volcanodiscovery-July 17,2013
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Activity has remained at very high levels, as if the volcano greets the scientific community arriving from all over the world for the 20-24 July IAVCEI conference. During yesterday and the day before, at least 14 explosions were recorded, many of which of moderate to large size with ash plumes up to 15,000 ft (4.5 km) altitude.
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): During an excursion to the crater yesterday, we found the volcano relatively calm. We observed only strong degassing from several vents in the crater of the volcano. The degassing was accompanied by relatively loud hissing and acoustic vibrations. Seismic activity is low, but there is continuous tremor, which might be caused by the degassing activity. According to local observers, no recent (past few weeks) explosions or ash emissions have occurred.
Veniaminof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): AVO reports no significant change in the ongoing eruption during the past days. Nearly continuous low-level volcanic tremor accompanies the effusion of small lava flows and occasional small ash and steam emissions.
Nyamuragira (DRCongo): Recent NASA satellite images from 11 June 2013 show a thick steam and gas plume rising from a pit crater in the summit caldera of Nyamuragira volcano. No evidence of lava close to the surface was found, while the lava lake in neighboring Nyiragongo remains well active and visible on the same images.
Nyamuragira's plume was rich in water vapor — which condenses rapidly in the humid tropical air — and sulfur dioxide, which lends a blue tint in natural-color satellite imagery. Carbon dioxide, fluorine, and chlorine gas are also found in Nyamuragira lavas and likely present in the gas plume.
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