Volcanoes Erupting All Over

[XPan]

Vulcano • Aeolian Islands - Sicily
5 Sep 2024

Vulkane.net reports of anomalous (CO2) gas emissions from the Fossa Crater on the Island of Vulcano. My husband and I are visiting the island in about 1 month I hope things stay cool in the village... [though this time, we will be located on the Vulcanello peninsula; the island with a 123 m peak seen to the right, which attaches to Vulcano). In the background you see Lipari, and the double peaks of Salina more to the left, in bluish tones]

If i recall correctly, there was a point 3 years ago or so, where carbon dioxide levels where high in some places of the village, starting to penetrate basement floors in houses, and some people even had to be evacuated. Also back then, it was forbidden to climb the Fossa crater (or you got a 500 € fine) As of now, it is free to go up there.

Vulcano: Zwei Erdbeben und anomale Entgasungswerte - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Zwei schwache Erdbeben vor der Südwestküste von Vulcano. Das INGV meldet anomale Entgasungswerte am Krater.

www.vulkane.net

Two weak earthquakes off the southwest coast of Vulcano
- INGV reports anomalous degassing values

The relaxation at the Lipari island volcano Vulcano did not last long, because since May there have been more earthquakes, increased fumarole temperatures and now also anomalous degassing values. You can find out what this means in this article.

On the INGV's shakemap, you can again see two yellow dots southwest of the island of Vulcano, which represent two very weak earthquakes that manifested themselves on September 2 just off the southwestern tip of the island. The earthquake foci were located at depths of 7 and 10 kilometers. The earthquakes alone give no cause for concern.




However, the data on gas emissions
published in the latest bulletin are a different story. The INGV speaks of anomalous degassing values and a rising trend in carbon dioxide flux, which has increased significantly compared to previous weeks. The average value for the month of August was 16081 g/m2/day. On August 31, values of up to 18240 g/m2/day were measured. Carbon dioxide emissions are not only a cause for concern at the crater rim, but also at some points on Vulcano Porto and at the Sicilia campsite, where there was an increase in emissions. Sulphur dioxide emissions are also still high. The same applies to fumarole temperatures.

The crisis on Vulcano began 3 years ago
when a magma body intruded under the island. A second, smaller intrusion may have occurred in May this year, when the values suddenly rose again during a relaxation phase.

Active Magma body
The data indicate that there is an active magma body in the subsurface that is maturing and whose melt could continue to be capable of eruption. In the course of the maturing process, a lot of gas is released in the magma body, which is now reaching the surface. It must be assumed that the release of gas also increases the pressure in the magma body.

The maturing process causes the magma to cool slowly and form crystals. Nevertheless, there may be enough eruptible melt over long periods of time for a volcanic eruption to occur even years after the intrusion. Usually, the longer the maturation process takes, the more explosive the eruptions become. It becomes particularly critical if another magma body intrudes into the existing one. The risk of eruption then increases significantly.

The INGV researchers describe the volcano as dormant and see the main danger in the gas emissions themselves: The carbon dioxide could collect particularly in basements and cause problems there. In general, there are warnings that further volcanic hazards could develop if the parameters change.

END OF ARTICLE


Photos from 2019

 

[XPan]

Kilauea, Hawai'i
17 Sep 2024

A new (so far small) eruption is in progress !

Kilauea: Eruption im Mittleren Ostrift - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Am Kilauea auf Hawaii manifestierte sich ein kleiner Vulkanausbruch im Mittleren Ostrift. Weiterhin intrudiert Magma.

www.vulkane.net

Volcanic eruption in the Middle East Drift of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
Significant ground deformations measured

Last night I wrote that there may have been a small volcanic eruption in the east rift of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Some data supported this, but due to bad weather there were initially no visual observations of the event. Shortly after I published my article, the HVO confirmed the eruption in the remote area of the national park: The eruption began on the evening of September 15 between 21:00 and 22:00 HST and was short-lived. Lava flowed from two fissures over a hundred meters long west of the Nāpau crater, spreading about 90 meters and burning vegetation in the surrounding area. Despite the eruption, no damage to the infrastructure was reported. Residents of the region reported the smell of volcanic gases.

