Archived "Latest News", 1 January - 30 June 1997

29 May 1997
Greetings from Popocatépetl - again

Just in time for the last update on this page for a while, Popocatépetl has blasted another plume of ash and gas about 3 km above its summit. This news originally came from the The Washington Post and has been disseminated by Geologylink.com.
I am really sorry, but for several weeks there will be no updates on this page. I recommend visiting the sites listed on the "Other sites with volcanic eruption news" page. Thank you for visiting this page so much (during May 1997, it has had about twice the number of hits of the previous monthly high). Check for new updates from mid-July on!

27 May 1997
Belated news of mid-April eruption at Rabaul

In another episode of vigorous activity, Tavurvur (the active cone of Rabaul caldera) surprised volcanologists and residents on 12 April, the PNG newspaper "The Post Curier" reports. Although another burst of activity had been expected (Tavurvur had produced such bursts at intervals of several months since May 1996), this one apparently came earlier than suspected. Air concussions caused by the powerful explosions broke windows in nearby houses, and a lava flow spilled down the eastern flank of Tavurvur. The activity calmed down after a day, and no evacuations were necessary. Vigorous explosive activity was again reported on 17 April, but by the 21st the volcano was only quietly degassing. A detailed report is expected to appear in the forthcoming April issue of the GVN Bulletin.

25 May 1997
Continuing activity at San Cristóbal

Reports from Central American news sources indicate continuing eruptive activity at San Cristóbal through 24 May. As stated by scientists of Nicaragua's Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER), the activity so far has been entirely phreatic, and there is no danger of a major (magmatic) eruption. However, local authorities are checking emergency routes and possible evacuation in case of a larger eruptive event. It is feared that the ash falls may cause crop damage. During the past few days, ash emissions have reached as high as 800 m above the summit, and ash has been carried over the town of Chinandega and as far as the Pacific coast. Spanish language press reports are available on the WWW sites of the Honduras newspaper "La Prensa de Honduras" (of 21 May, 22 May, 23 May, and 24 May 1997), and the Costa Rican "La Nación" (of 24 May and 25 May 1997).
In Mexico, Popocatépetl has produced another couple of ash emissions on early 24 May, the largest plume rising about 2 km above the summit, and ash being dispersed to the north of the volcano. By afternoon, the volcano was again quiet. The Washington Post cites a "recent government report" which says that the chance of a "full-scale eruption" was less than 10 percent.
Another noteworthy volcanic event occurred in Japan already two weeks ago. On 11 May, a landslide and small phreatic explosion occurred at Akita Yakeyama volcano. The landslide destroyed two hotels, but all guests and the staff of the hotels could be evacuated in time to prevent fatalities and injuries. The explosion (apparently from a flank vent) was of small dimensions, ejecting some ash and ballistic (lithic) blocks. A brief summary and numerous photos have been set up at a special page by Tatsuro Chiba of Asia Air Survey. Typically for Tatsuro Chiba, the site provides excellent air photos, but not all of the large versions of the photos indicated by thumbnails are available.

22 May 1997
San Cristóbal erupts

After several weeks of increasing seismicity, Nicaragua's highest volcano, 1745 m high San Cristóbal began erupting on late 19 May. Early press reports (such as one in CNN) say that the volcano is emitting gas and ash to heights of about 500 m above the summit, but there was no immediate danger to nearby residents. However, local authorities were putting people living near the volcano on alert. Central American news sources report ash emissions every 2 minutes and light ash falls in the city of Chinandega, lying about 20 km WSW from the volcano. A warning was issued for planes flying over the volcano.
San Cristóbal has been the site of several phreatic eruptions since 1971, the last in 1977. Small eruptions may have occurred in 1985 and 1987 but have not been confirmed. Major eruptive activity is known from the 17th century.

