Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 21-27 October 2020

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


Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

21-27 October 2020



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

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





New Activity/Unrest: Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | Karymsky,
Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)  | Klyuchevskoy, Central Kamchatka (Russia)



Ongoing Activity: Bulusan, Luzon (Philippines)  | Dukono, Halmahera
(Indonesia)  | Ebeko, Paramushir Island (Russia)  | Etna, Sicily (Italy)  |
Great Sitkin, Andreanof Islands (USA)  | Ibu, Halmahera (Indonesia)  |
Langila, New Britain (Papua New Guinea)  | Reykjanes, Iceland  | Semeru,
Eastern Java (Indonesia)  | Sheveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)  |
Sinabung, Indonesia  | Stromboli, Aeolian Islands (Italy)  | Suwanosejima,
Ryukyu Islands (Japan)  | Villarrica, Chile





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, these reports
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 about recent activity are published in
issues of the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network.



Note that 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





Bezymianny  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 55.972°N, 160.595°E  | Summit
elev. 2882 m



Based on Tokyo VAAC notices, KVERT reported that an explosive eruption at
Bezymianny began at 0822 on 22 October and produced a large ash cloud that
rose as high as 9 km (29,500 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code was raised
to Red, the highest level on a four-color scale. The ash cloud identified
in satellite images was 100 x 200 km in size. KVERT noted that by 1519 the
eruption was over. A large ash cloud was still visible, though it had
dropped to lower altitudes of 5-5.5 km (16,400-18,000 ft) a.s.l. and split
into a N part (57 x 105 km) and a S part (36 x 67 km). The clouds shiftied
direction and drifted as far as 811 km NW and SE. The Aviation Color Code
was lowered to Orange. On 23 October a thermal anomaly over the summit was
identified in satellite images and growth of a lava dome was noted. The
Aviation Color Code was lowered to Yellow.



Geologic Summary. Prior to its noted 1955-56 eruption, Bezymianny had been
considered extinct. The modern volcano, much smaller in size than its
massive neighbors Kamen and Kliuchevskoi, was formed about 4700 years ago
over a late-Pleistocene lava-dome complex and an ancestral edifice built
about 11,000-7000 years ago. Three periods of intensified activity have
occurred during the past 3000 years. The latest period, which was preceded
by a 1000-year quiescence, began with the dramatic 1955-56 eruption. This
eruption, similar to that of St. Helens in 1980, produced a large
horseshoe-shaped crater that was formed by collapse of the summit and an
associated lateral blast. Subsequent episodic but ongoing lava-dome growth,
accompanied by intermittent explosive activity and pyroclastic flows, has
largely filled the 1956 crater.



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





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



A new eruption at Karymsky that began on 21 October prompted KVERT to raise
the Aviation Color Code to Orange (the second highest level on a four-color
scale). A thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images. During 21-23
October explosions produced ash plumes that rose as high as 6 km (19,700
ft) a.s.l. and drifted 380 km SE. An ash cloud, 30 x 60 km in area, was
identified in satellite images 530 km SE from the volcano.



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





Klyuchevskoy  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)  | 56.056°N, 160.642°E  | Summit
elev. 4754 m



KVERT reported that Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy continued during
16-23 October and lava advanced down the Apakhonchich drainage on the SE
flank. A large bright thermal anomaly was identified daily in satellite
images and on 18 October an ash plume drifted 90 km E. The Aviation Color
Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale)
on 8 October.



Geologic Summary. Klyuchevskoy (also spelled Kliuchevskoi) is Kamchatka's
highest and most active volcano. Since its origin about 6000 years ago, the
beautifully symmetrical, 4835-m-high basaltic stratovolcano has produced
frequent moderate-volume explosive and effusive eruptions without major
periods of inactivity. It rises above a saddle NE of sharp-peaked Kamen
volcano and lies SE of the broad Ushkovsky massif. More than 100 flank
eruptions have occurred during the past roughly 3000 years, with most
lateral craters and cones occurring along radial fissures between the
unconfined NE-to-SE flanks of the conical volcano between 500 m and 3600 m
elevation. The morphology of the 700-m-wide summit crater has been
frequently modified by historical eruptions, which have been recorded since
the late-17th century. Historical eruptions have originated primarily from
the summit crater, but have also included numerous major explosive and
effusive eruptions from flank craters.



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





Ongoing Activity





Bulusan  | Luzon (Philippines)  | 12.769°N, 124.056°E  | Summit elev. 1535 m



On 26 October PHIVOLCS lowered the Alert Level for Bulusan to 0, indicating
normal conditions, though warnings remained to not enter the 4-km-radius
Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ). The decision was based on monitoring data that
showed sulfur dioxide flux remaining below detection levels since 2018,
deformation continuing a deflationary trend since May 2019, and the
frequency of volcanic earthquakes declining to baseline levels (0-2
earthquakes/day) beginning in late September 2020. Very diffuse white
plumes rose from the summit vents.



