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April 2010 Volcano News | John Seach
Reports by John Seach
Reports are posted in Eastern Australian Time (UT +10 hr).
Archived Volcano News
Thursday 22nd April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Eruptions have decreased at Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Present magma eruption rate is about 75 tonnes/second which is about 10% of the 72-hour long maximum phase. Phreatomatic eruptions continue from the northern crater, and a plume is reaching an altitude of 3 km. About 100 million cubic meters of material has been erupted so far. Ash fall is 30 m deep near the crater. There have been no changes in crater size since 19th April. A total of 100,000 flights were cancelled because of the eruption.
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Volcanoes of Iceland...
Wednesday 21st April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Ash emissions from Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland are decreasing as parts of the glacier have melted, allowing lava to reach the surface without magma-water interaction. This will be good news for travelers because it will help clear skies over Europe. However volcanic eruptions are unpredictable, and activity can change without warning. Some airlines are not taking any new bookings on flights to Europe until the middle of May, as the backlog of travelers need to be cleared first.
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Tuesday 20th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Flights have resumed to airports in Scotland and northern England today, and airports are expected to reopen in France and Germany later in the day. Eruptions continue from Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, with ash emissions to 4500 m altitude.
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Tuesday 20th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Some flights over Europe are planned to resume today. The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland has grounded flights over many parts of Europe for 5 days. The response is looking like an overreaction, as planes have regularly flown through volcanic ash clouds in other parts of the world for many years. With Eyjafjallajokull volcano possibly staying active for months or years, a more appropriate response will need to be found for the next occasion. The response will need to be based on science, and include a multi-disciplinary approach. Hopefully there will be increased funding for volcanology research as a result this eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
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Monday 19th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
More than 63,000 flights have been cancelled due to the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Ash is approaching the coast of Canada near Newfoundland, and is expected to reach the coast at about 1 pm. Eruptions are continuing at the volcano.
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Sunday 18th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Ash emissions are continuing from Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Winds are blowing the ash over Europe, causing flights to remain grounded. All flights to and from Britain have been cancelled until at least 7pm today. Ashfall has been reported in Britain. Five million travelers are stranded, waiting for flights to resume. Some may be waiting for more than a week to find available seats. If flight disruptions continue into this week there will be a shortage of some food products in Britain, which normally come in by air from east Asia and Africa. The grounding of flights has already cost the British economy about Ł1 billion, with Ł230m losses for every day of further disruption. The initial eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano last month was basalt, while the new eruption under the glacier last week involved andesite.
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Saturday 17th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Ashfall is occurring in Iceland from the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Between midnight and 4:30 am today volcanic lightning was recorded 22 times, and earthquakes were measured between magnitude 1.2 and 2.3. The eruption continued with force last night, with the ash reaching an altitude of 8.5 km. Heavy ashfall is occurring at the base of Eyjafjallajokull glacier.
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Volcanoes of Iceland...
Saturday 17th April 2010
Aviation hazards from volcanic ash
The grounding of 17,000 flights from the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland highlights the hazard of volcanoes to aircraft. The total closure of British airspace is unprecedented. Since 1980 about 5 airports per year have been affected by eruptions. The largest number of closures have occurred at Catania (Sicily), Anchorage (Alaska), Quito (Ecuador), and Tokua (Papua New Guinea). About 20% of the airports closed were more than 500 km from the volcano. Since 1973 there have been at least 100 incidents involving aircraft and volcanic ash emissions. In 1982 an aircraft flying over Galunggung volcano in Indonesia lost power from all four engines, and descended 12,000 ft before the engines were restarted. In 1989 an aircraft flying over Redoubt volcano in Alaska encountered volcanic ash, damaging engines, which required replacing. The current situation in Europe will need to be analysed to determine if the widespread airport closures were an overraction, or justified based on volcanic activity. Caution is always advised when it comes to volcanic activity, but what will be the response next time this type of event occurs? The last eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano lasted for more than a year, so there is a possibility that more ash emissions will occur.
Saturday 17th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
A significant eruption is continuing at Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Ash emissions are reaching 28,000 ft altitude. Yesterday there was a glacial outburst, and water level in Markarfljót rose by 50 centimeters at 6pm. There was another glacial outburst earlier in the day at Gígjökull glacial tongue. More glacial bursts are expected as the eruption continues. Roads are closed near Fljótsdalur, the old Markarfljót bridge on highway number 1, and near the villages of Vík and Kirkjubaejarklaustur. The road between Vík and Kirkjubaejarklaustur was opened at 4 pm yesterday but remains closed by Hvolsvöllur and Skógar.
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Saturday 17th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Glacial flood from the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland has caused damage to infrastructure. A 400m section national highway number 1 to the east of Markarfljót bridge and sections of the road east of Seljalandsá river have been washed away. National route 1 is closed from Thverá to Thorvaldseyri. The road close to Bleiksá river, in the Fljótshlíd district, is impassable in places. Volcanic ash is expected to continue falling south of the glacier overnight. There is a risk that Katla volcano nearby may also erupt. If Katla erupts, the effects of glacial floods could be one hundred times worse than that seen this week at Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
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Volcanoes of Iceland...
