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Archived Volcano News - John Seach
May 2003
News reports posted in Eastern Australian Time (UT + 10 hr)
Reports written by John Seach
Karangetang Volcano (Indonesia)
2.47 N, 125.29 E, summit elevation 1784 m, stratovolcano
Friday 30th May 2003
Low level eruption plume visible on satellite images. On 29th May at 2246 UT a plume visible 50 nautical miles towards north east. Plume to 10,000 ft elevation.
More on Karangetang Volcano...
Mt Ruapehu Volcano (New Zealand)
Wednesday 28th May 2003
Since the middle of March 2003 the temperature of Ruapehu's summit Crater Lake has been slowly rising, and is now slightly over 40 deg C. This is the fourth time that the temperature of the Crater Lake has risen above 35oC since the start of 2001. Minor hydrothermal activity can occur in the lake during the temperature peaks. There has been an increase in the background levels of volcanic tremor and some volcanic earthquakes have also been recorded.
More on Mt Ruapehu Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Wednesday 28th May 2003
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency has issued another ash advisory for Guam. Officials reissued the advisory for Guam because of a shift in weather patterns that caused the haze to loom over the island. During an ash advisory, people with respiratory problems, asthma or heart disease, as well as children and the elderly, should stay indoors. In a normal trade wind ash is blown west, but because of the wind change with the typhoon, some winds are blowing from Asia and may be mixing with the ash and bringing very small amounts towards Guam. The volcano continues to emit ash, but the advisory should be lifted Thursday if weather forecasts hold true.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Indonesia Earthquake (Magnitude 7.0)
Tuesday 27th May 2003
A major earthquake occurred NEAR HALMAHERA, INDONESIA about 240 km (150 miles) northeast of Ternate, Moluccas at 1:23 PM MDT, May 26, 2003 (May 27 at 4:23 AM local time in Indonesia). The earthquake and its strong aftershock killed one person and badly damaged around 180 houses in Sakita and Kuruha villages, Berebere district, some 225 kilometers north of the North Maluku capital of Ternate.
Volcanoes of Indonesia...
Japan Earthquake (Magnitude 7.0)
Monday 26th May 2003
A strong earthquake occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, about 90 km (55 miles) northeast of Sendai or 395 km (245 miles) north-northeast of Tokyo at 3:24 AM MDT, May 26, 2003 (6:24 PM local time in Japan).
The earthquake was centred around 20 km (12 miles) off the east coast but damage was limited and there was no danger of a tsunami, or giant wave, due to the quake's 60-km (37-mile) deep epicentre.
Kyodo news agency said 28 people were injured in the quake, which hit an area that has several large cities and some high-tech factories but is largely agricultural.
The earthquake, the largest to hit Japan in three years, shattered windows in Sendai and knocked objects from shelves. Three fires were reported and trains were halted for checks. In Tokyo, buildings shook strongly and lamps swayed from side to side, sending workers scurrying to the doors. There were two fires in Iwate Prefecture and one in the city of Sendai, 302 km (189 miles) north of Tokyo. Japan's Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc said a 825,000 kilowatt (kW) nuclear reactor, the Onagawa No.3 unit in northern Japan, automatically shut down due to the quake. Sendai was last hit by a major earthquake in 1978, which caused damage to property but relatively few casualties.
Volcanoes of Japan...
Algeria Earthquake (Magnitude 6.8)
Friday 23rd May 2003
Algeria's Interior ministry says at least 1,117 people were killed and 6,782 injured in the devastating earthquake that hit the country's northern Mediterranean coast. The ministry says the toll is likely to climb even further, as hundreds of people are still reported missing, feared trapped under the rubble of buildings that collapsed when the quake rocked the capital Algiers and nearby towns on Wednesday night local time.
Algeria Earthquake (Magnitude 6.8)
Thursday 22nd May 2003
At least 538 people were killed and 4,638 injured when a large earthquake struck northern Algeria late Wednesday, according to the latest official toll. The number of casualties are set to rise further. There have been three aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Wednesday 21st May 2003
There are ongoing ash emissions from Anatahan volcano which began erupting on 10th May. On 21st May there was a 26 nautical mile long ash cloud moving west at 5-10 knots.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Monday 19th May 2003
A volcanic eruption on a little-known American island now knee-deep in ash is prompting concern over an inadequate warning system for Pacific volcanoes. A handful of people had been on Anatahan but left a few days before the May 10 eruption sent a four-mile-high pillar of smoke and ash over the northern Pacific. The eruption cloud formed by the volcano was full of lightning created by static electricity built up from particles in the cloud. The Mariana's governor declared a state of emergency after the eruption and barred most boats and planes from within 30 miles of Anatahan Volcano. The last previous eruption in the region occurred in 1995, according to but it was a minor undersea volcano, detected only after dead fish were found with ash in their gills.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Sunday 18th May 2003
Report from 17th May at Kilauea volcano. Lava breakouts on the Kohola arm continue to burn forest above the Kalapana trail. Lava on the east margin of the Kohola has cut a new swath through the largest forested kipuka separating the Kohola from the main Mother's Day flow and has rejoined the Kohola arm again at the 800-foot elevation. Lava is also active along the west margin of the Kohola at about 1400 feet. A lava breakout on the west between 2275 and 2325 feet, active for the last few weeks, has expanded 450 m into the forest. A breakout on the east side from about 2100 feet to 2225 feet has branched off from the main Mother's Day flow and has crept eastward about 600 m.
