Eruptions

News about eruptions and volcanoes can be found in this category. It is updated frequently. Volcano expert and journalist Marc Szeglat reports live from his expeditions to volcanoes.

Lewotobi Lakilaki: Volcanic eruption causes fatalities

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At least 10 people die at Lewotobi Lakilaki – Volcanic ash reaches 12,000 meters

Last night, a volcanic disaster occurred on the Indonesian island of Flores when Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted violently. The exact sequence of the eruption is still not fully clarified. Around midnight local time, there was apparently a strong explosion, and ash and glowing tephra reached inhabited areas. Several buildings, including a Catholic monastery at the foot of the volcano, caught fire and burned down. At least ten people lost their lives, and several others were injured. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) issued a VONA warning, reporting volcanic ash reaching up to 12,000 meters. The eruption cloud split and drifted in two directions: one cloud was blown westward, the other southeast. The alert level was raised from “Orange” to “Red.” The exclusion zone was expanded from 4 kilometers to 7 kilometers.

Shiveluch: Ash Eruption from the Old Dome

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The Shiveluch volcano on Kamchatka remains active, emitting large quantities of volcanic ash from the dome in the old part of the volcano. According to a report from the VAAC Tokyo, the ash reaches an altitude of 5,800 meters above sea level and is drifting eastward. A photo taken yesterday shows a dense ash cloud being pushed down by a strong storm and spreading flatly over the volcano. The well-developed ash cloud indicates intense volcanic activity. Notably, the ash is not coming from the lava dome of the young Shiveluch but from the dome in the old part of the volcano. This area only became active again after the major eruption last April. A new dome began to grow on the edge of the old dome, known as Karan, initially named Karan-1. Recently, in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karan-1 was renamed and now bears the somewhat cumbersome name “300 years of RAS.”

Shiveluch is one of the most active and largest volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

New eruption started on Iceland

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On the evening of August 22, the anticipated volcanic eruption at Svartsengi in Iceland began. Around 9:25 PM, a new fissure opened along the Sundhnukur crater row. The initial activity was observed east of Sýlingarfell, where a steam plume rose over a kilometer high. From there, the fissure extended for 4.9 kilometers, primarily in a northern direction. Lava fountains erupted from the fissure, feeding lava flows that moved eastward and westward. There is again a risk that the main road to Grindavik, the Grindavíkurvegur, could be flooded by lava. However, no lava flows were initially observed heading toward Grindavik. Since the seismic activity was concentrated in the northern section of the Sundhnukur crater row, it was believed that the fissure would not extend further towards Grindavik.

The eruption was preceded by a brief seismic crisis that began at 8:48 PM UTC. Most of the epicenters were located between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell, accompanied by increased pressure in boreholes. Minutes before the eruption, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) issued a warning that a magmatic intrusion was spreading and that an eruption was imminent.

Etna: The Sixth Paroxysm in a Row

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Last night, the sixth paroxysm in a row occurred at Mount Etna’s Voragine Crater on Sicily. By late afternoon, Europe’s highest volcano had already begun to intensify its activity. In the evening, the paroxysm became unstoppable and culminated in an impressive lava fountain. The peak of the eruption was only reached after midnight. The VAAC reported volcanic ash reaching an altitude of around 9,000 meters. Due to winds at different altitudes, the ash drifted both southeast and southwest. The latter ash cloud carried tephra towards Catania, where the airport was heavily affected by ashfall and had to be closed. Flight operations are expected to remain suspended until 6 p.m. today.

Stromboli with pyroclastic flows into the sea

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Intense lava overflow triggers pyroclastic flows on Stromboli – volcano blanketed in ash

This evening, Stromboli experienced several pyroclastic flows in quick succession. The activity started at 16:18 UTC (local time plus 2 hours) and continued for at least 45 minutes. The pyroclastic flows not only reached the coast but also extended several hundred meters into the sea. The live cam showed a large part of the volcano blanketed in ash. The ash moved toward Stromboli town, reaching an altitude of at least 2000 meters above sea level.

Etna. Paroxysm from Voragine

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Etna experiences a paroxysmal eruption from the Voragine crater, sending volcanic ash several kilometers into the sky.

In the afternoon, Strombolian activity at the Voragine summit crater escalated into a paroxysmal volcanic eruption. By 17:00 UTC, the VAAC Toulouse had recorded volcanic ash reaching an altitude of 4,600 meters. At that point, the eruption was still intensifying. The ash cloud is currently expected to rise significantly higher. The air traffic alert status has been upgraded to “red.” The volcanic ash drifted southeast, away from Catania airport, but flight operations could still be affected.

Merapi with pyroclastic flow in May

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Merapi Generates Pyroclastic Flow

The Indonesian volcano Merapi (Java) generated a pyroclastic flow this morning. According to BPPTKG, the dense flow traveled a distance of 1000 meters, making it one of the smaller events of its kind. The flow was caused by a collapse at the southwest dome and moved through a ravine near Kali Bebeng.

