Your weekly dose of volcanism from the USGS/Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
Highlights (not counting Mayon), include:
- The activity at Mando Hararo in Ethiopia appears to be a fissure eruption. Ground observations saw a 4-5 kilometers / ~2.5-3 mile fissure with new predominantly 'a'a lava flows that were 2-3 m thick ... the fissure was lined with scoria ramparts 30-50 m high. They did not see any active lava, though.
- As some Eruptions readers have pointed out from the OMI SO2 maps, Sarychev Peak (Russia) is still producing gas-and-steam (with some ash) plumes, mostly drifting off to the east of the volcano.
- Shishaldin in the Aleutians saw its Alert status changed to Yellow/Advisory by AVO. A thermal anomaly seen via satellite in the crater has been growing more intense recently. The anomaly was first noticed in January of 2009. The volcano last erupted in 2004.
- Explosions and 4-4.5 km / 13,500-15,000 foot ash columns were produced at Fuego in Guatemala. There was also some incandescent ejecta spotted being thrown 75 m / ~250 feet from the crater.
- Shiveluch in Kamchatka (Russia) continues to rumble, with gas-and-steam plumes with ash produced by explosions reaching as high ~5.3 km / 13,400 feet.
More like this
In true MacGyver fashion, an employee at the Rainbow Springs Nature Park in New Zealand
repaired a damaged kiwi bird egg with masking tape thus protecting the chick from dehydration. The newly hatched bird was appropriately named Fissure.
Second fissure has opened up northwest of the original on Fimmvörðuháls, east of Eyjafjallajökull.
This is NOT towards Katla.
Geologists on site saw the fissure open as it happened. As of this evening it is still growing, with 7 centers of eruption.
Eyjafjallajökull erupted tonight.
Small so far, we'll see how it develops, first eruption in 187 years.
Interesting that Shishaldin is brewing up again; I've always been fascinated by this volcano, one of those frequently-active but generally well-behaved ones that rarely make the news. Couple of odd facts: first known ascent in May 1932 by a team led by Jesuit priest/geologist Bernard Hubbard..who found that at that time it had no defined crater. It's also acquired a plethora of different names...Sisquk, Shishaldin, Caroli and the colloquial 'Smokin' Moses'
Well, then you should check out today's post : http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2009/07/is_something_up_at_shishaldin….
Could not have arrived at a much better time. Superb write-up.