*********************************************************
From:
Gerald Ernst <plumeman2000@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*********************************************************
Dear all,
Re: Oldoynio Lengai (N Tanzania)
Dave Pyle (Oxford University) kindly shared information he has heard that there are news reports of events including earthquakes and possible eruption at Oldoynio Lengai.
As you may have also heard in the news or read on internet, earthquakes (magnitude 4-5, one M6) apparently occurred on July 14 and July 17 with epicentre situated by the USGS near Oldoynio Lengai.
A google search leads to News reports (eg. BBC NEWS online) suggesting some renewed volcanic activity at Oldoynio Lengai that may result from this, suggesting on 19 July that lava is flowing down Lengai flank and causing panic, and reporting on plans to evacuate 5000 villagers (? ? ?).
In the recent past, reports of eruptions at Lengai have been highly unreliable and similar reports of panic and evacuation have proved unfounded. However, there has been unusually significant changes in the Lengai summit crater during 2006 (work by Matthieu Kervyn and others, in progress), which suggest that it is important to keep an eye on Lengai (an explosive eruption as in the 1960s or small collapse of the N rim of the summit crater are possibilities in the future).
Unfortunately Lengai is not ground-monitored.
So, I am writing to ask if anyone has visited the Lengai summit crater in the past weeks, or villages around Lengai, and could clarify what is actually happening or not happening there at the moment, as seen from the ground.
Many thanks for any info,
Gerald
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Gerald GJ. ERNST, Mercator & Ortelius Research Centre for Eruption Dynamics, Geological Institute, University of Ghent, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Gerald G.J. ERNST, Belgian NSF Researcher,
Mercator & Ortelius Research Centre for Eruption Dynamics,
and Joseph Plateau Geological Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (now operational), Department of Geology and Soil Science, University of Ghent,Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
email: plumeman2000@xxxxxxxxxxx
Phone: +32.(0) 9264.4633
Fax: +32.(0) 9264.4943
Also: Former Lecturer in Volcanology and Geological Fluid Dynamics, University of Bristol, UK
Visiting Professor (Adjunct) in Volcanology, Michigan Tech University, USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================
To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message:
signoff volcano
to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx
To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to:
volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments.
==============================================================