The volcanic eruption was described by scientists as very small.
The lava extended 90 meters to the sides of the eruption fissures and flowed a good 480 meters. It covered an area of 2 hectares and instead of a lava field, it is referred to as a lava pad. The amount produced was estimated at 20,000 cubic meters.

Before the eruption, the formation of a magmatic vein could be observed, which resulted in strong ground deformations and numerous earthquakes. An infrasound event was also recorded. Strong degassing and weak explosions occurred when the eruption fissures opened. During the course of Monday, HVO employees flew over the area with a helicopter and were able to document the traces of the eruption. At this point, however, no more lava was escaping from the surface, although the underground intrusion continued.

On Monday evening, around 18:00 HST, the activity resumed and magma emerged on the surface. More detailed descriptions of the 2nd part of the eruption are not yet available.

The volcano alert level for ground-based hazards remains at “watch”, and the alert code for air traffic remains at “orange”. The eruption does not currently pose a threat to human life or infrastructure, but temporary closures have been put in place within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The Chain of Craters Road, which is located near the eruption area, remains closed. Volcanic gases may be detected in surrounding settlements and may fluctuate in intensity over the coming days.

Activity continues to be limited to the central eastern rift zone, while seismicity and ground deformation rates remain low in neighboring zones. A magmatic intrusion has been taking place near the Makaopuhi crater since September 14. There has been a vertical ground uplift of 20 centimeters and a horizontal offset of 58 centimeters. Magma accumulates at a depth of 2-3 kilometers.

The smaller eruptions and monitoring of the region show the ongoing activity of Kīlauea, which is closely monitored by scientific observations.

END OF ARTICLE

---

Yesterday's article (16 Sep 2024) from Vulkane.net as follow:

Kilauea: Erhöhung der Alarmstufe aufgrund Intrusion - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Seismische Krise am Kilauea wurde durch Magmenintrusion im Mittleren Ostrift ausgelöst - Vulkanausbruch droht auf Hawaii.

www.vulkane.net

Seismic crisis triggered by magma intrusion in the Middle East Rift - volcanic eruption imminent

The seismic crisis at Kilauea, which began on September 14 and continues, is caused by magma intruding into the east rift and forming a magmatic dyke. Due to the possibility of the melt reaching the surface and opening an eruption fissure, the volcano warning level for ground-level hazards has been raised from “Caution” to “Watch” and the warning level for air traffic has been raised from “Yellow” to “Orange”.

The current activities are taking place in a remote part of the Middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. The affected area is within the boundaries of the National Park. No changes have been observed in the lower zone of the eastern rift or the southwestern rift zone.



Since September 14, around 6 pm HST
intense, localized earthquakes have been occurring between Maunaulu and Makaopuhi crater, accompanied by ground deformations that indicate underground crack growth. On September 15, a good 500 earthquakes were recorded and a strong deflation set in at the summit. Despite a decrease in earthquake activity, the ongoing deformations indicate that magma continues to flow from the storage chambers at the summit into the area between Maunaulu and the Makaopuhi crater at the eastern rift. An InSAR image shows the recent ground movements in this region. The magmatic passage lies between the two circles with the colored rings.

Between about 9pm and 10pm HST tonight, infrasound instruments registered a strong signal indicating escaping gas or vapor. However, there is no seismic data or thermal anomalies indicating a volcanic eruption. However, heavy rainfall in the region makes it difficult to interpret the data.

In 2007, lava erupted in this area following a magma intrusion, covering an area about the size of half a soccer field. A small and unnoticed eruption under similar conditions is also possible now.

