Volcanoes Erupting All Over

Warming conditions (on the west coast of Oregon) create a huge debris flow at the base of Mount St. Helens.



UPDATE: Debris slide blocks SR 504 near Coldwater Lake; a dozen people rescue
8 hours ago Video / Pics
A dozen people were rescued Monday after a large debris slide occurred around 9 p.m. Sunday, blocking the highway to Johnston Ridge.
Officials say it could be months before the road to the Mount St. Helens overlook reopens.

The slide washed out the bridge on that section of Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, or state Route 504, east of Coldwater Lake, said Washington State Department of Transportation regional spokesperson Kelly Hanahan.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office reports 12 people and a dog were airlifted from the other side of the slide Monday morning using a rescue helicopter from King County. No one was injured.

The slide covers more than 100 yards of Spirit Lake Memorial Highway near mile marker 43, before the turn off to the Coldwater Science and Learning Center. Earlier Monday, the road was closed farther up the mountain at Coldwater Lake.

Johnston Ridge Observatory was scheduled to open for summer tourists on Monday morning but is now inaccessible. The road is covered in mud, rocks, debris and water, and emergency responders are asking drivers to avoid the area while the damage is being assessed.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Washington Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service and other agencies set up a joint response area at Coldwater Lake.

Rescue

Pierce County photographer Tim Uhler was trapped at Johnston Ridge Sunday night after going to the site to photograph the Milky Way and other celestial events. Uhler said about four drivers returned to the ridge after seeing the landslide and told visitors about the event.

Still, Uhler said he wasn’t concerned. He took aerial photos of the damage with a drone Monday morning.

“We could make the emergency calls out so we weren’t too worried,” he said. “We had good weather, good water.”

Uhler said eventually he and the other visitors were driven to Castle Rock to meet with friends and family.
“I think we were happy they weren’t rescuing us for something stupid we had done,” he said. “It was just a

Suspected cause, effects

Cascade Volcano Observatory Seismologist Weston Thelen said the recent unseasonably warm temperatures likely melted snow pack and led to the slide, but the definite cause has not been determined. Thelen said the area around the slide is comprised of the “debris avalanche” from the 1980 eruption, which is “pretty weak stuff.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also investigating the cause of the slide. Hanahan said once the area is deemed safe by geological engineers, WSDOT and other crews will begin clearing the road.

Gifford Pinchot forest spokeswoman Gala Miller said the slide temporarily knocked out the power to the Coldwater center and other Forest Service locations.

“The mountain continues to remind us that it’s a dynamic landscape,” Miller said. “Building roads and facilities out in the middle of a blast zone-affected area is not easy.”

Thelen said some tools to monitor Mount St. Helens volcanic activity are no longer working due to the power outage, while others were wiped out during the slide.

Thelen said he is “not concerned about a few less stations for a short period of time” because no large changes in volcanic activity have been seen. He expects the tools to be online by the end of the week.

He said the Cascade Volcano Observatory also has tools to monitor the tunnel that drains Spirit Lake, and the tunnel is not blocked by the debris. Editor’s note: City Editor Hayley Day contributed to this story.

In other news from Italy

In the last 24 hours, its activity has increased with incandescent fragments, large exhalations and ash fall The most impressive, due to the sound of the explosion, was at 10:51 am with a shock wave visible in the clouds
 
In the last 24 hours, its activity has increased with incandescent fragments, large exhalations and ash fall The most impressive, due to the sound of the explosion, was at 10:51 am with a shock wave visible in the clouds
Popocateptl's volcano had been quite active this days, government is considering to cancel school classes. And...

Sedena prepares 350 military troops in case of Popocatepetl evacuation
More than 350 Sedena troops are ready in case of an evacuation due to an increase in the activity of the Popocatepetl volcano, informed the commander of the XXV Military Zone, Jose Martin Luna de la Luz, who indicated that the DNIII-E Plan to help the population would be activated once the alert traffic light changes to orange.
He informed that personnel from the First Cavalry Regiment are conducting supervisory tours of the volcano's evacuation routes, which are in good condition and are passable in case of contingency, he said.
Between the tremors in Mexico City and the images generated by AI, there is already some nervousness.

