Marc Szeglat

For a good 10 days, it looked like things were easing at Pacaya in Gautemala, but since yesterday a new lava flow has been flowing. It is again coming from a fissure on the volcano’s southwest flank, and the flow rate currently looks like it has the potential to produce a long lava flow again. INSIVUMEH also reported strombolian activity from McKenney crater. Incandescent tephra rises up to 225 m above crater level. There were no major ash eruptions.

Date: 13.04.2021 | Location: 14.383°, -90.599° | Eruption: Vulcanian | Link

Eruption at Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano continues at high levels, with pulses of explosive eruptions from McKenney crater. Volcanic ash rises to 3500 m altitude and ash precipitation occurs. But the bigger problem is the lava flow that travels on the western flank of the volcano and has reached a length of 3700 meters. The lava flow is branching and moving onto farmland where coffee and avocado plantations are burning. The flow front is 400 meters from the first houses of the village of El Patrocinio and is advancing slowly. Another active front from the south is 250 meters east of the village of El Rodeo. A cooperative effort of sappers and civil defense has built a 175-meter-long dam, diverting portions of the lava flow. The terrain is hilly and the villages are protected by the topography. The question is, for how much longer?

Date: 14.04.2021 | Location: 63.903, -22.273 | Eruption: Hawaiian| Link

Yesterday, four more vents opened at Fagradalsfjall in Iceland. They manifested themselves in the already known area, between the first two vents and emitted comparatively much lava shortly after their formation, without any reduction of the production rate at the other vents. Thus, 2 lava streams flowed in different directions. In the meantime, the lava output has decreased again. The gas output doubled in the last days.

A total of 8 short fissures, or vents, have formed so far. On most of them hornitos were formed. More fissures may open above the magmatic vein at any time. GPS measurements show that the lava outflow outweighs the magma inflow from the depths and the area is subsiding.

The question of whether the eruption could develop into an eruption like the Laki eruption keeps popping up on social media. I think this is very unlikely, nevertheless the strength of the eruption can continue to fluctuate and nobody knows yet how long the natural spectacle will last. Comparable eruptions sometimes lasted for years.

Date: 10.04.2021 | Location: -21.23, 55.717 | Eruption: Hawaiian| Link

With so many volcanic eruptions, Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion) of course cannot hold back any longer and joins the eruption round. On Friday evening, at 7 pm local time, an eruption fissure opened in the south of the caldera and the first eruption of the year began. Due to the Corona-related curfew, there were no pictures at first, but in the meantime photographers are on their way. It is a comparatively small eruption fissure of about 150 m length. Up to 20 m high lava fountains feed a lava flow. It has flowed a good 1.5 km so far. (Sources: IPR, OVPF)

Date: 09.04.2021 | Location: 13.34, -61.18 | Eruption: Pelanian

This morning, at 8.41 AM local time, the expected explosive eruption occurred at Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent. The Washington VAAC reports an ash cloud that is said to have risen to an altitude of 4000 meters. However, judging from images, the cloud penetrated to higher altitudes. According to media reports, the cloud reached a height of 6100 m. Shortly before the eruption, the alert level was raised from “orange” to “red”.

Evacuations were already ordered yesterday. The northern third of the Caribbean island is affected. In Georgetown alone, 1700 people must be brought to safety.

Date: 08.04.2021 | Location: 13.34, -61.18 | Eruption: Lava dome | Link

Evacuations have been initiated on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. The reason for this is a significant increase in dome growth, which is accompanied by a significant increase in seismicity. Thus, 6 tremor episodes of increasing magnitude were reported yesterday. In addition, there were volcanotectonic tremors. The dome grew strongly and gained significant height. Moreover, it is not only fumarolically active, but has incandescent material on its surface. From the observatory, red glow could be observed over the crater at night.