Volcano Digest - 10 Aug 2018 to 15 Aug 2018 (#2018-89)

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Topics of the day:

  1. Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 8-14 August 2018

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Date:    Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:33:17 -0700
From:    Sean Peters <speter24@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 8-14 August 2018

 *********************
From: "Kuhn, Sally" <KUHNS@xxxxxx>
****************************************************

Sally Kuhn Sennert - Weekly Report Editor (kuhns@xxxxxx)

URL: https://volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm





New Activity/Unrest: Etna, Sicily (Italy)  | Great Sitkin, Andreanof
Islands (USA)  | Nevados de Chillan, Chile  | Rincon de la Vieja, Costa
Rica  | Sangay, Ecuador



Ongoing Activity: Agung, Bali (Indonesia)  | Aira, Kyushu (Japan)  |
Dukono, Halmahera (Indonesia)  | Ebeko, Paramushir Island (Russia)  |
Fuego, Guatemala  | Ibu, Halmahera (Indonesia)  | Karymsky, Eastern
Kamchatka (Russia)  | Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands (USA)  | Krakatau,
Indonesia  | Pacaya, Guatemala  | Sabancaya, Peru  | Sheveluch, Central
Kamchatka (Russia)  | Sierra Negra, Isla Isabela (Ecuador)  | Suwanosejima,
Ryukyu Islands (Japan)  | Turrialba, Costa Rica





The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the
Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's
Volcano Hazards Program. Updated by 2300 UTC every Wednesday, notices of
volcanic activity posted on these pages are preliminary and subject to
change as events are studied in more detail. This is not a comprehensive
list of all of Earth's volcanoes erupting during the week, but rather a
summary of activity at volcanoes that meet criteria discussed in detail in
the "Criteria and Disclaimers" section. Carefully reviewed, detailed
reports on various volcanoes are published monthly in the Bulletin of the
Global Volcanism Network.



Note: 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.







New Activity/Unrest





Etna  | Sicily (Italy)  | 37.748°N, 14.999°E  | Summit elev. 3295 m



INGV reported that during 6-12 August activity at Etna was similar to the
previous week, characterized by gas emissions at the summit craters,
Strombolian activity, and ash emissions. Strombolian explosions continued
from vents in Bocca Nuova, and were particularly visible at night. Activity
at Northeast Crater (NEC) consisted of frequent ash emissions and
Strombolian explosions. Explosions at the E crater on the E flank of the
New Southeast Crater (NSEC) generated gray-brown ash plumes that sometimes
rose several hundred meters above Etna’s summit and quickly dissipated.



Geologic Summary. Mount Etna, towering above Catania, Sicily's second
largest city, has one of the world's longest documented records of
historical volcanism, dating back to 1500 BCE. Historical lava flows of
basaltic composition cover much of the surface of this massive volcano,
whose edifice is the highest and most voluminous in Italy. The Mongibello
stratovolcano, truncated by several small calderas, was constructed during
the late Pleistocene and Holocene over an older shield volcano. The most
prominent morphological feature of Etna is the Valle del Bove, a 5 x 10 km
horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the east. Two styles of eruptive activity
typically occur, sometimes simultaneously. Persistent explosive eruptions,
sometimes with minor lava emissions, take place from one or more summit
craters. Flank vents, typically with higher effusion rates, are less
frequently active and originate from fissures that open progressively
downward from near the summit (usually accompanied by Strombolian eruptions
at the upper end). Cinder cones are commonly constructed over the vents of
lower-flank lava flows. Lava flows extend to the foot of the volcano on all
sides and have reached the sea over a broad area on the SE flank.



Source: Sezione di Catania - Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)
http://www.ct.ingv.it/





Great Sitkin  | Andreanof Islands (USA)  | 52.076°N, 176.13°W  | Summit
elev. 1740 m



AVO reported that a small phreatic explosion at Great Sitkin was recorded
by the seismic network at 1105 on 11 August. The event was preceded by
small local earthquakes. Cloudy satellite images prevented views of the
volcano during 12-14 August. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow and
the Volcano Alert Level remained at Advisory.