Geologic Summary. Luzon's southernmost volcano, Bulusan, was constructed
along the rim of the 11-km-diameter dacitic-to-rhyolitic Irosin caldera,
which was formed about 36,000 years ago. It lies at the SE end of the Bicol
volcanic arc occupying the peninsula of the same name that forms the
elongated SE tip of Luzon. A broad, flat moat is located below the
topographically prominent SW rim of Irosin caldera; the NE rim is buried by
the andesitic complex. Bulusan is flanked by several other large
intracaldera lava domes and cones, including the prominent Mount Jormajan
lava dome on the SW flank and Sharp Peak to the NE. The summit is
unvegetated and contains a 300-m-wide, 50-m-deep crater. Three small
craters are located on the SE flank. Many moderate explosive eruptions have
been recorded since the mid-19th century.



Source: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/





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



Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that
during 21-27 October ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft)
a.s.l. and drifted in multiple directions. 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.



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.



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/





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 16-23 October that sent ash plumes up to
3.5 km (11,500 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N, NE, and SE. Ash fell in
Severo-Kurilsk during 20-22 October. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was
visible in satellite data on 22 October. 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





Etna  | Sicily (Italy)  | 37.748°N, 14.999°E  | Summit elev. 3320 m



INGV reported that during 19-25 October activity at Etna was characterized
by intra-crater Strombolian activity at Northeast Crater (NEC), Strombolian
activity at the New Southeast Crater (NSEC) cone, and gas emissions at the
Voragine (VOR) and Bocca Nuova (BN) craters. During a helicopter overflight
along the W side on 23 October scientists observed Strombolian explosions
at NSEC that produced ash emissions and ejected shreds of lava out of the
crater. Both the frequency and intensity of explosions was variable. There
were several thermal anomalies on the NEC crater floor, and some on the
floor of the BN crater. An ash plume from NSEC rose to 4.5 km a.s.l. and
drifted SSE. The report noted that, based on drone footage from the
beginning of the month, the NSEC vent was 190 m long in the NW direction
and 140 m wide in the NE direction.



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 seismicity at Great Sitkin had decreased during the
previous several months and had returned to background levels by 21
October. Additionally, eruptive activity or unusual surface temperatures
had not been observed in clear satellite images. The Aviation Color Code
was lowered to Green and the Volcano Alert Level was lowered to Normal.



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/





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



PVMBG reported that during 21-26 October ash plumes rose 200-800 m above
Ibuâ??s summit and drifted N, NE, and E. 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.



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





Langila  | New Britain (Papua New Guinea)  | 5.525°S, 148.42°E  | Summit
elev. 1330 m



Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC
reported that on 22 and 24 October ash plumes from Langila rose 2.1 km
(7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted S and N, respectively. Ash plumes rose to 1.8
km (6,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW on 25 October.



Geologic Summary. Langila, one of the most active volcanoes of New Britain,
consists of a group of four small overlapping composite basaltic-andesitic
cones on the lower E flank of the extinct Talawe volcano in the Cape
Gloucester area of NW New Britain. A rectangular, 2.5-km-long crater is
breached widely to the SE; Langila was constructed NE of the breached
crater of Talawe. An extensive lava field reaches the coast on the N and NE
sides of Langila. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions, sometimes
accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded since the 19th century from
three active craters at the summit. The youngest and smallest crater (no. 3
crater) was formed in 1960 and has a diameter of 150 m.



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





Reykjanes  | Iceland  | 63.85°N, 22.566°W  | Summit elev. 140 m



IMO reported that a M 5.6 earthquake was recorded at 1343 on 20 October
beneath Nupshlidarhals, a hill about 5 km W of the geothermal area in
Seltun. This was the largest earthquake since 2003 recorded in the
Reykjanes peninsula. There were about 1,700 aftershocks recorded in the
following 24-hour period. IMO received reports of rockfalls in steep areas
and increased gas odors in the vicinity of Graenavatn at Nupshlidarhals.
Four landslides were noted near the epicenter; some existing ground cracks
were displaced and new cracks had formed in Krysuvikurbjarg. On 26 October
IMO stated that seismic activity had significantly decreased in recent
days; about 180 earthquakes below M 2.2 had been detected during the
previous two days.



Geologic Summary. The Reykjanes volcanic system at the SW tip of the
Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level,
comprises a broad area of postglacial basaltic crater rows and small shield
volcanoes. The submarine Reykjaneshryggur volcanic system is contiguous
with and is considered part of the Reykjanes volcanic system, which is the
westernmost of a series of four closely-spaced en-echelon fissure systems
that extend diagonally across the Reykjanes Peninsula. Most of the
subaerial part of the system (also known as the Reykjanes/Svartsengi
volcanic system) is covered by Holocene lavas. Subaerial eruptions have
occurred in historical time during the 13th century at several locations on
the NE-SW-trending fissure system, and numerous submarine eruptions dating
back to the 12th century have been observed during historical time, some of
which have formed ephemeral islands. Basaltic rocks of probable Holocene
age have been recovered during dredging operations, and tephra deposits
from earlier Holocene eruptions are preserved on the nearby Reykjanes
Peninsula.



Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) http://en.vedur.is/





Semeru  | Eastern Java (Indonesia)  | 8.108°S, 112.922°E  | Summit elev.
3657 m



PVMBG that gray-and-white ash plumes rose 500 m above Semeruâ??s summit and
drifted S and SW during 22-24 October. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a
scale of 1-4).