More on Kilauea Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Friday 16th May 2003
Ash clouds from the eruption of Anatahan Volcano in Northern Marianas have reached the Philippines, but will not affect the country's weather. The ash clouds posed potential danger to international aviation as jet engines could suck in particles, which may lead to engine trouble. The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center said the ash cloud was moving west at 18 to 27 km per hour. By Wednesday morning (2100 Tuesday GMT) its leading edge was 300 km east of Luzon, Philippines. A state of emergency was declared in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday as the erupting volcano appeared to gain strength. The volcano on Anatahan erupted Saturday without warning. The eruption may have killed many of the 5,000 feral goats and more than 2,000 wild pigs on the island which had been subject of an eradication program.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Wednesday 14th May 2003
A state of emergency has been declared in the Northern Mariana Islands as the eruption of Anatahan volcano appeared to be gaining strength and sending high-level ash over a wide area. Due to the volcanic activity on Anatahan, volcanic ash and a high level plume is ongoing in the area, presenting a continuing threat of adverse impact in the waters and air space around Anatahan. The islands of Saipan, Tinian and Aguigan may also experience effects from the ash and plume. Anatahan volcano erupted without warning on Saturday. This was the first recorded eruption of the volcano.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Mt Ruapehu Volcano (New Zealand)
39.28 S, 175.57 E, summit elevation 2779 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 13th May 2003
A Taupo volcanologist says recent activity at Mt Ruapehu's crater lake does not mean that the volcano is preparing to erupt again. Its crater lake has a history of heating up and cooling down and this is the second heating cycle since the 1995-1996 eruptions. This heating has been accompanied by on-and-off seismic activity at the volcano. On Easter Monday there was strong seismicity recorded and steam clouds seen above the volcano. There was evidence that there had been wave action in the crater lake, probably caused by small-scale hydrothermal events not unlike geysers. The volcano continues to be monitored.
More on Mt Ruapehu Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Monday 12th May 2003
Anatahan volcano on the uninhabited island of Anatahan, 80 miles north of Saipan, erupted 9 pm Saturday night, but so far poses no danger to populated areas. A group returning to Saipan saw a red, flashing glow coming from Anatahan that looked like blazing military fire. A National Weather Service statement issued yesterday said only ash at high altitude is moving over Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The ash emission will not have any significant effect for people, but is producing a brownish haze up in the air. All the ash billowing from the volcano has headed west, posing no danger to nearby residents. That situation could change, however, if the wind shifts. Once, 266 people lived on three now-uninhabited Northern Mariana Islands -- Anatahan, Alamagan and Agrihan. Each island is marked by the crater of a volcano. People from those northern islands were evacuated to Saipan in April 1990 because of earthquake activity on Anatahan. Few have attempted to return because of the lack of infrastructure, the isolation and the ever-present danger of volcanic activity. This was the first recorded eruption from Anatahan volcano.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Anatahan Volcano (Mariana Islands)
16.35 N, 145.67 E, summit elevation 788 m, Stratovolcano
Sunday 11th May 2003
Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre reports an eruption of Anatahan Volcano on 10th May at 0730 hr (UT). Ash was emitted to 29,000 ft in a 112 nm line towards the west. This is the first historical recorded eruption of this Pacific Ocean volcano. The island was subject to an increase in earthquakes in 1993 when it was temporarly declared off limits.
More on Anatahan Volcano...
Rabaul Volcano (Papua New Guinea)
4.271 S, 152.203 E, summit elevation 688 m, Caldera
Wednedsay 7th May 2003
Eruption plume visible on satellite images, Wednesday 7th May. Eruption is likely to originate from Tavurvur cone which has been showing regular activity over the past 6 months.
More on Rabaul Volcano...
Colima Volcano (Mexico)
19.514 N,103.62 W, summit elevation 3850 m, Stratovolcano
Wednedsay 7th May 2003
An eruption of Colima Volcano has sent ash to a height of 20,000 ft and lava down the south side of the volcano. The eruption occurred on Tuesday 6th May at 2040 hr (UT).