 
Alert Level: ADVISORY, Color Code: YELLOW 2023-05-17 19:06:14 UTC
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE Snip:
U.S. Geological Survey Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 9:06 AM HST (Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 19:06 UTC)
KILAUEA (VNUM #332010)
19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Activity Summary: Kīlauea volcano is not erupting, and no active lava has been observed since March 7, 2023. Summit seismicity remains elevated. Tiltmeters have returned to gradual inflation. No significant changes have been observed along either of the volcano's rift zones over the past day.
Halemaʻumaʻu Crater Observations: No active lava has been observed over the past day. A live-stream video of the crater is available at Kīlauea Volcano Live Stream - Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
Summit Observations: Summit tiltmeters are showing gradual inflation over the last day. Overall, inflation at the summit of Kīlauea is still higher than conditions preceding the January 5, 2023, summit eruption. Small flurries of earthquakes continue irregularly beneath Halemaʻumaʻu, Keanakākoʻi Crater, and the southern margin of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) since April 16. Overall, rates of summit earthquakes remain elevated, and additional earthquake flurries are possible. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 151 tonnes per day was measured on May 16, 2023.



Related: Other Atmospheric Issues Adding to the Potential Ice Age Rebound.

 
Interesting Popocateptl's thread
We all watch in amazement the videos of the nightly explosions of #Popocatépetl , but the question arises.

How big is the crater of this colossus?

Here the answer. 👇
Inner (red) and outer (green) crater of the volcano.

The inner crater of #Popocatépetl is the place where the domes are located, which when disintegrated by the strong explosions generate the rain of rocks that splash the volcano.

In this 2017 image you can see the depth of the inner crater.
During the 2000 activity, a large part of the inner crater collapsed, generating a dome that could have reached a volume of 15 to 19 million m³ of rock.
This gigantic dome began to collapse on the night of December 18, 2000, generating terror and astonishment in the nearby populations.

It should be noted that weeks before this event, thousands of people had been evacuated.

It was not until the afternoon of January 22, 2001 that the dome was completely destroyed, generating an eruptive column 8 km high, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and lahars that extended 4 to 6 km down the canyons.
The creation and destruction of the domes of #Popocatépetl is a common phenomenon in this volcano, for almost 30 years top volcanologists have been monitoring this giant.
 

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The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (NOAA) predicts a change in the direction of the winds, so the dispersion of ash will also change:Dispersion observed.Forecast at 6 hrs. Forecast at 12 hrs. Forecast at 18 hrs.


L-1 Friends of #CDMX , #Puebla , #Tlaxcala and #Morelos .Today have you observed the fall or presence of ash near your homes?I would like to hear your experiences.#Popocatépetl
L-2In #GAM ash is falling from #Popocatépetl

Perspectives are deceiving.From Altzomoni it seems that the eruptive column is very high, but it is only because the ash moves towards that side. The Tianguismanalco camera verifies that it is smaller.

Volcano #Popocatepetl with Intense Strombolian Eruption right now in #Mexico (at 23:11 local time). Credits: @webcamsdemexico
, CENAPRED & @AlMaXx8017
 
Volcano #Popocatepetl with Intense Strombolian Eruption right now in #Mexico (at 23:11 local time). Credits: @webcamsdemexico
, CENAPRED & @AlMaXx8017

The activity of the #Popocateptl volcano has been quite effusive during the early hours of today and last night however the alert remains at #YellowPhase2


Popocatépetl: Puebla Sets Up Shelters in Case of Possible Eruption

If there is an evacuation, it would begin with the first radius, composed of 24 communities with 53 thousand people.

Due to the activity of the Popocatepetl volcano, it was announced that 205 buildings have been set up as temporary shelters in areas such as San Martin Texmelucan, the capital of Puebla and Izucar de Matamoros, according to the General Coordination of Civil Protection.

There is a second radius contemplated for a larger evacuation of 42 communities, and more than 76,000 inhabitants would be evacuated.

The Government of the State of Puebla informed on Wednesday that as a safety measure and in order not to put at risk the students of the schools located in the area of the Popocatepetl volcano, on-site classes were suspended as of Thursday.

The volcano is located in the central part of the Mexican Transversal Volcanic Belt and is located at the convergence of the limits of the states of Mexico, Puebla and Morelos and 72 kilometers southeast of Mexico City.


By the way, the use of masks became mandatory again in the communities near the volcano, due to the intense ash fall. This time the use of the mask is for a real cause of health damage.

Volcanic ash is not dust, it is fragments of rocks and minerals less than two millimeters in diameter that can generate respiratory problems and if rubbed on any surface, can act as a strong abrasive.

Streets and cars in eastern Mexico City dawned covered with volcanic ash.

Looks like snow but it is ash

After the intense eruptive pulse of #Volcán #Popocatépetl and the presence of #volcanic ash the international airport of #CDMX closed operations as of 4:25 am.
News in development
Via @AICM_mx
 
Etna, Sicily - Italy
21 May 2023

Eruption in progress
Something is brewing at the Etna volcano. My husband just told me that at his family who lives in the town of Adrano near Etna, ash is falling - but they can't see anything due to the clouds and bad weather over Sicly (and rest of Italy). Earlier, they heard strong noises/explosions.