Geologic Summary. The Great Sitkin volcano forms much of the northern side
of Great Sitkin Island. A younger parasitic volcano capped by a small, 0.8
x 1.2 km ice-filled summit caldera was constructed within a large
late-Pleistocene or early Holocene scarp formed by massive edifice failure
that truncated an ancestral volcano and produced a submarine debris
avalanche. Deposits from this and an older debris avalanche from a source
to the south cover a broad area of the ocean floor north of the volcano.
The summit lies along the eastern rim of the younger collapse scarp.
Deposits from an earlier caldera-forming eruption of unknown age cover the
flanks of the island to a depth up to 6 m. The small younger caldera was
partially filled by lava domes emplaced in 1945 and 1974, and five small
older flank lava domes, two of which lie on the coastline, were constructed
along northwest- and NNW-trending lines. Hot springs, mud pots, and
fumaroles occur near the head of Big Fox Creek, south of the volcano.
Historical eruptions have been recorded since the late-19th century.



Source: US Geological Survey Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
https://avo.alaska.edu/





Nevados de Chillan  | Chile  | 36.868°S, 71.378°W  | Summit elev. 3180 m



Servicio Nacional de Geología and Minería (SERNAGEOMIN) Observatorio
Volcanológico de Los Andes del Sur (OVDAS) and ONEMI reported that at 1212
on 8 August an explosion-type earthquake was recorded by Nevados de
Chillán’s seismic network. A grayish ash plume rose 1.5 km above Nicanor
Crater and incandescent material was ejected around the vent. The Alert
Level remained at Orange, the second highest level on a four-color scale,
and residents were reminded not to approach the crater within 3 km. ONEMI
maintained an Alert Level Yellow (the middle level on a three-color scale)
for the communities of Pinto, Coihueco, and San Fabián.



Geologic Summary. The compound volcano of Nevados de Chillán is one of the
most active of the Central Andes. Three late-Pleistocene to Holocene
stratovolcanoes were constructed along a NNW-SSE line within three nested
Pleistocene calderas, which produced ignimbrite sheets extending more than
100 km into the Central Depression of Chile. The largest stratovolcano,
dominantly andesitic, Cerro Blanco (Volcán Nevado), is located at the NW
end of the group. Volcán Viejo (Volcán Chillán), which was the main active
vent during the 17th-19th centuries, occupies the SE end. The new Volcán
Nuevo lava-dome complex formed between 1906 and 1945 between the two
volcanoes and grew to exceed Volcán Viejo in elevation. The Volcán Arrau
dome complex was constructed SE of Volcán Nuevo between 1973 and 1986 and
eventually exceeded its height.



Sources: Oficina Nacional de Emergencia-Ministerio del Interior (ONEMI)
http://www.onemi.cl/;

Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (SERNAGEOMIN)
http://www.sernageomin.cl/





Rincon de la Vieja  | Costa Rica  | 10.83°N, 85.324°W  | Summit elev. 1916 m



OVSICORI-UNA reported that a three-minute-long eruption at Rincón de la
Vieja began at 1828 on 14 August. Foggy conditions prevented webcam views
and an estimate of a plume height.



Geologic Summary. Rincón de la Vieja, the largest volcano in NW Costa Rica,
is a remote volcanic complex in the Guanacaste Range. The volcano consists
of an elongated, arcuate NW-SE-trending ridge that was constructed within
the 15-km-wide early Pleistocene Guachipelín caldera, whose rim is exposed
on the south side. Sometimes known as the "Colossus of Guanacaste," it has
an estimated volume of 130 km3 and contains at least nine major eruptive
centers. Activity has migrated to the SE, where the youngest-looking
craters are located. The twin cone of 1916-m-high Santa María volcano, the
highest peak of the complex, is located at the eastern end of a smaller,
5-km-wide caldera and has a 500-m-wide crater. A plinian eruption producing
the 0.25 km3 Río Blanca tephra about 3500 years ago was the last major
magmatic eruption. All subsequent eruptions, including numerous historical
eruptions possibly dating back to the 16th century, have been from the
prominent active crater containing a 500-m-wide acid lake located ENE of
Von Seebach crater.



