActivityCite this Report
Villarrica Central Chile	SERNAGEOMIN reported that activity at Villarrica was characterized by an active lava lake, minor explosions, and gas emissions during 1-15 September. Webcam images showed whitish gas emissions rising no higher than 500 m above the crater rim during the day, with occasional nighttime crater incandescence and ejected material seen at night. Satellite images showed tephra deposits around the crater extending from the rim up to 36 m on the E and SE flanks on both 5 and 7 September. Two thermal anomalies were visible in satellite images on 14 September. At 1350 on 25 September the seismic network recorded a long-period earthquake associated with a moderate explosion. The explosion generated an ash plume that rose 800 m above the vent and drifted ENE, and ejected blocks onto the flanks. Another long-period event and explosion were recorded at 1829 later that day that generated another ash plume, though weather clouds obscured views. The Alert Level remained at Yellow, the second lowest level on a four-color scale. ONEMI maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-color scale) for the municipalities of Villarrica, Pucón (16 km N), Curarrehue, and the commune of Panguipulli, and the exclusion zone for the public of 500 m around the crater. Sources: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN), Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI)

Weekly Reports Archive

Since the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report began in November 2000, there have been 19,996 individual reports over 1,215 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)