Cerro Azul

Descabezado Grande, Chile showing increased fumarolic activity in 2009. Well, if they didn't have enough already between Llaima and Chaiten, another volcano in southern Chile has started erupting. Descabezado Grande (roughly translated: "The Big Beheaded One") has erupted or is showing of eruption (in spanish and NOTE that the picture in the article is of Llaima, NOT, I repeat, NOT Descabezado Grande ... grrr) but details are scant on the actual activity. However, scientists from the SERNAGEOMIN are headed to the area to evaluate the volcano - hopefully the reports are accurate. So far,…
The western Pacific basin is pockmarked with active and extinct volcanoes related to the subduction of the Pacific plate along almost all of its western boundary. An Australian National University research group recently discovered a pair of undersea volcanoes that would put any good mining geologist into a fit of joy. These volcanoes are spewing volcanic gases underwater that are very rich in metals like copper, lead, zinc and gold. All of these metals like to go into solution in acidic fluids like volcanic gases, and when these volcanic fluids meet the cold (and decidedly less acidic)…
I had been looking for some pictures of the recent eruption of Cerro Azul in the Galapagos, and finally I found some posted on the BBC. There are some rather stunning pictures of the rift eruption (#3), the lava flows heading downslope (over older lava flows, #4) and even a little lava spatter (#1). 
The latest reports from Cerro Azul in the Galapagos indicate that the current eruption that started last week is over. The volcano erupted from Thursday to Sunday and produced lava flows that travelled 10 km from the vent, but little damage was reported. It is hard to tell from the report if this is the believed to represent all the activity to be expected at Cerro Azul, but more likely than not we'll see more eruptions if this is a new stage of activity at the volcano (in spanish).
I always find it interesting how and why news of a volcanic eruption makes it into the press. Sometimes it is just to report the eruption itself, however, a lot of the time it is more to report the "human interest" side of the story, or in this case, the wildlife side of the story. Cerro Azul, one of the volcanoes in the Galapagos islands, apparently erupted on Thursday (5/29). Lavas flows on the northeast side of the volcano are threatening the Giant Galapagos Tortoises and their status (the tortoises and the lava flows) will be monitored. On the volcanic side of things, Cerro Azul last…