Volcanoes Today, 4 Jun 2015: Sinabung Volcano, Cotopaxi, Ambrym

The lava lobe on Sinabung’s upper SE flank on 3 June 2015 (Beidar Sinabung / facebook)

Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The alert level of the volcano was again raised from “siaga” to “awas”, the highest on the Indonesian 1-4 scale. The reason is a currently elevated risk of possibly larger pyroclastic flows, that could be triggered by collapse of the increasing volume of the viscous lava lobe emplaced on the upper SE flank.
The alert level of the volcano had been at 4 during late Nov 2013 until April 2014,- the first and so far most violent phase of pyroclastic flow generation after the lava had spilled over the summit crater and built a large lobe that reached the base of the cone.

Since then, for more than a year now, lava effusion has continued at mild, more or less constant rate. Tremor data suggest that the supply rate of magma to the volcano’s summit has been more or less constant during the past year.
This activity produced successive lava lobes on the upper flank, all on top and/or at the upper sides of the main flow emplaced during the first months of the eruption. Associated avalanches and pyroclastic flows had mostly been smaller in comparison, although a few larger ones occurred as well.

Ambrym (Vanuatu): (3 Jun) The lava lakes on Ambrym remain very active.
As to visiting the island and the aftermath of Cyclone Pam, our partners on location (guides, porters etc) confirmed us that expeditions to Ambrym and Vanuatu in general can again run with no obstacles. Have a look at our volcano tour!

Cotopaxi (Ecuador): (3 Jun) The volcano has been showing signs of unrest. Since mid-April this year, and particularly during May, a marked increased in earthquakes and SO2 emissions have been detected, which could be signs of a magma intrusion beneath the volcano.
During May, about 3000 local earthquakes were recorded, a significant increased compared to April (628 quakes), and more than during the last seismic crisis in 2001-02.

In particular, long-period earthquakes related to internal fluid movements have shown an increase in May. Most quakes were located in areas north and northeast of the volcano’s summit, at two depth layers, one at shallow 3 km and others at deeper depths of up to 14 km.
In addition, SO2 emissions have shown an increased from normal values of approx. 500 tons / day to 2500-3000 tons per day. At the crater, fumarolic activity has increased during May. During the weekend of 22 and 23 May, sulfur smell the upper northern flank was very intense.

Currently erupting:

Ambrym (Vanuatu): active lava lakes in several craters (updated 24 May 2015)
Aso (Kyushu): intense strombolian activity from main vent in Nakadake crater (updated 22 May 2015)
Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): ash emissions, lava dome growth (updated 2 Apr 2015)
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): strombolian explosions, ash plumes up to 500 m, extrusion of a small lava dome with rockfalls (updated 22 May 2015)
Calbuco (Southern Chile and Argentina): degassing (updated 30 Apr 2015)
Colima (Western Mexico): Irregular small to moderately large explosions (updated 24 May 2015)
Copahue (Chile/Argentina): ash venting (updated 4 Dec 2014)
Dukono (Halmahera): thermal anomaly, probably small explosive activity in summit crater (updated 2 Jun 2015)
Erebus (Antarctica): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 8 Dec 2014)
Erta Ale (Ethiopia): active lava lake in northern pit crater, active hornito with intermittend flow in southern crater (updated 11 Jan 2013)
Fuego (Guatemala): intermittent strombolian explosions (updated 2 Jun 2015)
Ibu (Halmahera, Indonesia): stromolian and phreatomagmatic explosions (updated 14 Nov 2014)
Karangetang (Siau Island, Sangihe Islands, Indonesia): lava flows, weak explosive activity at summit crater (updated 11 May 2015)
Karymsky (Kamchatka): occasional small explosions, thermal anomaly (updated 27 Apr 2015)
Kilauea (Hawai’i): new lava flow from vents on NE flank of Pu’u ‘O’o (updated 28 Apr 2015)
Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka): ash emissions, weak strombolian activity (updated 11 May 2015)
Manam (Papua New Guinea): occasional ash emissions (updated 27 Apr 2015)
Mount Olympus (Mars)
Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands, Japan): growing island (updated 19 Jan 2015)
Nyiragongo (DRCongo): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 26 Feb 2014)
Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tanzania): effusion of natrocarbonatite lava inside the crater (updated 8 Jul 2013)
Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion): eruption ended 30 May 2015 (updated 22 May 2015)
Poas (Costa Rica): phreatic explosions (updated 14 Oct 2014)
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): degassing, sporadic explosions, slowly growing lava dome (updated 13 Apr 2015)
Rabaul (Tavurvur) (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): lava fountains, ash emissions from Tavurvur cone (updated 12 Sep 2014)
Raung (East Java): Large Strombolian explosions (updated 18 Mar 2015)
Reventador (Ecuador): frequent explosions, growing lava dome, lava flow on SW flank (updated 24 May 2015)
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): ash venting, intermittent explosions (updated 29 May 2015)
Sangay (Ecuador): likely strombolian eruptions at summit crater (updated 13 Mar 2015)
Santiaguito (Guatemala): small explosions from the Caliente dome and active lava flow (updated 3 Feb 2015)
Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): growing lava dome, lava flow, strombolian activity (updated 26 Nov 2014)
Shiveluch (Kamchatka): growing lava dome (updated 24 May 2015)
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): continuing pyroclastic flows (updated 3 Jun 2015)
Soputan (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): active viscous lava flow, explosions, rockfalls, pyroclastic flows (updated 9 Mar 2015)
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): weak strombolian activity at summit vents (updated 16 Apr 2015)
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): strombolian activity (updated 25 Apr 2015)
Telica (Nicaragua): sporadic ash emissions and explosions (updated 28 May 2015)
Tungurahua (Ecuador): volcanic unrest, ash emissions, degassing (updated 3 May 2015)
Turrialba (Costa Rica): ash emissions, weak strombolian activity (updated 20 May 2015)
Villarrica (Central Chile): pulsating gas and ash emissions (updated 12 May 2015)
Wolf (Galápagos Islands, Ecuador): large explosive-effusive eruption since 25 May 2015 (updated 25 May 2015)
Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): ash emissions, weak strombolian explosions (updated 14 Aug 2013)
Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka, Russia): intermittent ash emissions (updated 3 Apr 2015)