A photo from their balcony this morning. At Windy i could see a mushroom cloud building over Etna, around 07.30 - looking like either/or a T-storm cloud, or a classic paroxysm anvil cloud. A few lightning strikes have been registered in the past hours (until 11:26)

IMAGE-2023-05-21-11-16-39.jpg

German Vulkane.net also reported:


ESLN_HHZ_IT.0001.jpg

Strong explosions on Mount Etna

The eruption on Etna cannot yet be called by its name, but there are increasing signs that a paroxysm is underway. Meanwhile, the INGV not only reports ash rain from Adrano, but also from Catania. The inhabitants of Adrano perceive strong explosion noises and pressure waves make the panes clink. An inclinometer in the summit region detected weak soil deformation, which was less than 1 µrad. Something similar has already been found with previous paroxysms.

The VONA alarm status has been raised to red.
The VAAC Toulouse issued VONA warnings, but so far no ash has been detected via satellite. However, the weather at the volcano is extremely bad and strong wind could immediately crush the ash cloud so that it did not protrude beyond the cloudiness in the first place. It is probably also due to the strong wind that the infrasound sensors cannot perfectly determine the direction from which the explosions come. But at least the INGV has now confirmed infrasound activity, which is of course not surprising if the explosions are already causing windows to clink.

My research revealed that a snow-free spot was already discovered yesterday at the base of the New Southeast Crater. In addition to the increased tremor and the weak swarm quake, she indicated that magma was on its way up and apparently considered whether it should not break out again in the region of previous lava flows, although it is not yet clear whether there was not an opening of crevices in the area.

The tremor has stabilized at a high level after a small decline and is moving sideways. So the eruption continues.



(another earlier this morning article from Vulkane.net)


tremor21.jpg

Significant increase in tremors on Etna indicates volcanic eruption

This morning, the tremor on Etna skyrocketed and reached values that suggest the beginning of an eruption. The volcano is shrouded in clouds, so there are no visual observations of the events. A major eruption has not yet been confirmed. I can imagine 4 scenarios:

  • A paroxysmal eruption has occurred.
  • Intensive explosive/effusive activity in the central crater.
  • An effusive eruption crevice opened and a lava flow flows.
  • The lava is still working on a breakthrough and a significant eruption is still pending.
Unfortunately, the seismic measuring station ECPN, whose data is publicly accessible and is closest to the New Southeast Crater, has been offline for months. The volcanologists have not yet been able to reach and repair them. In recent years, this measuring station has always supplied us most reliably with tremor data during paroxysms from the NSEC. The other three measuring stations, which are located in other places of the volcano and which we now have to resort to, are therefore more difficult to interpret, whether there was a paroxysm at the NSEC, or whether the activity takes place on one of the other craters. A column eruption beyond the summit area is also conceivable, but there were no signs of this that would have been communicated by the scientists of the INGV.
f29e11deccaa45008b1d899fe6815520

Of course, it is also conceivable that no volcanic eruption has started so far, but I can hardly imagine that due to the high tremor.

Update:
While I was still writing the lines above, the message came in that the residents of Adrano perceive a slight ash fall. The report comes from the INGV and has also been confirmed on social media by the citizens of the city. The alarm status of the volcano has been increased to "red." Adrano is located in the southwest of the volcano and depending on the wind direction, the ashes of the eruptions from the central crater, but also from the New Southeast Crater, can fall there.

So it looks like an explosive event has happened. However, I am somewhat irritated that there is no VONA warning from VAAC Toulouse. The last report was from May 18, when there was the first rise in the tremor. So it does not look like a paroxym, because during a paroxysm there is generally heavy ash precipitation and lapillar rain. The ash clouds rise several kilometers high and are usually reported immediately by the VAAC.

My lines are to be understood as attempts at interpretation of the few tangible data. Facts are that the tremor is high and that ash precipitation has been reported. Data on infrasound are no longer publicly accessible, but would now help further. We will have to wait for an official statement from the INGV until we know exactly what is going on.

Summary:

  • High tremor is registered on Etna.
  • There is a slight ash precipitation in Adrano.
  • The alarm status has been increased to red.
  • There is no visual confirmation of what happened yet.
 
Etna, Sicily
21 May 2023

Just minutes ago, the satellite chart at Windy, shows now very clearly an ash laden cloud in bluish tone (which wasn't present when i posted my previous entry). Indeed looking like an ongoing, new paroxysm. All webcams around the volcano are uniformly gray, confirming bad weather being present, and the eruption is invisible for the people who live around the mountain.