Friday 16th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
All flights in the UK have been grounded due to ash emission Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. This is the first time that British airspace has been totally closed. The eruption has caused the cancellation of 17,000 flights. Travelers have been stranded in Australia, USA, and Europe as connecting flights to Europe have been affected. Clearing of the ash will depend upon the eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull volcano and wind direction. More of the glacier has begun to melt and there have been further evacuations. The damage to the main highway which circles Iceland is extensive. Will neighbouring Katla volcano erupt, as it has at the past two eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull?
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Friday 16th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
A significant eruption is continuing at Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Ash emissions are reaching a height of 33,000 ft. Emissions from the volcano are drifting across the UK, and are heading for central and eastern Europe. Ash has already reached as far south as Italy. Ash emissions remain over Britain with only Northern Ireland and the western parts of Ireland and Scotland clear.
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Thursday 15th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
Ash emissions from Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland have disrupted flights to Iceland, UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, USA, and Australia. Ash emissions reached a height of 11 km. British aviation authorities have closed airspace for at least 6 hours. A second flood occurred at the volcano yesterday.
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Wednesday 14th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
A new eruption occurred today at Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland. The eruption was accompanied by earthquakes and has opened up a new vent. Glacial flooding has occurred on both sides of Gígjökull. Flow in the Markarfljót river has increased significantly and the water level has risen by 84 centimeters. Magma is melting its way through the icecap producing a circular ice free area by the summit 200 meters in diameter. Iceland’s highway No. 1, is closed between Skógar and the crossroads to Gunnarsholt east of Hella. About 45 people in Langidalur valley north of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier have been isolated by the eruption, and 800 people were evacuated from areas at risk of flooding.
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Monday 12th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake hit Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland at 3:32 pm on 6th April. A magnitude 3.2 earthquake hit the volcano this morning. Eruptions have been occurring at Eyjafjallajokull volcano since 20th March 2010.
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Saturday 10th April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
The crater at Fimmvörduháls mountain pass, Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland has grown by 82 m in height since the start of the eruption on 20th March 2010. Lava now covers an area 1.3 square kilometers and is 10-20 meters thick. A total of 24 million cubic meters of lava has erupted from two craters, an average of 15 cubic meters per second. The original crater has stopped erupting, and activity is currently concentrated at the second crater located at a lower altitude. Lava is flowing west of Hvannárgil canyon at 1-2 kilometers per hour. Two tourists died of exposure while becoming lost as they drove back from the eruption.
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Friday 9th April 2010
Mt Etna volcano, Italy
An ash eruption occurred at the summit of Mt Etna volcano, Italy on 8th April 2010. The eruption occurred at the lower east flank of the Southeast Crater. The eruption increased the crater from 10 m to 50 m. The eruptions were preceded by a series of earthquakes at the Pernicana fault on 2nd April. This was the first time in 6 years that earthquakes occurred in this location on Mt Etna (NE flank). The largest earthquake was magnitude 4.2. Ground cracking occurred adjacent to Ragabo mountain hut. Mareneve road, which links the town of Linguaglossa to the tourist area of Piano Provenzana, was fractured in two locations. The earthquake focus was at a depth of 1 km, and surface fractures occurred over a distance of 1 km. At a location 1 km up slope from Ragabo mountain hut, there was vertical displacement of the ground by 20 cm.
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Volcanoes of Italy...
Thursday 8th April 2010
Egon volcano, Indonesia
There has been a marked increased in seismic activity at Egon volcano, Indonesia since 28th March 2010. Visual observations show thin white emissions rising 10 m above the crater. People are advised to avoid the crater, and be careful within 2 km of the summit on the SW side of the volcano. The alert status at Egon volcano has been raised from Level 1
(Normal) to Level II (Waspada).
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Volcanoes of Indonesia...
Tuesday 6th April 2010
Redoubt volcano, Alaska
Seismic activity has increased at Redoubt volcano, Alaska. A series of earthquakes began on 5th April near the volcano's summit. Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the Volcano Alert Level to YELLOW.
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Volcanoes of Alaska...
Monday 5th April 2010
Mexico Earthquake (Mag 7.2)
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Mexico-California border at 3:40 pm local time on 4th April 2010. The earthquake was felt as far away as Los Angeles. One person was reported killed. The closest volcano to the epicentre is Pinacate 175 km ESE.
Volcanoes of Mexico...
Thursday 1st April 2010
Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Iceland
A new 300 m long fissure has opened up at Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. The fissure opened up yesterday and may indicate the activity is moving further north towards Thorsmork nature reserve. An estimated 25,000 people have visited the eruption site in recent days.
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Volcanoes of Iceland...