The last eruption in this region took place over 35 years ago
near the Puʻuʻōʻō crater. The exact location of a future eruption will determine which areas could potentially be affected by new lava flows. Theoretically, lava could flow from here into the sea. (Source: HVO)

END OF ARTICLE

 

[XPan]

Kilauea, Hawai'i
18 Sep 2024



Kilauea eruption intensified on September 17
• Volcanic eruption at Kilauea in Hawaii produced lava fountains

Kīlauea in Hawaii is erupting along an eruption fissure several hundred meters long, which began to open on September 14. Images taken on the morning of September 17 show that lava fountains are rising several dozen meters high at four points in a segment of the eruption fissure. These fountains feed lava flows that initially move away from the side of the fissure and then merge to form a stream that flows a good kilometer to the southwest.


The erupting part of the fissure runs through the Nāpau crater
which was split in half by the fissure. The eruption took place in several phases, as there was already an eruption on the night of September 15, which took place on a northwestern segment of the fissure.

The HVO (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) quickly installed a mobile webcam in the eruption area. On the morning of September 17 (late evening in Hawaii), the red glow of a lava flow can be seen through fog, but no lava fountains are visible. Geophysical measurements show that the tremor phase, which had already peaked five hours ago, is now slowly subsiding. Earthquake activity and deflation in the summit area have also decreased significantly, indicating that less magma is flowing from the reservoir below the summit area of Kīlauea into the east rift. The magma intrusion seems to have stopped and the eruption is slowing down. Nevertheless, it could flare up again in the next few hours, as there could still be eruptible melt in the underground dyke system.

The formation of the dyke in the East Rift, which ultimately led to the eruption, was accompanied by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake that occurred on September 14. This earthquake was probably triggered at the beginning of the vein formation, when the magma began to flow from the magma body under the summit caldera into the East Rift. It is possible that a blockage that had held back the melt until then broke. It is likely that increased activity will be observed along the east rift in the coming months.

Since the Leilani eruption in 2018, things had become quieter along the eastern rift. Previously, the Puʻuʻōʻō crater had been active there practically without interruption since 1983 and was responsible for lava flows that reached up to 12 kilometers to the ocean. But long before the formation of Puʻuʻōʻō, there were also extensive lava flows at Kīlauea that flowed all the way to the sea. It is therefore possible that Puʻuʻōʻō will become active again or that a similar eruption center will establish itself along the eastern rift. And perhaps we will then experience the magic of an ocean entry again.

Eruption am Kilauea verstärkte sich am 17. September - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Vulkanausbruch am Kilauea auf Hawaii förderte Lavafontänen - Neue Webcam installiert.

www.vulkane.net

END OF ARTICLE

 

[XPan]

Kilauea, Hawai'i
20 Sep 2024

Kilauea: Vulkanausbruch am Nāpau-Krater hält an - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Die neue Eruptionsspalte am Nāpau-Krater bleibt aktiv: Ein Lavafall fließt über den Kraterrand und der Kraterboden wird mit Lava überflutet.

www.vulkane.net

New eruption fissure at Nāpau crater remains active - crater floor flooded with lava

The eruption of the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii continues. The 150 m long eruption fissure, which opened on September 18 at 3:15 p.m. Hawaii time west of the Nāpau crater, is producing lava fountains that feed a lava flow. This flows over the western rim of Nāpau Crater and covers the flat crater floor. This is already the fourth fissure system that has formed since the magma intrusion began on September 14. As the fissure is located close to the crater rim, lava cascades formed immediately after the fissure opened.

Since the new eruption on September 18
around 250,000 square meters of crater floor have been covered with lava. In total, around two thirds of the crater floor has been flooded with lava since Sunday evening, which corresponds to an area of 500,000 square meters. The lava flow rate varies between 5 and 15 cubic meters per second. The sulphur dioxide emission from the new fissure measured yesterday was 10,000 tons per day. What began as a small eruption has now developed into a much larger event.

The activity continued all day yesterday and is still going on tonight (Hawaii time).
The eruption is occurring in a remote and cordoned off part of the national park, so there is no immediate danger to human life or infrastructure. However, nearby residents may experience temporarily elevated volcanic gas emissions that could fluctuate over the next hours and days. The alert level for the volcano and the flight color code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. No changes have been observed in the lower East Rift Zone or the Southwest Rift Zone.