Source: Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica-Universidad
Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA) http://www.ovsicori.una.ac.cr/





Sangay  | Ecuador  | 2.005°S, 78.341°W  | Summit elev. 5286 m



In a special report IG stated that a new phase of activity at Sangay began
on 8 August, with surficial activity characterized by low-energy ash
emissions rising as high as 2.3 km above the crater rim and a possible new
lava flow on the SE flank. The Washington VAAC reported that prior to 1500
on 8 August an ash emission rose to an altitude of 5.8 km (19,000 ft)
a.s.l., or 500 m above the crater rim, and drifted SW. On 11 August a
possible ash plume rose to 7.6 km (25,000 ft) a.s.l., or 2.3 km above the
crater rim, and drifted WNW. Thermal anomalies were identified in satellite
data on 14 August. That same day a webcam image showed incandescence on the
upper part of the SE flank, suggesting a lava flow from the Ñuñurco dome.
The report stated that no activity at Sangay had been observed since the
last eruption ended in November 2017.



Geologic 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
horseshoe-shaped 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 sculpted by heavy rains into
steep-walled canyons up to 600 m deep. The earliest report of a historical
eruption was in 1628. More or less 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.



Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG)
http://www.igepn.edu.ec/





Ongoing Activity





Agung  | Bali (Indonesia)  | 8.343°S, 115.508°E  | Summit elev. 2997 m



According to the Darwin VAAC, a webcam recorded an ash emission from Agung
rising to an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifting W. The
Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) with the exclusion zone set
at a 4-km radius.



Geologic Summary. Symmetrical Agung stratovolcano, Bali's highest and most
sacred mountain, towers over the eastern end of the island. The volcano,
whose name means "Paramount," rises above the SE caldera rim of neighboring
Batur volcano, and the northern and southern flanks extend to the coast.
The summit area extends 1.5 km E-W, with the high point on the W and a
steep-walled 800-m-wide crater on the E. The Pawon cone is located low on
the SE flank. Only a few eruptions dating back to the early 19th century
have been recorded in historical time. The 1963-64 eruption, one of the
largest in the 20th century, produced voluminous ashfall along with
devastating pyroclastic flows and lahars that caused extensive damage and
many fatalities.



Sources: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.bom.gov.au/
aviation/volcanic-ash/darwin-va-advisory.shtml;

Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)
http://vsi.esdm.go.id/





Aira  | Kyushu (Japan)  | 31.593°N, 130.657°E  | Summit elev. 1117 m



JMA reported that there were five events and three explosions at Minamidake
crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) during 6-13 August, with ash
plumes rising as high as 1.6 km above the crater rim and material ejected
as far as 900 m. Crater incandescence was sometimes visible at night. The
Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).



Geologic Summary. The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay
contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active.
Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of
the 17 x 23 km caldera about 22,000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera
was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the Aira caldera,
along with several post-caldera cones. The construction of Sakurajima began
about 13,000 years ago on the southern rim of Aira caldera and built an
island that was finally joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major
explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit
cone ended about 4850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at
Minamidake. Frequent historical eruptions, recorded since the 8th century,
have deposited ash on Kagoshima, one of Kyushu's largest cities, located
across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km from the summit. The largest historical
eruption took place during 1471-76.



Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/





Dukono  | Halmahera (Indonesia)  | 1.693°N, 127.894°E  | Summit elev. 1229 m



Based on satellite data, wind model data, and notices from PVMBG, the
Darwin VAAC reported that during 8-14 August ash plumes from Dukono rose to
altitudes of 1.8-2.1 km (6,000-7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N, NE, and E.



