During 29 June to 6 July volcanic activity at Soufrière Hills remained similar to the previous week. Lava dome growth appeared to still be concentrated on the S side of the dome above the White River. On 30 June a large number of rockfalls traveled down the N side of the talus apron in the Tar River. On 4 July two small pyroclastic flows traveled down the volcano's W flank in the Amersham area. The Washington VAAC reported that on 4 July an ash cloud rose ~3 km a.s.l. and drifted to the WNW. Also, on 10 July numerous rockfalls produced W-drifting ash plumes that did not exceed ~3 km a.s.l. in height.

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