Seismic activity in the summit area has decreased significantly
with only a few earthquakes recorded. The inclinometer in Sandhill near the summit continues to show strong deflation, while the Uēkahuna instrument measures slightly weaker deflation. This indicates that magma continues to flow from the summit into the eastern rift zone. Seismic activity near the eruption site is high and has increased significantly since the opening of the new eruption fissure. Tremor continues to be recorded.


Video scenes from the lava covering the Nāpau crater

https://www.facebook.com/ikaika.marzo/posts/8388228341229628

Inclinometers in the Middle East Rift Zone (MERZ) show no significant changes. However, GPS instruments have measured horizontal displacements of over 20 cm at several stations in the MERZ. The largest displacement was recorded at station MKAI, below Makaopuhi crater, which has moved 54 cm to the south-southwest since September 14. The GPS data and tilt measurements indicate that magma is intruding into a storage region several kilometers below the surface.

Currently, activity is confined to the eastern rift zone between Makaopuhi crater and Puʻuʻōʻō. There is no evidence of change further down in the Middle or Lower East Rift Zone. (Source: HVO)

END OF ARTICLE

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A little older map from 17-18 Sep 2024...




...and the latest one







USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted a reconnaissance overflight of the eruption near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. They observed lava cascading over the rim of the crater from a channel more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide. Lava is contained within Nāpau Crater and now covers about two thirds of the crater floor.” (USGS photo by M. Zoeller)

The Chain of Crater Road in the National Park was re-opened on Wednesday.
However, the National Park Service warns that volcanic hazards have increased from the eruption site. Heavy concentrations of volcanic gasses and particulate matter may occur along Chain of Craters, and motorists are being asked not to stop at overlooks or on the side if the road. They say eruption viewing is not possible, although lava glow may be present in the sky over the activity. Visitors should be prepared for heavy traffic, long lines of cars, limited parking, and no restrooms.

 

[XPan]

Mexico City, Southern Outer Suburbs, Mexico
28 Sep 2024

Mexiko: Forscher sagen Vulkanentstehung voraus - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Mexikanische Vulkanlogen prognostizieren die Entstehung eines neuen Vulkans nahe Mexiko Stadt.

www.vulkane.net

Mexican volcanologists predict the formation of a new volcano near Mexico City

Summary:

- Mexican volcanologists predict the formation of a new volcano
- The volcanic field Sierra de Chichinautzin south of Mexico City is the site of the volcano's formation
- Diffuse carbon dioxide emissions from the ground provide evidence of magmatism underground
- Eruption possible in 800 to 1200 years



The Earth is an extremely dynamic planet whose development is far from complete. This is important, because without these ongoing geological processes, Earth would probably be a lifeless planet like Mars. Mars may have been habitable at first, but probably lost its atmosphere and oceans after its interior solidified, causing plate tectonic activity to cease and the protective magnetic field to collapse. But as is so often the case, creation and destruction lie close together. It is therefore possible for new volcanoes to form on Earth, which can also cause destruction. The last time this happened was 81 years ago in Mexico, when a farmer witnessed the formation of a new volcano in his field: Paricutín was formed in 1943 and was active for nine years.

Now scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have discovered that the birth of a new volcano could be imminent near Mexico City. The volcanic field of the Sierra de Chichinautzin, where the cinder cone of the Xitle volcano last formed around 2,000 years ago, has been identified as a probable location.

The Sierra de Chichinautzin is an active volcanic field located about 70 km south of Mexico City and within sight of the famous Popocatépetl volcano. It stretches across the states of Mexico and Morelos and is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The area contains numerous volcanoes, most of which are monogenetic cinder cones, i.e. volcanoes that only erupt once in their existence.

Geo-researchers Hugo Delgado and Roberto Villalpando have developed a method to predict the probable location of the next volcanic eruption in the volcanic field. This method is based on monitoring diffuse carbon dioxide emissions from the ground, which indicate rising magma that is about to penetrate the earth's crust. The researchers have been monitoring these emissions in the districts of Tlalpan, Xochimilco and Milpa Alta since 2008. This has enabled them to narrow down the possible location of the next volcano. However, the region is populated, as it is part of the suburbs of Mexico City. This news has caused concern among the population about a possible volcanic eruption. However, scientists are giving the all-clear: according to their calculations, the new cinder cone will not form for another 800 to 1,200 years. So there is plenty of time to take appropriate precautions.