21 May 1997
News reports about eruption at Hili Adulo, Indonesia

Recent (possibly questionable) press reports indicate the eruption of a volcano named Hili Adulo on the Indonesian island of Nias, west of Sumatra. The alleged eruption occurred on 14 May and was continuing as of the 17th, causing the evacuation of more than 60 families, but there were no fatalities. According to the news reports, Hili Adulo is about 600 m high and last erupted 40 years ago. The main source of this information is Geologylink.com, a news service about geophyiscal events. It has a link to a UPI report which will soon be outdated, and the original text (taken from Yahoo News... note the different spellings of the volcano name) is displayed on a special page on this site. There is also a report in the Indonesian language electronic newspaper Kompas which may be more revealing to those capable of reading Indonesian (unfortunately, I am only able to recognize volcano names in Indonesian text).
No volcano of the name Hili Adulo appears in the directory of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Network, and Nias is not known among the volcanically active areas of Indonesia; therefore the news reports about this eruption may be false.
A real eruption occurred at Merapi in mid-January 1997. While this event still remains unreported in the GVN Bulletin (!), a Japanese homepage (maintained by Shinya Numamoto) is dedicated to the January eruption. Among (partially outdated) links to news reports, this site also contains a map of January 1997 pyroclastic flow deposits and eyewitness accounts. Since the site is described as "impermanent" by its creator, go visit it now!

19 May 1997
Popocatépetl ash emissions, Montserrat pyroclastic flows

La Jornada reports more ash emissions from Popocatépetl on late 15 May with ash being carried to the southern part of Mexico City. The three ash emissions were described as smaller as those of the previous days, and no reports about more recent eruptive activity from the volcano have been found in WWW news sources. Who ever wants to climb Mexico's major volcanoes (with the exception of Popocatépetl, of course) finds some information on a page maintained by Mexico Connect.
Meanwhile, still in the central American area, the volcano of Soufriere Hills on Montserrat is increasing its activity again. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory reports an intensification of pyroclastic flow activity on 17 May, following accelerated dome growth during the previous days, including the extrusion of a large spine on top of the dome. The most active area on the dome is on its northeastern and northern flanks, with pyroclastic flows being discharged into the Tar River valley, and threatening to affect the outer north flank of the volcano for the first time since the eruption began almost 2 years ago. The most recent intense activity occurred in late March and early April on the southern side of the dome, with pyroclastic flows overriding the Galway's Wall, an unstable part of the pre-1995 crater wall. Those flows deposited considerable amounts of pyroclastics in the White River valley.
As of early 19 May, pyroclastic flows have begun to spill over the northern wall of the pre-1995 crater wall.
CNN of 19 May 1997 has a report about Soufriere Hills with a photo showing the steaming dome and small pyroclastic flows and with a movie (with a small and a large version) that shows the dome with a large summit spine and small pyroclastic flows spilling down its (probably northern) flank.
A message by Wilfried Strauch received via Volcano Listserver on 19 May reports that there is intense seismicity at San Cristóbal volcano in Nicaragua that began in early May. Daily earthquake counts are around 500. Additionally, strong gas emission from the volcano prevented volcanologists from reaching the crater yesterday (18 May), and nearby residents complained about intense sulfur dioxide smell. San Cristóbal is Nicaragua's highest volcano; it has been the site of several phreatic explosions during the 1970's.

14 May 1997
Frequent explosive eruptions at Popocatépetl

Mexico's Popocatépetl is the site of intense activity during these weeks. As reports are trickling in about its activity during the first months of this year (see, e.g., the report in the March issue of the GVN Bulletin), new eruptions are occurring now at intervals of a few days. The latest major events occurred on 11 and 13 May, sending ash plumes to several km above the crater. Some of the explosions also included the ejection of incandescent tephra. Air shocks accompanying some of the latest explosions caused slight damage in nearby towns. The explosions destroyed a lava dome that had reportedly grown since January 1997, following the growth of a large dome between March and July 1996 which was destroyed during explosions in October and December. The photo at left has been published on the 12 May 1997 title page of the Mexican newspaper La Jornada and is shown here on a reduced scale. It shows the lava dome within the summit crater during April, before the recent explosions blew most of the dome away.
While the volcano's activity, described by the news media as the most spectacular since the beginning of the current eruptive phase (initiated in December 1994), is causing much apprehension among the local population, scientists assure that the "exhalations" are only minor events, and underline that this activity is by no means a major eruption.
More detalied info is available in two messages submitted to Volcano Listserver (by David Lescinsky and Hugo Delgado). News reports are available at the Mexican electronic newspaper La Jornada of 12 May 1997 and 14 May 1997, and CNN (13 May 1997)

12 May 1997
Kilauea's 2 May activity was normal

The spectacular activity at Kilauea reported in the 10 May update was not a particular eruptive event, but was widely reported due to beautiful video footage on television. Volcano Watch has described the recent press coverage of Kilauea's activity as a "media blitz" whereas the activity of the volcano was continuing in a rather "normal" manner since the resumption of lava outflow in late March.