Geologic Summary. Reports from this remote volcano in northernmost
Halmahera are rare, but Dukono has been one of Indonesia's most active
volcanoes. More-or-less continuous explosive eruptions, sometimes
accompanied by lava flows, occurred from 1933 until at least the mid-1990s,
when routine observations were curtailed. During a major eruption in 1550,
a lava flow filled in the strait between Halmahera and the north-flank cone
of Gunung Mamuya. This complex volcano presents a broad, low profile with
multiple summit peaks and overlapping craters. Malupang Wariang, 1 km SW of
the summit crater complex, contains a 700 x 570 m crater that has also been
active during historical time.



Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.bom.gov.au/
aviation/volcanic-ash/darwin-va-advisory.shtml





Ebeko  | Paramushir Island (Russia)  | 50.686°N, 156.014°E  | Summit elev.
1103 m



Volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), about 7 km E of
Ebeko, observed explosions during 3-10 August that sent ash plumes as high
as 3.7 km (12,100 ft) a.s.l. An ash cloud identified in satellite data
drifted about 65 km E during 7-8 August. The Aviation Color Code remained
at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).



Geologic Summary. The flat-topped summit of the central cone of Ebeko
volcano, one of the most active in the Kuril Islands, occupies the northern
end of Paramushir Island. Three summit craters located along a SSW-NNE line
form Ebeko volcano proper, at the northern end of a complex of five
volcanic cones. Blocky lava flows extend west from Ebeko and SE from the
neighboring Nezametnyi cone. The eastern part of the southern crater
contains strong solfataras and a large boiling spring. The central crater
is filled by a lake about 20 m deep whose shores are lined with steaming
solfataras; the northern crater lies across a narrow, low barrier from the
central crater and contains a small, cold crescentic lake. Historical
activity, recorded since the late-18th century, has been restricted to
small-to-moderate explosive eruptions from the summit craters. Intense
fumarolic activity occurs in the summit craters, on the outer flanks of the
cone, and in lateral explosion craters.



Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php





Fuego  | Guatemala  | 14.473°N, 90.88°W  | Summit elev. 3763 m



INSIVUMEH reported that on 9 August heavy rain triggered lahars that
traveled down the Seca drainage on Fuego’s W flank and the Mineral
drainage, carrying tree trunks and blocks as large a 2 m in diameter.
During 12-14 August weak-to-moderate explosions generated ash plumes that
rose almost as high as 1 km above the summit and drifted W and SW.
Incandescent material was ejected 150 m high, and avalanches of blocks
descended the Cenizas (SSW), Las Lajas (SE), and Santa Teresa (W)
drainages. Ashfall was reported in Santa Sofía (12 km SW), Morelia (9 km
SW), Panimaché I (8 km SW), and finca Palo Verde.



Geologic Summary. Volcán Fuego, one of Central America's most active
volcanoes, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's
former capital, Antigua. The scarp of an older edifice, Meseta, lies
between 3763-m-high Fuego and its twin volcano to the north, Acatenango.
Construction of Meseta dates back to about 230,000 years and continued
until the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Collapse of Meseta may have
produced the massive Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit, which extends
about 50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. Growth of the modern Fuego
volcano followed, continuing the southward migration of volcanism that
began at Acatenango. In contrast to the mostly andesitic Acatenango,
eruptions at Fuego have become more mafic with time, and most historical
activity has produced basaltic rocks. Frequent vigorous historical
eruptions have been recorded since the onset of the Spanish era in 1524,
and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows
and lava flows.



Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e
Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/





Ibu  | Halmahera (Indonesia)  | 1.488°N, 127.63°E  | Summit elev. 1325 m



PVMBG reported that at 0259 on 13 August an event at Ibu generated an ash
plume that rose 600 m above the crater rim. 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.



Geologic Summary. The truncated summit of Gunung Ibu stratovolcano along
the NW coast of Halmahera Island has large nested summit craters. The inner
crater, 1 km wide and 400 m deep, contained several small crater lakes
through much of historical time. The outer crater, 1.2 km wide, is breached
on the north side, creating a steep-walled valley. A large parasitic cone
is located ENE of the summit. A smaller one to the WSW has fed a lava flow
down the W flank. A group of maars is located below the N and W flanks.
Only a few eruptions have been recorded in historical time, the first a
small explosive eruption from the summit crater in 1911. An eruption
producing a lava dome that eventually covered much of the floor of the
inner summit crater began in December 1998.



Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known
as CVGHM) http://vsi.esdm.go.id/





Karymsky  | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)  | 54.049°N, 159.443°E  | Summit
elev. 1513 m



KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was identified in
satellite images on 4 August, and an ash cloud drifted 50 km SE on 7
August. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest
level on a four-color scale).



Geologic Summary. Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern
volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a
5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts
the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the
north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains
the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding
Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, located
immediately south. The caldera enclosing Karymsky formed about 7600-7700
radiocarbon years ago; construction of the stratovolcano began about 2000
years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago,
following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows
less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or
vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava
flows from the summit crater.



Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php





Kilauea  | Hawaiian Islands (USA)  | 19.421°N, 155.287°W  | Summit elev.
1222 m



HVO reported that during 8-14 August activity at Kilauea was characterized
by a slowly-circulating lava pond deep within the Fissure 8 vent (though
the pond was crusted over by 14 August) and a billowing gas plume, and a
few scattered ocean entries. The summit area was quiet except for
occasional rockfalls into the crater. Fresh black sand from fragmented lava
was transported SW by the ocean current, and accumulated in the Pohoiki
harbor, creating a sandbar. The westernmost ocean entry was about 1 km NE
of the harbor. Earthquake and deformation data indicated no magma movement
or pressurization in the system.



Geologic Summary. Kilauea, which overlaps the E flank of the massive Mauna
Loa shield volcano, has been Hawaii's most active volcano during historical
time. Eruptions are prominent in Polynesian legends; written documentation
extending back to only 1820 records frequent summit and flank lava flow
eruptions that were interspersed with periods of long-term lava lake
activity that lasted until 1924 at Halemaumau crater, within the summit
caldera. The 3 x 5 km caldera was formed in several stages about 1500 years
ago and during the 18th century; eruptions have also originated from the
lengthy East and SW rift zones, which extend to the sea on both sides of
the volcano. About 90% of the surface of the basaltic shield volcano is
formed of lava flows less than about 1100 years old; 70% of the volcano's
surface is younger than 600 years. A long-term eruption from the East rift
zone that began in 1983 has produced lava flows covering more than 100 km2,
destroying nearly 200 houses and adding new coastline to the island.



Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/





Krakatau  | Indonesia  | 6.102°S, 105.423°E  | Summit elev. 813 m



PVMBG reported that during 8-13 August incandescence emanated from Anak
Krakatau at night. According to the Darwin VAAC, satellite data showed an
ash plume rising to an altitude of 1.2 km (4,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifting W
on 11 August. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4); residents
and visitors were warned not to approach the volcano within 1 km of the
crater.



Geologic Summary. The renowned volcano Krakatau (frequently misstated as
Krakatoa) lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Collapse of
the ancestral Krakatau edifice, perhaps in 416 CE, formed a 7-km-wide
caldera. Remnants of this ancestral volcano are preserved in Verlaten and
Lang Islands; subsequently Rakata, Danan and Perbuwatan volcanoes were
formed, coalescing to create the pre-1883 Krakatau Island. Caldera collapse
during the catastrophic 1883 eruption destroyed Danan and Perbuwatan
volcanoes, and left only a remnant of Rakata volcano. This eruption, the
2nd largest in Indonesia during historical time, caused more than 36,000
fatalities, most as a result of devastating tsunamis that swept the
adjacent coastlines of Sumatra and Java. Pyroclastic surges traveled 40 km
across the Sunda Strait and reached the Sumatra coast. After a quiescence
of less than a half century, the post-collapse cone of Anak Krakatau (Child
of Krakatau) was constructed within the 1883 caldera at a point between the
former cones of Danan and Perbuwatan. Anak Krakatau has been the site of
frequent eruptions since 1927.