Olympus Mons, Planet Mars
Since Mars was mentioned at the beginning, another study should be mentioned here: based on new measurement data, researchers from the Dutch University of Delft have discovered that the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, is possibly still active and could erupt again in the future. They discovered a low-density region beneath the volcano, which indicates a large magma reservoir. However, how this magma could form when the planetary dynamics are close to zero remains a mystery.

END OF ARTICLE

 

[XPan]

SW Iceland
30 Sep 2024

An article at the Icelandic channel MBL.is, reports from an interview (via Morgunblaðið) with the vulcanologist professor Þorvaldur Þórðarson that the longer time passes, the more chances that a shield volcano / shield eruption might get created there. The kind of eruption that is believed to go on for a very long time. Well, possibly, maybe. Or not.

The chance of a shield eruption seems to be increasing​

According to scientists, lava shields form in one long eruption. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg

The probability of a shield eruption in the Sundhnúkagígar crater row increases with time. That would mean that the Reykjanesbraut Road is not the only infrastructure on the Reykjanes Peninsula that is in danger. Such an eruption could last for several years or even decades.

This is what volcanology professor Þorvaldur Þórðarson says in an interview with Morgunblaðið.

Shield eruptions often result in shield mountains, but the eruption must last for quite a long time to form large shields such as Skjaldbreiður , which took about 30-100 years to form. Most of the eruptions since last December have started between Mt Sundhnúkur and Mt Stóra-Skógfell. If the next eruption occurs there, the probability of a prolonged eruption increases, according to Þórðarson. But how likely is this?


Þorvaldur Þórðarson volcanology professor at the University of Iceland. mbl.is/Arnþór

"It's a possibility, and I think the longer this goes on, the likelier it becomes," says Þórðarson and adds:

"If it continues like this, it will end up with an event that can become a very protracted eruption and then actually form a lava shield." There is at least one possibility, and if it happens, much more than Reykjanesbraut Road will go under the lava."

Not the most likely scenario​

He states that this is not the most likely scenario, and in fact rather unlikely, but nevertheless the probability of this is increasing.

Could this eruption then last for a few months?

"Yes, or even years or decades."

He says that the general feeling among scientists is that lava shields are formed in one long eruption. However, it is not completely known what the lead-up to such eruptions is.

"They could start as many small eruptions, which then get bigger and bigger until we have such a large and powerful eruption that we create a lava lake in the main crater. It gets big enough to take in a significant amount and then splits lava from itself and spreads lava all around it. But the flow from below – it's just constant into this lava lake – so the eruption can last for much more than a month,” he says, pointing out that something like this happened in Hawaii in 1983. That eruption lasted for 35 years.

END OF ARTICLE

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano has erupted, spewing ash 8 kilometers into the sky.

Published on Nov 7, 2024 (0:31)

 

[XPan]

Vesuvius, Italy
11 Nov 2024

On a more unusual note ... speaking of Vesuvius; this article came to the fore at German Vulkane.net today

Vesuv: Zunahme der Seismizität im Oktober - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Steigerung der Erdbebentätigkeit am Vesuv - 186 Erschütterungen im Oktober.

www.vulkane.net

Increase in earthquake activity at Vesuvius
- 186 tremors in October

Vesuvius has been slumbering in the shadows of the media in recent years, while the neighbouring Campi Flegrei caldera has been basking in the limelight, but this trend could soon change: if you look at the INGV shakemap for Vesuvius, you can see that there have been several earthquakes a day in recent weeks, not only concentrated on the volcano itself, but also spread over a larger area. On November 9, a small earthquake swarm began, which had produced 20 quakes by yesterday. The strongest had a magnitude of 2.8 and manifested itself at a depth of 0.9 kilometers under the southwest flank of the volcano.