More on Colima Volcano...
Nyiragongo Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.52 S, 29.25 E, summit elevation 3469 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 6th May 2003
A helicopter flight over Nyiragongo Volcano by Goma Observatory staff on 3rd May has revealed a lava pool inside the crater. Gases, vapour and ash rise from the volcano, and the lava pool was violently agitated by gas outbursts.
More on Nyiragongo Volcano...
Kermadec Islands Earthquake (Magnitude 6.7)
Monday 5th May 2003
The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: A large earthquake (magnitude 6.7) occurred in the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand about 110 km (65 miles) north- northeast of L'Esperance Rock, Kermadec Islands, or 945 km (830 miles) northeast of Auckland, New Zealand at 7:15 AM MDT, May 4, 2003 (May 05 at 1:15 AM local time in New Zealand). The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available. No damage is expected.
Volcanoes of Kermadec Islands...
Nyamuragira Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.408 S, 29.20 E, summit elevation 3058 m, shield volcano
Saturday 3rd May 2003
On 30th April explosions were heard coming from Nyamuragira Volcano. The seismic station at Katale recorded at the same time approximately 18 explosion signals, followed by a tectonic earthquake located directly under the volcano Nyamulagira.
More on Nyamuragira Volcano...
Chikurachki Volcano (Russia)
50.32 N, 155.45 E, summit elevation 1816 m, stratovolcano
Saturday 3rd May 2003
Ash coming from Chikurachki volcano may contaminate water resources in the north Kuril island of Paramushir. The volcanic products may pollute rivers and springs where Pacific Ocean salmon. The volcano is ejecting ash and gas in two to four-hour periods. The latest powerful eruption occurred on April 17-18. Volcanic products covered the Vasilyev Peninsular in southern Paramushir and the deserted village of Podgorny on the Pacific coast. Rain carried them as far as Severo-Kurilsk.
More on Chikurachki Volcano...
Nyiragongo Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.52 S, 29.25 E, summit elevation 3469 m, stratovolcano
Friday 2nd May 2003
An expedition to Nyiragongo volcano by French Volcanologists on April 22-25 reported 5 active vents. On 22nd April one vent was emitting ash asd spatter, the other 4 vents were much more energetic, showing a typical strombolian activity : violent gas outbursts with almost permanent projections of scoriae.This activity was permanent and lasted for approx. 8 hours. Explosive activity increased on 23rd April, and a lava pool was present in the crater. Splashes of lava raised approx. 50-60 m high and occasional waves of lava covered the crater floor and walls.
More on Nyiragongo Volcano...
Turkey Earthquake (Magnitude 6.4)
Thursday 1st May 2003
At least 150 people died and more than 300 were injured when an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Turkey's eastern province of Bingol early Thursday. At least seven buildings collapsed in the centre of Bingol. The earthquake, also felt in several neighbouring provinces, occurred at 3:27 am (0037 GMT) and caused considerable damage. There was general panic after the tremor, with people rushing out into the streets, according to scenes shown on television. The Strasbourg Observatory in France said the epicentre of the quake was situated in the Diyarbakir region at 38.94 degrees latitude and 40.90 longitude. Turkey is crossed by several active faultlines including one in northern Anatolia which caused the death of more than 20,000 people in quakes in August and November 1999 east of the Marmara Sea. Bingol is situated on the eastern Anatolia fault. On May 22 1971 a quake measuring 6.8 on Richter claimed some 900 lives in the province.
Volcanoes of Turkey...
Popocatepetl Volcano (Mexico)
19.023 N, 98.622 W, summit elevation 5426 m, stratovolcano
Thursday 1st May 2003
Emergency response teams have been on a heightened state of alert since Monday, as authorities fear Popocatepetl Volcano could erupt. Civil defense officials said the volcano could see a moderate explosion of a growing lava dome in the crater that could eject lava a distance of three to four kilometers. This type of activity has happened in previous years. Popocatepetl has been erupting intermittently since December 1994. On Wednesday, a steady stream of steam and smoke was pouring from its peak and could be seen by traffic helicopters surveying the streets of the Mexican capital. On Monday, a persistent tremor began to shake the ground under the volcano starting at 5:12 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m., the tremor changed to a pulsation that the center said was similar to those that preceded other explosions.
More on Popocatepetl Volcano...
Ulawun Volcano (Papua New Guinea)
5.04 S, 151.34 E, summit elevation 2334 m, stratovolcano
Thursday 1st May 2003
Possible low level volcanic plume evident on 30th April at 0010 hr UT. Plume extended 30 MN WSW of the volcano at a height below 10,000 ft.
More on Ulawun Volcano...