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Archived Volcano News - John Seach
May 2011
Wednesday 25th May 2011
Grimsvötn Volcano, Iceland
The eruption at Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland has paused. The ash plume has decreased from 24 km high at the peak of the eruption, to 3-5 km yesterday, and last night only steam was being emitted from the crater. No lava or ash was visible in the crater. The glacier south of the crater is covered with black ash. The glacier north of the crater is white. Keflavík International Airport in Iceland was reopened at 8 am this morning. The ash cloud has reached UK and Europe where more than 500 flights were cancelled.
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Wednesday 25th May 2011
Grimsvötn Volcano, Iceland
The eruption at Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland has caused the cancellation of 252 flights in Europe. The flights have mainly been from Scotland and England, with minor disruption in Denmark. There is a possibility that the ash emissions will reach Germany, disrupting flights there. A Ryanair test flight from Scotland reached an altitude of 41,000 feet without noticing any effects of ash on the aircraft. In the areas surrounding the volcano, livestock have been killed. Some animals were blinded by the ash fall and fell into ditches where they drowned. So far the fluorine content of the ash is low, and the effects on livestock has been less than expected. Jökulsárlón, which is a glacial lagoon by the foot of Vatnajökull, has changed with the icebergs being covered in black ash and look like floating rocks. A large amount of lightning was recorded in the eruption plume.
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Tuesday 24th May 2011
Grimsvötn Volcano, Iceland
Eruptions continue at Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland. Ash from the eruption is expected to reach Scotland today. There may be some disruption to helicopter flights in oil drilling areas of the North Sea. Eurocontrol issued a statement that air traffic over the European mainland is not yet affected. Airports in Iceland remain closed, and flights from Greenland to Denmark were cancelled. Some flights between London and Scotland have been calcelled, as well as flights from Ireland to Scotland.
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Sunday 22nd May 2011
Grimsvötn Volcano, Iceland
Keflavík airport in Iceland has been closed due to the eruption of Grímsvötn volcano. Ashfall surrounding the volcano has already reached a thickness of half a centimetre. This is the largest eruption at Grímsvotn volcano in 100 years and larger than the one in Eyjafjallajökull last year. It is similar to the eruption of 1873 at Grímsvotn. A large glacial flood (Jokulhlaup) is not expected. This morning ash emissions reached a height of 15 to 18 kilometres, which is ten times more powerful than the last eruption in Grímsvötn in 2004.
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Sunday 22nd May 2011
Grimsvötn Volcano, Iceland
An eruption began at Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland at approximately 17:30 UTC, on 21st May 2011. The volcano is located under the Vatnajokull glacier in south-east Iceland. The subglacial eruption sent a plume 50,000 ft high, which makes it the largest eruption in Iceland since Hekla in 1947. A 120 nautical mile flight restriction has been placed around the volcano. A group of people stayed in a hut in Grímsvötn volcano the night before the eruption, and had left an midday on Saturday six hours before the eruption started. The group noticed nothing unusual, but another group that climbed Hrútafellstindar in the southern part of Vatnajökull glacier said they smelled suphur on the morning of 21st May. More than one hundred people climbed Örćfajökull, Iceland’s highest peak on Saturday and saw nothing unusual. A flood in Skeidarársandur is expected, and will depend on the exact location of the eruption. Eruptions in Grímsvötn are quite frequent, every ten years on the average and are generally short and small. Many of the eruptions have lasted from one to three weeks, the 2004 eruption lasted only four days.
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Sunday 15th May 2011
Taal Volcano, Philippines
Over the past 24 hours the seismic network recorded 4 volcanic earthquakes at Taal volcano. The main crater lake showed an increase in water temperature from 32.0 degrees on the 5th May to 32.5 deg C. The water remains acidic with a pH of 2.94. The water level increased from 0.19 m on 5th May to 0.21 m. Level 2 alert reamins at the volcano. PHIVOLCS advises the public that the Main Crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro (1965 -1977 Eruption Site) are off-limits due to the possibility of an eruption.
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Sunday 15th May 2011
Mt Etna Volcano, Italy
On 12th May Mt Etna volcano produced a paroxysmal eruption from the eastern flank of SE crater. Lava fountaining lasted for 2 hours beginning about 04:00 hr. The end of the paroxysm occurred at 06:10 hr and was accompanied by a marked drop in seismicity.
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Sunday 15th May 2011
Stromboli Volcano, Italy
During April activity at Stromboli volcano remained normal with low to medium eruptions occurring from several vents in the summit area. The vents were located at in the north and south of the crater terrace. The northern vent was the most active during the month, with eruptions producing ejecta up to 200 m high, 2-4 times per hour. Two southern vents produced eruptions 1-6 times per hour and ejected lava up to 120 m high.
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Sunday 15th May 2011
Poas Volcano, Costa Rica
On 13th May a large (magnitude 6.0) earthquake occurred 10 km south of Poas volcano. The focus was at a depth of 70 km. Poás is one of Costa Rica's most active volcanoes.
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Tuesday 10th May 2011
Mt Etna Volcano, Italy
Eruptions have resumed at Mt Etna volcano, Italy. Seismic activity began at the volcano on 5th May when 170 earthquakes were recorded in 3 days under the NW flank, 6 km SE of Maletto. The earthquakes had a focus depth of 20-30 km. The largest earthquake occurred on 6th May with a magnitude 4.0, and was felt in the region around Etna. The earthquakes were located in the same area as previously in December 2009 and July 2010. Strombolian eruptions occurred at the pit crater on the eastern flank of SE crater on the morning of 8th May 2011. Loud explosions were heard several kilometres away in the towns of Monti Sartorius, and Zafferana Etnea. Strombolian eruptions occurred at an interval of 3-10 minutes and ejected incandescent lava tens of metres above the crater. Eruptions continued throughout the night of the 8 May and were continuing on the morning of the 9th May.
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Sunday 8th May 2011
Gamkonora Volcano, Indonesia
Seismic activity has increased at Gamkonora volcano, Indonesia. During January to May 2011 an average of two shallow volcanic earthquakes, and one deep earthquake was measured at the volcano per day, and emissions rose 50-100 m above the crater. On 1st May 46 deep earthquakes, and 6 shallow earthquakes occurred. On 2nd May 35 deep earthquakes and 2 shallow earthquakes were detected at the volcano, and emissions reached a height of 300 m above the crater. The smell of sulphur was reported at villages near the volcano. On the 3rd May the alert level at the volcano was increased from Normal (Level I) to Waspada (Level II).
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