The recently published monthly report for October shows that there were 186 quakes in the Vesuvius area in October, which is a record for the year. And the year to date is also characterized by significantly higher earthquake activity than has been the case in recent years. As many as 1036 tremors were detected in 2024, compared to fewer than 700 in previous years. The distribution pattern of the quakes was also different, as the quakes were mainly confined to the core area of Vesuvius without being more widely scattered.




Ground subsidence stopped at the foot of Vesuvius

Once again this year, most of the quakes were concentrated in the central area of Vesuvius at depths of less than 3 kilometers. The INGV volcanologists also analyzed other geochemical and physical data and came to the conclusion that this year's quakes are also caused by a contraction process in the core area of Vesuvius and that the long-term trend is continuing. This trend indicates that there is shrinkage in the vent filling of the conveyor system due to cooling processes, which triggers the quakes and causes a slight subsidence of the central volcanic edifice.

However, if you look at the ground uplift data from measuring instruments at the foot of the volcano, you can see that there is no longer any subsidence here and that the multi-year trend has been broken. This, together with the scattering of the earthquakes, raises the question of whether magma is perhaps accumulating at depth or whether the ground uplift of Campi Flegrei is having an effect here and changing the stress field, resulting in the scattering of earthquakes. Another cause of the scattering could be increased activity of the hydrothermal system, although it is new to me that Vesuvius has such a large-scale system.

(Graphics and data: INGV)

END OF ARTICLE

 

[Gaby]

On a more unusual note ... speaking of Vesuvius; this article came to the fore at German Vulkane.net today

Perhaps not coincidentally, wikileaks posted an old painting of Vesuvius in eruption just yesterday on Twitter :

https://twitter.com/x/status/1855471405447475574

It's "Vesuvius in Eruption", 1817–20 by Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, 1775–1851)

 

[mabar]

Certainly

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856131862898376855

 

[Liliea]

Volcán El Aburrido, Turbo-San José de Mulatos - Colombia​

At approximately 5 o'clock in the afternoon of Monday, November 11, the eruption of the mud volcano surprised with a powerful eruption, affecting the nearby communities of Necoclí, Turbo and San Pedro de Urabá, municipalities that share jurisdiction over the crater. The sudden volcanic activity generated alert among the inhabitants, who observed how columns of smoke and ash rose from the volcano, covering part of the region.

According to Alexander González, general secretary of San Pedro de Urabá, firefighters were quickly mobilized to the area to evaluate the magnitude of the eruption and verify the safety conditions of the nearby hamlet.
The governor of Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón, highlighted the importance of the rapid response of the authorities, who coordinated actions with the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) to understand the phenomenon and contain the impact of future eruptions.
"We delivered humanitarian aid and advanced in the studies to determine the origin of the eruption. No loss of human lives or damage to infrastructure is reported."

The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) explained that the eruption of the mud volcano “El Aburrido” is a consequence of a phenomenon called mud diapirism, which has occurred in several regions of Colombia. “It is generated by the intense bacterial activity on mud accumulated in marine bottoms, where large quantities of sediments and organic matter enter and remain buried in the subsoil.” This process, which has been going on for about 20 million years, causes methane gas and other materials accumulated in the subsoil to emerge to the surface under pressure, generating mud and gas explosions.

The technical director of Geohazards of the SGC, John Makario Londoño, explained that in this area there are several similar mud volcanoes, such as San José de La Plata and La Lorenza, which have also registered eruptions in the past. Londoño emphasized that mud volcanoes do not present big explosions like magmatic volcanoes, so the expert recommended the population to keep informed through official channels to know the situation of the volcanoes.

"The first thing to emphasize is that mud volcanoes are very different from those that erupt lava and magma, which are explosive and violent and can reach a very large extent. The mud volcanoes have very small and very restricted explosions and most probably what is seen in the videos is methane gas that ignites and explodes, and most probably there is mud distribution around it”.

At the same time, geologist Carlos Alberto Vargas indicated that communities must live with this type of geological activity and stressed the importance of adequate land use planning to reduce risk. The SGC indicated that the presence of these volcanoes in the Colombian Caribbean has been observed since the 19th century and represents risks associated with mudflows, cracking and methane gas explosions in rural areas.