The pyroclastic flow was recorded at 05:31 WIB, producing a seismic signal with a maximum amplitude of 65 mm that lasted approximately 110 seconds. In the first six hours of the day, 16 rockfall events were also recorded, some consisting of glowing tephra that left luminous trails on the volcano’s flank. Long-exposure photos often give the impression of lava flows due to these glowing trails.

Overall, Merapi’s seismic activity has been low over the past two days. However, there was a small peak on May 27, with about 50 volcanic tremors recorded. This fluctuation in seismic activity is characteristic of the volcano’s behavior in recent months, suggesting periodic light dome growth.

Lava flow close to Grindavik at Iceland

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Lava flow along the protective walls at Grindavik

The eruption that began this afternoon in Iceland is ongoing, although it has significantly weakened after a very intense initial phase. Nevertheless, a substantial amount of lava is still flowing, reaching the protective barriers northeast of Grindavik. These barriers have successfully redirected the fast-moving lava, causing it to flow around the town along the earthen fortifications that semi-circle Grindavik. The lava reached the western outskirts of the town, where the antenna installation is located, which is also protected by an earth wall. The lava flow is relatively close to the coast, and an ocean entry is not ruled out. The lava crossed the main road between Thorbjörn and Grindavik, cutting it off for the third time. This is the fifth eruption in the series.




The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) has released initial data on the event. The total length of the main fissure was 3.4 kilometers, with its southern end reaching approximately 1 kilometer from the protective barriers northeast of Grindavik. The initial lava output rate was about 2000 cubic meters per second. Another fissure segment opened west of the most recently active crater from the March 16 eruption, with a reported output rate of about 1000 cubic meters per second. Preliminary data suggest this was the strongest initial phase of the eruptions in this series.

The southern end of the main fissure has now almost ceased its activity. In the final phase, a series of explosions occurred, expelling light brown ash from fragmented older lava, along with fresh tephra and steam. Gas pistons may have formed as the magma conduit emptied. It is also possible that groundwater came into contact with lava, causing the explosions.

New Volcanic Eruption in Iceland

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New Volcanic Eruption in Iceland: Kilometers-Long Fissure at Sundhnukur

Following a brief seismic activity, the anticipated volcanic eruption in Iceland has begun. At 12:46 PM local time (14:46 CEST), a new fissure opened in the Sundhnukur crater row, with its full opening possibly not yet complete. Over several kilometers, lava fountains are shooting into the sky, accompanied by strong steam emissions. The event can be observed in clear weather via various live cameras.

So far, the fissure has reached a length of about 2500 meters. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), it is continuing to grow and extending southwards towards Grindavik. The lava fountains are reaching heights of 50 to 60 meters.

The fissure runs through the most recently active crater in the Sundhnukur row. As it grew through this crater, a lava fall formed over the flank of the approximately 30-meter-high cone.

The fissure opened at a point south of the crater, which was visible in the live camera footage and had been notable for persistent steam emissions since the end of the eruption on May 9.

The lava fountains are feeding a broad lava flow, initially spreading perpendicular to the fissure in an east-west direction. A large amount of fast-flowing lava is being produced, posing a renewed threat to Grindavikurvegur, which could be interrupted. The Svartsengi geothermal power plant might also be reached by the lava.

Phreatic eruption at White island

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Following a significant phreatic eruption at Whakaari (White Island) on Friday, the volcano has continued to show increased activity, with several smaller steam eruptions occurring on Saturday. These eruptions produced geyser-like fountains of volcanic sediments and crater lake water. As a result, the volcano’s alert status has been elevated to “orange” due to the potential threat of larger explosions, which could impact air traffic. Although no major eruptions have occurred yet, the activity is reminiscent of the prelude to previous eruptions.

Whakaari Volcano Activity Summary over last days:

Cloud cover on Sunday limited visibility, leaving GNS volcanologists uncertain about further phreatic eruptions. On Monday, researchers conducted an observation flight over the volcano, capturing photos and videos that revealed significant changes in the crater lake’s morphology and a drop in its water level. Gas emissions were also measured during the flight for further analysis.

The volcanic unrest persists, with typical steam and gas emissions occasionally visible via live cam when conditions are clear. The alert level remains at 3. GNS volcanologists suggest that Whakaari may be entering an eruptive phase characterized by intermittent energetic steam and gas emissions, potentially including small amounts of volcanic ash. While there’s no clear evidence suggesting significantly more violent eruptions, such an escalation could happen unexpectedly.

If eruptions intensify and release volcanic ash, it could affect land areas depending on wind direction. However, ash from Whakaari has rarely reached the coast in the past 30-40 years. Since tourists have not visited White Island since the 2019 disaster, the risk to people is currently low.