Volcanic activity report for April 13

April 2016 – VOLCANO WATCH – Santiaguito (Guatemala): A violent explosion associated with a partial dome collapse occurred Monday morning at the Caliente dome. The eruption generated an ash column that rose several kilometers and a pyroclastic flow that traveled through the canyon draining from the dome complex to the SE.

Since this event, the dome has returned to normal activity with only occasional smaller explosions. Weak effusive activity continues to generate rock falls on the dome’s eastern flank.

Fuego (Guatemala): Another paroxysm (the 6th this year so far) started last night at the volcano. Intermittent strombolian explosions merged into lava fountaining reaching 400 m height and increased lava effusion has been feeding a lava flow that had reached 2 km length into the Las Lajas ravine (SE side).

In its bulletin this morning, INSIVUMEH reports strong tremor accompanying the rise of new magma. An ash plume has been rising to 5,500 m a.s.l. and drifting 25 km drifting to the S, SW and W, where ash fall is occurring. Strong shock waves from the explosions at the summit can be felt in several kilometer radius.

People in the area should avoid being near in or near river beds, particularly on the SE side, because of the likely occurrence of pyroclastic flows – glowing avalanches triggered by the partial collapse of the steep lava flow, which can reach several kilometers length and have been produced during most of the volcano’s recent similar eruptive phases.

Nyiragongo (DRCongo): The secondary vent remains active, a recent visit (on 8 April) at the volcano showed. Lava continues to be erupted from the side vent on the eastern crater floor and occasionally still cascades into the main pit with the active lava lake – Volcano Discovery