Así quedó la zona de la erupción de lodo del volcán El Aburrido, en Turbo

La erupción del volcán El Aburrido cubrió de lodo la zona, y alertó cerca de 100 familias que están refugiadas en un colegio del municipio.

www.elespectador.com

 

[XPan]

Campi Flegrei, Naples - Italy
17 Nov 2024

To me it looks gradually more worrisome. All those signs over the last years...

Campi Flegrei: Mehr als 50 Erdbeben innerhalb von 24 Stunden - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Starkes Schwarmbeben erschütterte den süditalienischen Calderavulkan Campi Flegrei - Mehr als 50 Beben innerhalb von 24 Stunden.

www.vulkane.net

Campi Flegrei: More than 50 earthquakes within 24 hours

Strong swarm earthquake shook Campi Flegrei - More than 50 tremors

Yesterday morning a strong swarm earthquake began in the Campi Flegrei, which lasted until this morning and consisted of a good 50 tremors of low magnitude. In terms of the number of tremors, it was the strongest earthquake swarm for weeks.

The hypocenters of the earthquakes with magnitudes in the microseismicity range were located at shallow depths between 3800 and 500 meters. This means that they mainly occurred in the area of the hydrothermal system and were probably triggered by the injection of hot fluids. The few earthquakes at depths beyond 2800 m may have been accompanied by the formation of small cracks.

Although the earthquakes all had magnitudes well below the normal perceptibility threshold of M 3.0, there are reports on social media from residents of the Pisciarelli district in Pozzuoli who claim to have felt at least 3 tremors. The hissing of the fumarole is also said to have been heard. This is located on the north-eastern edge of the Solfatara crater, more precisely at the base of the outer flank. The Pisciarelli fumarole is the strongest geothermal manifestation of the Campi Flegrei and emits steam under high pressure at a temperature of 96 degrees. Liquids also condense, forming a bubbling fango pool.

The last weekly report on the state of the volcano also stated that the ground is continuing to rise at a rate of around 1 cm per month and that the measurement data indicates that the pressurization of the system is continuing. However, it is still not possible to predict if and when a volcanic eruption will occur.

Speaking of earthquakes in Italy: Pozzuoli is not the only place in the south of the country where earthquakes have occurred in recent days. Two days ago, an earthquake Mb 4.2 occurred off the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with an epicenter located 126 km southeast of Salerno. It was therefore relatively close to the submarine volcano Mascali. There were also two tremors in the sea between Milazzo and Vulcano. Even at Vesuvius, which is within sight of the Phlegraean Fields, there were again some weak earthquakes under the crater area.

END OF ARTICLE

 

[XPan]

Sundhnúkur crater series, Iceland
20/21 Nov 2024

Island: Neuer Vulkanausbruch hat am 20.11.24 begonnen - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Neue Eruption der Sundhnúkur-Kraterreihe auf Island hat begonnen. Es gab nur eine sehr kurze Vorwarnzeit.

www.vulkane.net

Iceland: New volcanic eruption began on 20 Nov 2024

New eruption of the Sundhnúkur crater series in Iceland - Only very short warning time

It must have come as a shock to Icelandic volcanologists when the seismicity slowly increased late yesterday evening and quickly developed into a small crisis, which was then followed only minutes later by a new fissure eruption along the Sundhnukur crater series. A shock because they had emphasized several times in the last few days that an eruption was no longer expected this month. I myself was not quite so convinced and cautiously pointed out in an update on Tuesday that the subsidence west of the Svartsengi area could be due to the magma having already made its way eastwards.

However, I was far from certain about this, as the seismicity at Sundhnukur increased slightly but remained low. Yesterday at noon, the earthquake activity slowly increased, but not only on Reykjanes, but also at Geirfuglasker (Eldey) off the southwestern tip of Reykjanes. There were indeed clear warning signs only minutes before the eruption: Mike Schüler writes in his FB group that about 30 minutes before the eruption began, a warning was issued by the power plant operator that the pressure in the boreholes would increase. At this time, there was also a small swarm earthquake (less than 100 individual quakes) at the site of the fissure opening, which began at around 23:14 local time.



