Tag Archives: volcano

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Japanese volcano erupts, again & again & again

Mount Shinmoe has erupted again, June 29.  It’s been erupting since January 2011.  Another ash cloud has been blasted one kilometer (0.6 miles) into the sky.

Shinmoe is on the island of Kyushu, at the south end of Japan.  If you’re a Sean Connery/James Bond fan you can see it in the movie “You Only Live Twice”.

In January 2011, it had its largest eruption since 1959.  Then in February it had an even bigger eruption.  People were evacuated because heavy rains threatened landslides made of the fresh ash buildup on the mountains.  In March another eruption that caused more evacuations. Another eruption in April sent an ash cloud two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky.  The volcano took a break in May.

 

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Chile hit by 6.6 Earthquake

June 21, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a 6.6 quake hit Chile, near it’s border with Bolivia.

No emergencies reported, the quake was deep in the ground, at 111.3 kilometers (69.2 miles).

It seems the number of 6 plus quakes, and volcanic activity, around the Pacific Ring of Fire have increased this year.  Earlier this month a volcano in Chile erupted, for several days, spewing ash that shut down airports as far away as New Zealand and Australia.

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Chile Volcano continues to erupt

The pictures are impressive, of ash columns rocketing into the sky, surrounded by lightning strikes.  Believe or not it’s considered a moderate eruption.  It’s enough to spread enough ash to shut down airports in Argentina and Chile.

The Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano complex erupted on Saturday, June 4, causing thousands of people to evacuate.  Chile is home to hundreds of active volcanoes that periodically make themselves known, and most people know when it’s time to leave.

Vulcanologist say eruptions could continue for several weeks.

 

International

Japanese volcano evacuation warnings

A volcano that erupted in January this year, is causing more problems for the people of Miyakonojo, Japan.

The southern island of Kyushu is home to some powerful volcanoes.  In January, 2011, the Shinmoedake volcano threw ash more than 3,000 meters high, covering the Kyushu prefectures.  Now there is another warning.

People in the city of Miyakonojo are being told to prepare to evacuate, due to possible mudslides.  This is not the first time.  Ever since the volcano started spewing ash, heavy rains have created a muddy mess, resulting in periodic evacuations.

 

International

Volcano coming back to life, Korea to hold second round of talks about what to do

A couple of weeks ago the governments of North and South Korea met over the resurrection of a dormant volcano, Mount Paekdu (Baekdu).  The Korean volcano stirred to life after the 9.0 quake off the Pacific Coast of Japan on March 11.  The last time it erupted was in 1903.

Korean officials have decided the situation is urgent enough to have another meeting about it. The volcano sits on the border of North Korea, and China.

South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research said that an eruption now could drop temperatures by two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for two months, devastating agriculture.

International

Concerns over volcano may unite North & South Korea

The 9.0 quake/tsunami has officials in North and South Korea concerned over possible eruption of the Baekdu volcano in North Korea.

The last time it erupted was in 1903.

The increase seismic activity in the area, including volcanic activity in Japan and Eastern Russia, has Korean officials worried so much that it has become part of their unification discussions.  However, both sides are downplaying it.

Korea is directly due west of the Japanese state of Honshu.

International

Ring of Fire Seismic Events part 2 Volcanoes

Using Global Volcanism Program (GVP) website, monthly reports, I totaled the number of volcanic events, around the Pacific Ring of Fire, for the year 2010.  Then I averaged the number of events over the whole year.  The monthly average number of volcanic events, for 2010, came to 5.3.  Keep in mind that at least 90% of the world’s volcanic events took place on the Ring of Fire, in 2010.

The GVP weekly activity reports include “ongoing” activity, so I threw those out and counted the “new” activity only.  It is clear there is an increase.

For the reporting month of January 2011, I counted 16 new activity reports for the Ring of Fire.  For February it is 13.  The first week of March is 2 (I expect March will end up with a high number, due to what’s happening in Japan).

Maybe the GVP has differences in what they post for monthly vs weekly, but, the most monthly activity in 2010, was in February with 9 (remember I did an average for the whole year).  You can see, comparing February 2010 to February 2011, there is an increase of 4.

Is this cause for alarm? Maybe not. I went back to February 2001, and there was much more volcanic activity then (I counted 24).  Another issue is how the GVP gets it information. The website states that information comes from “…hundreds of correspondents, scientists, and other volcano observers that contribute information.”  GVP does list activity reports that they have determined to be “false”.

International

Ring of Fire Seismic Events part 1

I am looking into seismic events around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  I was thinking of doing a review of the past 12 months, however, it has become clear by going back just to January of 2011, that the Ring of Fire is going non-stop with seismic events, so it might be a daunting task.

The events picked up frequency and intensity since the end of February, especially around Japan.  Hawaii is also seeing a change in seismic activity.

People might say: Hawaii and volcanoes, so?  The recent volcanic activity in Hawaii is cause for concern because the type of seismic readings geologist have gotten have radically changed.  The tremors have become denser.  Back in February a U.S. Geological Survey report said there was a “…unusually high number…” of volcanic tremors.

The most recent Global Volcanism Program report (from the first week of March) on volcanic activity shows almost all activity is around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  Most activity is in East Asia, mainly Japan, but also in Kamchatka, Luzon (Philippines), and Java (Indonesia). There is also activity in Hawaii, Mexico and Guatemala.  A volcano in the British Caribbean colony of Montserrat is also active, but that’s not in the Pacific.

Something of interest, in looking at maps I have discovered that Hawaii, Guatemala, Luzon and the volcanic activity in Mexico, takes place between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator.  Even Montserrat, in the Caribbean, is between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator (as well as Haiti, remember their big quake?).

I hope to get more done on this, to establish a time line that shows whether there is an increase in geologic activity, or not.