Sources: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known
as CVGHM) http://vsi.esdm.go.id/;

Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) http://www.bom.gov.au/
aviation/volcanic-ash/darwin-va-advisory.shtml





Pacaya  | Guatemala  | 14.382°N, 90.601°W  | Summit elev. 2569 m



INSIVUMEH reported that during 12-14 August Strombolian explosions at
Pacaya’s Mackenney Crater ejected material as high as 30 m above the crater
rim. A 300-m-long lava flow originating from Mackenney Crater was visible
on NW flank.



Geologic Summary. Eruptions from Pacaya, one of Guatemala's most active
volcanoes, are frequently visible from Guatemala City, the nation's
capital. This complex basaltic volcano was constructed just outside the
southern topographic rim of the 14 x 16 km Pleistocene Amatitlán caldera. A
cluster of dacitic lava domes occupies the southern caldera floor. The
post-caldera Pacaya massif includes the ancestral Pacaya Viejo and Cerro
Grande stratovolcanoes and the currently active Mackenney stratovolcano.
Collapse of Pacaya Viejo between 600 and 1500 years ago produced a
debris-avalanche deposit that extends 25 km onto the Pacific coastal plain
and left an arcuate somma rim inside which the modern Pacaya volcano
(Mackenney cone) grew. A subsidiary crater, Cerro Chino, was constructed on
the NW somma rim and was last active in the 19th century. During the past
several decades, activity has consisted of frequent strombolian eruptions
with intermittent lava flow extrusion that has partially filled in the
caldera moat and armored the flanks of Mackenney cone, punctuated by
occasional larger explosive eruptions that partially destroy the summit of
the growing young stratovolcano.



Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e
Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/





Sabancaya  | Peru  | 15.787°S, 71.857°W  | Summit elev. 5960 m



Observatorio Vulcanológico del Sur del IGP (OVS-IGP) and Observatorio
Vulcanológico del INGEMMET (OVI) reported that explosions at Sabancaya
averaged 23 per day during 6-12 August. Hybrid earthquakes were infrequent
and low magnitude. Gas-and-ash plumes rose as high as 2.9 km above the
crater rim and drifted 40 km SE, E, and NE. The MIROVA system detected five
thermal anomalies, and on 9 August the sulfur dioxide gas flux was high at
2,700 tons/day. The report noted that the public should not approach the
crater within a 12-km radius.



Geologic Summary. Sabancaya, located in the saddle NE of Ampato and SE of
Hualca Hualca volcanoes, is the youngest of these volcanic centers and the
only one to have erupted in historical time. The oldest of the three,
Nevado Hualca Hualca, is of probable late-Pliocene to early Pleistocene
age. The name Sabancaya (meaning "tongue of fire" in the Quechua language)
first appeared in records in 1595 CE, suggesting activity prior to that
date. Holocene activity has consisted of Plinian eruptions followed by
emission of voluminous andesitic and dacitic lava flows, which form an
extensive apron around the volcano on all sides but the south. Records of
historical eruptions date back to 1750.



Sources: Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico (INGEMMET)
http://www.ingemmet.gob.pe/;

Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) http://www.igp.gob.pe/





Sheveluch  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 56.653°N, 161.36°E  | Summit
elev. 3283 m



KVERT reported that satellite images showed a thermal anomaly over
Sheveluch during 6-7 August. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange
(the second highest level on a four-color scale).



Geologic Summary. The high, isolated massif of Sheveluch volcano (also
spelled Shiveluch) rises above the lowlands NNE of the Kliuchevskaya
volcano group. The 1300 km3 volcano is one of Kamchatka's largest and most
active volcanic structures. The summit of roughly 65,000-year-old Stary
Shiveluch is truncated by a broad 9-km-wide late-Pleistocene caldera
breached to the south. Many lava domes dot its outer flanks. The Molodoy
Shiveluch lava dome complex was constructed during the Holocene within the
large horseshoe-shaped caldera; Holocene lava dome extrusion also took
place on the flanks of Stary Shiveluch. At least 60 large eruptions have
occurred during the Holocene, making it the most vigorous andesitic volcano
of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Widespread tephra layers from these eruptions
have provided valuable time markers for dating volcanic events in
Kamchatka. Frequent collapses of dome complexes, most recently in 1964,
have produced debris avalanches whose deposits cover much of the floor of
the breached caldera.



Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php





Sierra Negra  | Isla Isabela (Ecuador)  | 0.83°S, 91.17°W  | Summit elev.
1124 m



IG reported that the eruption at Sierra Negra continued during 7-14 August.
Incandescence from active NNW lava flows was visible almost nightly. A
steam-and-gas plume rose 1.8 km a.s.l. and drifted W on 7 August.



Geologic Summary. The broad shield volcano of Sierra Negra at the southern
end of Isabela Island contains a shallow 7 x 10.5 km caldera that is the
largest in the Galápagos Islands. Flank vents abound, including cinder
cones and spatter cones concentrated along an ENE-trending rift system and
tuff cones along the coast and forming offshore islands. The 1124-m-high
volcano is elongated in a NE direction. Although it is the largest of the
five major Isabela volcanoes, it has the flattest slopes, averaging less
than 5 degrees and diminishing to 2 degrees near the coast. A sinuous
14-km-long, N-S-trending ridge occupies the west part of the caldera floor,
which lies only about 100 m below its rim. Volcán de Azufre, the largest
fumarolic area in the Galápagos Islands, lies within a graben between this
ridge and the west caldera wall. Lava flows from a major eruption in 1979
extend all the way to the north coast from circumferential fissure vents on
the upper northern flank. Sierra Negra, along with Cerro Azul and Volcán
Wolf, is one of the most active of Isabela Island volcanoes.



Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG)
http://www.igepn.edu.ec/





Suwanosejima  | Ryukyu Islands (Japan)  | 29.638°N, 129.714°E  | Summit
elev. 796 m



JMA reported that during 3-10 August white plumes rose as high as 1 km
above the rim of Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater, and incandescence from the
crater was visible at night. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a 5-level
scale).



Geologic Summary. The 8-km-long, spindle-shaped island of Suwanosejima in
the northern Ryukyu Islands consists of an andesitic stratovolcano with two
historically active summit craters. The summit of the volcano is truncated
by a large breached crater extending to the sea on the east flank that was
formed by edifice collapse. Suwanosejima, one of Japan's most frequently
active volcanoes, was in a state of intermittent strombolian activity from
Otake, the NE summit crater, that began in 1949 and lasted until 1996,
after which periods of inactivity lengthened. The largest historical
eruption took place in 1813-14, when thick scoria deposits blanketed
residential areas, and the SW crater produced two lava flows that reached
the western coast. At the end of the eruption the summit of Otake collapsed
forming a large debris avalanche and creating the horseshoe-shaped Sakuchi
caldera, which extends to the eastern coast. The island remained
uninhabited for about 70 years after the 1813-1814 eruption. Lava flows
reached the eastern coast of the island in 1884. Only about 50 people live
on the island.



Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/





Turrialba  | Costa Rica  | 10.025°N, 83.767°W  | Summit elev. 3340 m



OVSICORI-UNA reported that pulsating, passive ash emissions rising from
Turrialba and drifting W were visible during periods of clear weather on 10
August. The next day a strong sulfur odor was reported in parts of Heredia
(38 km W) and San José (36 km WSW).



Geologic Summary. Turrialba, the easternmost of Costa Rica's Holocene
volcanoes, is a large vegetated basaltic-to-dacitic stratovolcano located
across a broad saddle NE of Irazú volcano overlooking the city of Cartago.
The massive edifice covers an area of 500 km2. Three well-defined craters
occur at the upper SW end of a broad 800 x 2200 m summit depression that is
breached to the NE. Most activity originated from the summit vent complex,
but two pyroclastic cones are located on the SW flank. Five major explosive
eruptions have occurred during the past 3500 years. A series of explosive
eruptions during the 19th century were sometimes accompanied by pyroclastic
flows. Fumarolic activity continues at the central and SW summit craters.



Source: Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica-Universidad
Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA) http://www.ovsicori.una.ac.cr/

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End of Volcano Digest - 10 Aug 2018 to 15 Aug 2018 (#2018-89)
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