This (almost) daily post intends to follow up the activity changes of volcanoes all over the world.
This post is written by geologist Richard Wilson who specializes in Volcano seismicity and Armand Vervaeck. Please feel free to tell us about new or changed activity if we haven’t written about it. -
December 31, 2012 volcano activity
I am excited to see what the world’s volcanoes have in store for us this coming year! This past year we witnessed (through local volcano-seismic monitoring networks in-place across the western USA, Mexico and Central and South America, as well as New Zealand) notable seismicity that likely accompanied injections of gas and/or magma (with no eruptions following I might add!) beneath Little Sitkin, Iliamna, Four-peaked, Makushin and the Katmai group (AK), Mammoth Mountain and Coso (CA), Apoyaque, Momotombo, Cerro Negro and Concepcion ( all in Nicaragua), San Miguel (El Salvador), Machin, Sotara, and Cumbal (all in Colombia), and Ruapehu (New Zealand) volcanoes. We were able to witness premonitory seismicity with subsequent/accompanying eruptive activity at Popocatepetl (Mexico), Fuego Santa Maria and Pacaya (Guatemala), San Cristobal (Nicaragua), Nevado del Ruiz and Galeras (Colombia), Tungurahua and Reventador (Ecuador) and Tongariro and White Island (New Zealand) volcanoes.
On this last day of 2012 KVERT reports continued strong volcanic tremor accompanies the ongoing eruption at Plosky Tolbachik (Kamchatka Peninsula).
Co-eruptive seismicity continues to subside at San Cristobal (Nicaragua) (station CRIN) today.
Eruptive seismicity is also on the ebb at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) (station RETU), while co-eruptive volcanic earthquakes and tremor have increased at Reventador volcano the past 24 hours (station CONE).
No report was issued today on the current eruptive state of Copahue volcano (Chile-Argentina border) from SERNAGEOMIN, but a current photo shows a prominent plume (possible mixed with ash) issuing from the volcano.
Exhalations of mainly gas continue at Popocatepetl volcano (Mexico) at an average rate of over 2 events per hour. The Popo seismogram shows possible low-level volcanic tremor.
Activity (mostly internal) remains low at the Guatemalan volcanoes we watch today (Pacaya-station PCG; Fuego-station FG3; and Santa Maria-station STG6). The larger events visible on the Pacaya and Fuego records are regional earthquakes.
Small earthquakes graded into a short-lived swarm of larger events at Nevado Del Ruiz volcano (Colombia) (station OLLZ) early this morning.
The New Zealand volcanoes, save for continuous relatively strong volcanic tremor at White Island volcano, also seem to be welcoming 2013 with relative calm.
Recent satellite imagery only detected a rather weak SO2-enriched plume from Uluwan volcano (New Guinea) today.
Happy New Year!
Rodger