_-2023-05-21-at-11.39.41.jpg
 
#LastHour | #Popocatépetl alert level changes to Yellow Phase 3🚦.

On recommendation of Cenapred's scientific advisory committee, Popocatépetl's alert level is raised to Yellow Phase 3.

The change in alert level does not yet contemplate evacuations of nearby communities.


Poblanos share the ravages of the ash fall this Sunday, May 21.

Take precautions because volcanic activity continues. 🌋
 
Etna, Sicily - Italy
21 May 2023 • 20:00 Stockholm summer time

Volcanic tremor has gone back, down to normal levels. Apparently the airport Fontanarossa in Catania, was closed for all air traffic from 13:00 - and will restart in the morning of 22 May 2023, at 09:00

1st Tweet (below):
"During the morning, a paroxysmal event occurred at the top of #Etna, probably at the Southeast Crater. Adverse weather conditions unfortunately prevented direct observation of the event, so we still do not know the details of the eruption well"




2a tweet (above):
"What we do know for sure is that the eruptive column that formed during the paroxysmal event caused a fallout of ash and lapilli that mainly affected the western slope of the volcano (Adrano, Bronte, and Biancavilla).

2b tweet:
"Lesser ash fallout also occurred around Catania, so much so that even the city's airport was forced to close momentarily for cleanup operations on the various runways"


tremor.png

One image
has shown up within the circle of volcano enthusiasts, showing between the clouds (which dominated all day) how a mighty lava fountain became visible, typical that of a paroxysm

fonti.jpg

Arrivals in Catania - Fontanarossa, 21 May 2023
- 2023-05-21 at 19.54.32.png
 
Nyamuragira, Lake Kivu, Congo
21 May 2023

Vulkane.net reports from an African volcano following (Link not provided, because the server at vulkane.net just stopped to respond)

348461867_583559757251519_1943898526738272152_n.jpg mapnya-3760170014.jpg

Nyamuragira with lava flow on the volcano flank

A major effusive eruption is currently occurring at the Virunga volcano Nyamuragira. As reported by Charles Bagalizi of the Goma Observatory, a large amount of lava is flowing over the volcano flank. Intensely illuminated clouds were already sighted over the volcano in recent days, testifying to strong intracrater activity. It is possible that the caldera has been filled and is now overflowing. However, a fissure may also have opened in the upper flank area.

Nyamuragira, 3048 m high, is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is one of the eight Virunga volcanoes. It is located within sight of the city of Goma. The volcano is controlled by rebel forces, so it is difficult to get eyewitness accounts. It must be very hard for volcanologists on the ground: to have a volcanic eruption in sight without being able to get to it. In addition, important data for predicting the further course of the eruption are missing.

Theoretically, lava flows from the volcano could reach settlements, even if the danger is not as great as at the neighboring volcano Nyiragongo. There, the last major eruption occurred in May 2021. Through a fissure in the volcano, the lava lake drained and large lava flows flooded the area and reached inhabited areas. The lava stopped just before Goma. In other eruptions, however, it flowed right through the city and caused great destruction. Since then, no permanent lava lake could be formed at Nyiragongo, but what is not, can still become.


END OF ARTICLE
 
Last edited:
#LastHour | #Popocatépetl alert level changes to Yellow Phase 3🚦.

Satellite image points to large cloud of sulfur dioxide (SO2) resulting from the eruptive phase of #volcano #Popocatépetl.
🌋
Estimated to have ejected approximately 17,200 tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere in the last 24 hours.

Eruption in progress
Something is brewing at the Etna volcano

Nyamuragira, Lake Kivu, Congo
21 May 2023

The high seismic and volcanic activity of the last few days "coincides" with the high solar activity.

SOLAR CYCLE 25 ACTIVITY REPORT MAY 17_2023

ALMOST X-FLARE. Solar activity has been at high levels for the past 24 hours.
SOLAR CYCLE 25 ACTIVITY REPORT MAY 19_2023

Solar activity has been at high levels for the past 24 hours.
SOLAR CYCLE 25 ACTIVITY REPORT MAY 20_2023

Solar activity has been at high levels for the past 24 hours.
SOLAR CYCLE 25 ACTIVITY REPORT MAY 21_2023

ALMOST X-FLARE Solar activity has been at high levels for the past 24 hours.

Several M class eruptions caused radio blackouts and CME impacts have caused minor geomagnetic storms, but apparently enough to have some influence on the planet in both climate and geology.
 
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