Volcanic activity world-wide 15 September 2012: Lokon, Fuego, El Hierro, San Cristobal, Santiaguito, Little Sitkin, Mt Rainier, Batu Tara, Sakura-jima

Source: VolcanoDiscovery.com - T, 9/15/12

Volcan de Fuego or Volcano of Fire blows outs a thick cloud of ash as seen from Antigua Guatemala, Friday. The volcano spewed rivers of bright orange lava down its flanks on Thursday. Authorities ordered more than 33,000 people from nearby communities evacuated. Moises Castillo/AP

A new eruption started today at Lokon volcano in North Sulawesi (Indonesia), generating an 1500 m tall ash plume and violent strombolian activity, as well as probably a lava flow.

The eruption of Fuego volcano has calmed down and the activity is now at normal levels with sporadic weak to moderate explosions from the summit. The 2 lava flows into Tunaluya and Cenza canyons are still active, although INSIVUMEH reports very different lengths in the corresponding special (200 m for Taniluya flow) and normal (1200 m for the same flow) reports. Thanks to the end of the paroxysm, the evacuated villagers have now returned home.

Santiaguito volcano has weak to moderate explosions with plumes of 700 m height and constant avalanches from the active lava flows.

San Cristobal volcano continues to steam and emit increased amounts of SO2. INETER staff presented results of field work at the crater and found that some of the fumaroles and part of the vent seems to be blocked by debris.

The new seismic swarm at El Hierro continues with a high frequency of quakes and a weak tremor signal. So far, there have been more than 80 earthquakes today, mostly between magnitudes 2-2.8 at 20 km depth beneath the central part of the island (Tanganasoga volcanic vent area). There seems to be a trend of a southward migration and increasing magnitudes as well.

A M 2.4 shallow earthquake occurred beneath the north rim of East Crater of Mt Rainier volcano near Seattle on 13 Sep. While such quakes are not frequent, they are part of the normal background level behavious of the volcano according to USGS.

Another seismic swarm seems to have occurred today at Little Sitkin volcano in the Aleutians, making it 3 so far for the past 7 days (the other were on 11 and 13 Sep).

Batu Tara had more explosions today, producing ash at 7,000 ft altitude.

Sakurajima volcano had a few more explosions yesterday and today, but weaker than during the record day on Thursday.