Geologic Summary. Semeru, the highest volcano on Java, and one of its most
active, lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to
the Tengger caldera. The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru
(Great Mountain), rises above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru
was constructed south of the overlapping Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas.
A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a N-S trend cutting
through the summit, and cinder cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and
NE flanks. Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from
NW to SE. Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by
small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional lava
flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows that
have reached the lower flanks of the volcano.



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





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



KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in
satellite images during 16-23 October. 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





Sinabung  | Indonesia  | 3.17°N, 98.392°E  | Summit elev. 2460 m



PVMBG reported that white plumes rose as high as 500 m above Sinabungâ??s
summit on most days during 20-27 October; foggy conditions sometimes
prevented visual observations. On 23 October white-and-gray ash plumes rose
as high as 1 km and drifted in multiple directions. Pyroclastic flows
traveled 1.5-2.5 km down the E and SE flanks on 25 October. According to a
news article ash plumes drifted SE of the volcano twice that same day,
causing some local residents to evacuate. The report noted that a lava dome
in the summit crater continued to grow. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a
scale of 1-4), with a general exclusion zone of 3 km and extensions to 5 km
in the SE sector and 4 km in the NE sector.



Geologic Summary. Gunung Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene
stratovolcano with many lava flows on its flanks. The migration of summit
vents along a N-S line gives the summit crater complex an elongated form.
The youngest crater of this conical andesitic-to-dacitic edifice is at the
southern end of the four overlapping summit craters. The youngest deposit
is a SE-flank pyroclastic flow 14C dated by Hendrasto et al. (2012) at
740-880 CE. An unconfirmed eruption was noted in 1881, and solfataric
activity was seen at the summit and upper flanks in 1912. No confirmed
historical eruptions were recorded prior to explosive eruptions during
August-September 2010 that produced ash plumes to 5 km above the summit.



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

The Jakarta Post
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/10/26/mt-sinabung-spews-hot-ash-surroundings-evacuated.html





Stromboli  | Aeolian Islands (Italy)  | 38.789°N, 15.213°E  | Summit elev.
924 m



INGV reported that during 19-25 October activity at Stromboli was
characterized by ongoing explosive activity from Area N (north crater area)
and in Area C-S (south-central crater area). Explosions from two vents at
the N1 vent (Area N) ejected lapilli and bombs 80-150 m high, and produced
ash emissions. Explosions at two N2 vents ejected a mix of coarse and fine
material at a frequency of 5-10 events per hour. Explosions from vents in
Area C-S also ejected both coarse and fine material 250 m high at a
frequency of 1-3 events per hour.



Geologic Summary. Spectacular incandescent nighttime explosions at this
volcano have long attracted visitors to the "Lighthouse of the
Mediterranean." Stromboli, the NE-most of the Aeolian Islands, has lent its
name to the frequent mild explosive activity that has characterized its
eruptions throughout much of historical time. The small island is the
emergent summit of a volcano that grew in two main eruptive cycles, the
last of which formed the western portion of the island. The Neostromboli
eruptive period took place between about 13,000 and 5,000 years ago. The
active summit vents are located at the head of the Sciara del Fuoco, a
prominent horseshoe-shaped scarp formed about 5,000 years ago due to a
series of slope failures that extend to below sea level. The modern volcano
has been constructed within this scarp, which funnels pyroclastic ejecta
and lava flows to the NW. Essentially continuous mild Strombolian
explosions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded for
more than a millennium.



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





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



JMA reported nighttime incandescence and intermittent eruptive activity at
Suwanosejimaâ??s Ontake Crater during 16-23 October. Three explosions were
recorded; an explosion at 0439 on 17 October produced a grayish-white ash
plume that rose 1.4 km above the crater rim. 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 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/





Villarrica  | Chile  | 39.42°S, 71.93°W  | Summit elev. 2847 m



SERNAGEOMIN reported that a long-period (LP) event and associated explosion
were recorded by Villarricaâ??s seismic network at 1041 on 23 October. An ash
plume rose 180 m. 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.



Geologic Summary. Glacier-clad Villarrica, one of Chile's most active
volcanoes, rises above the lake and town of the same name. It is the
westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend perpendicular to the
Andean chain. A 6-km-wide caldera formed during the late Pleistocene. A
2-km-wide caldera that formed about 3500 years ago is located at the base
of the presently active, dominantly basaltic to basaltic-andesitic cone at
the NW margin of the Pleistocene caldera. More than 30 scoria cones and
fissure vents dot the flanks. Plinian eruptions and pyroclastic flows that
have extended up to 20 km from the volcano were produced during the
Holocene. Lava flows up to 18 km long have issued from summit and flank
vents. Historical eruptions, documented since 1558, have consisted largely
of mild-to-moderate explosive activity with occasional lava effusion.
Glaciers cover 40 km2 of the volcano, and lahars have damaged towns on its
flanks.



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



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End of Volcano Digest - 26 Oct 2020 to 28 Oct 2020 (#2020-104)
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