Day: August 15, 2019

Piton de la Fournaise: Eruption continues after pause

by

After a 4 hour break, the Fournaise eruption on La Réunion continues. At first, the eruption was declared over as the tremor dropped towards zero. Then it began to rise again and a new lava flow started to flow from the previously active fissure. Yesterday, only 2 cubic meters of lava per second were produced. The lava front stagnated in the area of the cinder cone Piton Tremblet at 1900 m altitude. In 2007, Piton Tremblet was the scene of a large eruption in which the lava reached the sea. Whether this spectacle will be repeated in the current eruption is questionable. However, 63 volcanotectonic earthquakes have been recorded since the beginning of the eruption, indicating that magma is rising.

Etna emits ash clouds

by

This morning, Mount Etna was emitting ash clouds. The site of eruption was the Northeast Crater. On 2 days old satellite pictures, you can see a weak heat signature at the New Southeast Crater. Today MIROVA registers a weak thermal anomaly. The LGS indicates the warning level “yellow” as an advance alert of a possible impending eruption: Yesterday a phase with tremor was registered. The seismology is otherwise quite discreet. The data provide an inconsistent picture and make a prediction difficult. A new eruptive phase is likely in the medium term. The ash emissions from the Northeast Crater, which were also observed a few days ago, speak in favour of an imminent eruption in the short term. However, Etna is always good for a surprise.