Report on Sangay (Ecuador) — 7 February-13 February 2007
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 7 February-13 February 2007
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2007. Report on Sangay (Ecuador) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 7 February-13 February 2007. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Sangay
Ecuador
2.005°S, 78.341°W; summit elev. 5286 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
Based on information from Guayaquil MWO, IG, pilot reports, and satellite imagery, the Washington VAAC reported that eruptions from Sangay during 6-10 and 13 February produced ash plumes that drifted SW, NW, N, and W. Plumes reached altitudes of 9 km (30,000 ft) a.s.l. on 6 February and 6.1 km (20,000 ft) a.s.l. on 9 February. A hotspot was seen on satellite imagery at the summit during 7-9 and 13 February.
Geological Summary. The isolated Sangay volcano, located east of the Andean crest, is the southernmost of Ecuador's volcanoes and its most active. The steep-sided, glacier-covered, dominantly andesitic volcano grew within the open calderas of two previous edifices which were destroyed by collapse to the east, producing large debris avalanches that reached the Amazonian lowlands. The modern edifice dates back to at least 14,000 years ago. It towers above the tropical jungle on the east side; on the other sides flat plains of ash have been eroded by heavy rains into steep-walled canyons up to 600 m deep. The earliest report of an eruption was in 1628. Almost continuous eruptions were reported from 1728 until 1916, and again from 1934 to the present. The almost constant activity has caused frequent changes to the morphology of the summit crater complex.