An eruption fissure a good 3 kilometers long opened up

The fissure opened between the volcanic elevations Stóri Skógfell and Sýlingarfell on the Sundhnukur crater series and quickly grew to a length of about 3 kilometers. Three parallel crack segments were formed, which are only slightly offset. A curtain of lava fountains shoots out of the fissures and feeds two lava flows, which mainly move in a northerly and westerly direction. The northern lava flow does not threaten any infrastructure, but the western flow is heading back towards the Svartsengi geothermal power plant.

In the meantime, the main road to Grindavik has been interrupted again and the lava front is moving towards the power plant at a speed of 300 meters per hour. There are protective walls here, which should protect the power plant from worse for the time being, but it is uncertain how long they will withstand the lava. Just as uncertain is how long the eruption will last.

Contrary to expectations, the eruption appears to be smaller than the last two and could only last for hours. But since more than 23 million cubic meters of magma have accumulated underground since the end of the last eruption on 5 September, the eruption could also intensify and last for several weeks.

So far, no lava is flowing towards Grindavik. However, it cannot be ruled out that further fissures will open up and come closer to the town. The weak advance warning signs, which also only allowed a very short warning time, could at some point pose a problem if a fissure were to open closer to Grindavik (or even in the city area).

The events show once again how difficult it is to reliably predict a volcanic eruption. One problem is that you don't set up expensive measuring instruments in an area where they could quickly be eaten away by the lava. This is why the GPS/GNNS network in the area of the fissure in particular, but also at Fagradalsfjall and north of it, is not close-meshed enough to keep a reasonable eye on the underground processes there.

Incidentally, this is the 10th eruption in Iceland since the start of the eruption series at Fagradalsfjall in March 2021.

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[XPan]

Blue Lagoon, Iceland
21 Nov 2024

Island: Parkplatz der Blauen Lagune von Lava verschüttet - Vulkane Net Newsblog

Lavastrom erreichte nachmittags den Parkplatz der Blauen Lagune - und fließt entlang des Schutzdamms weiter

www.vulkane.net

Blue Lagoon parking lot buried by lava

Lava flow reached the Blue Lagoon parking lot in the afternoon - and continues to flow along the protective dam

The volcanic eruption continues and, as expected, has weakened over the course of the day, so that only individual segments of the eruption fissure are still active, which continue to shrink until the activity is finally concentrated on individual conveyor channels, around which cinder cones form, as can be clearly seen on the livecam images.

Even though the eruption is becoming more and more concentrated on individual channels, large quantities of lava are being ejected, which are traveling in the form of lava flows. So far, the infrastructure to the west of the eruption fissure is most at risk. There, the lava flows along the protective walls of Svartsengi and reaches the Blue Lagoon thermal resort in the afternoon. The parking lot of the facility was buried by the lava, but the buildings and water pools have so far been spared.



• Lava flow has already passed the Blue Lagoon. Jakob Vegerfors

In addition to the man-made walls, there is still the edge of an old lava flow that diverts the hot lava flow to the west. Now it depends on how much lava continues to flow towards the lagoon and whether the ramparts will hold. There is a possibility that the resort will not survive this eruption. If it does, the way will be paved for the next lava flow, provided there is another eruption. The lava could then reach the lagoon even faster and pile up higher until the walls are overflowed or break. That would be a bitter loss for the Icelanders!

And the battle for Grindavik has not yet been won either:
Although the town was only reopened to visitors about 4 weeks ago, it had to be evacuated again today. It's a bit like Don Quixote fighting windmills, but giving up is not in the Icelanders' nature, which in my eyes makes them just as admirable as the Ukrainians, who put up a brave fight in the face of overwhelming force, even though it won't prevent the inevitable.

The Icelandic Civil Defense website states that tourism will not be affected by the volcanic eruption, apart from the fact that Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon are not accessible.

Air traffic at Keflavik Airport is operating normally.

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