10 May 1997
Bezymianny eruption follows events at Kilauea and Popocatépetl

One of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes, Bezymianny, erupted explosively on 8 May, dropping ash on the towns of Ust-Kamchatsky and Kliuchi. An ash column rose about 12 km high during the culminating stage of the event but declined to about 6 km on 9 May. Bezymianny experienced a similar event in early October 1995, the most recent in a series of violently explosive eruptions that interrupt growth of a lava dome at intervals of 1-2 years since a devastating, Mount St Helens-type eruption in 1956. It is to be expected that the current explosive eruption has destroyed part of the lava dome and will be followed by renewed lava extrusion. More detail is available on the Bezymianny page of the Alaska Volcano Observatory WWW site.
Kilauea has gradually returned to more intense levels of activity since mid-February (in what is called episode 55 of its 1983-present eruption). Following the reappearance of lava in the Pu'u 'O'o crater on 24 February, major lava emissions began on 29-30 March, and on 2 May, spectacular lava flows were cascading from a vent on theWSW flank of Pu'u 'O'o. A brief CNN report with a movie is available about the latest (early May) activity. More detailed info is available at the Hawaii Center for Volcanology (HCV).
The most spectacular of Popocatépetl's occasional eruptive bursts (active since December 1994) occurred on 29 April. As vividly documented in a CNN report with photos and a movie, the volcano not only emitted dark gray ash, but also intensely incandescent (at daylight) bombs which incinerated vegetation around the volcano. The event caused much apprehension among residents living near Popocatépetl but was not considered of major concern by volcanologists.
The lava pond in the summit crater of Villarrica, Chile, has fluctuated notably in recent months. After disappearing completely in late 1996, active lava again became visible on the crater floor on 17 February, and during the following days the level of the magmatic column rose by several meters. As of mid-March, the characteristic night glow above the crater was again visible from nearby towns. More detail and many photos will soon appear on the Villarrica homepage.
In Italy's Aeolian Islands, Vulcano currently displays an increase in visible fumarolic activity, with respect to the levels of activity in 1995-1996. Most of the steam emissions come from the inner part of Vulcano's great "Fossa" crater, often forming plumes up to 150 m high. Observations were made by Boris Behncke during the week of 24-30 April, and more visits to Vulcano and other Italian volcanoes are due for June-July 1997.

12 February 1997
Manam erupts again

Two months after its most devastating eruption during history, Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea is again in vigorous eruption. A report by Philip Plibersek via Volcano Listserver states that both summit craters of the volcano erupted on 10 February, producing a 7 km eruption column and possible pyroclastic flows into the SW and SE valleys (the report speaks of "blocks of lava rolling down" into the valleys). The island population was ordered to stay on alert, and Rabaul Volcanological Observatory (RVO) volcanologists have declared a Stage 2 alert. Plibersek is quoting from a report in the newspaper "The Post Courier".
Manam produced a series of major eruptions in October-December 1996, culminating on 3 December with the production of large pyroclastic flows in the SW and SE valleys. Many flows entered the sea, and the village of Budua Old, near the SW valley, was overwhelmed. 13 people (many more than initially reported) were killed in that village. A detailed report is due to appear in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network of December 1996 (which already was distributed via Volcano Listserver: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3).
There has been no resumption of the activity of Kilauea so far, thus the volcano is experiencing the longest period of quiet since the beginning of the Pu'u 'O'o-Kupaianaha eruption.

1 February 1997
Quiet at Kilauea

The 54th episode of Kilauea's Pu'u 'O'o-Kupaianaha eruption began on 30 January 1997 and ended early on 31 January (local time). This event involved activity from newly opened fissures in and near Napau crater, on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea, and significant collapse of the large cinder and scoria cone that had grown around the vent active in 1983-1986, Pu'u 'O'o. More detailed info is now available at the Hawaii Center for Volcanology (HCV), and CNN has a brief report with a movie showing the collapsed summit of Pu'u 'O'o and steaming from the Napau fissures.

31 January 1997
Kilauea's eruption moves uprift

An update by Volcano Watch Newsletter reports the opening of eruptive fissures on 30 January in Napau Crater, on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, somewhat above the recently active vents near Pu'u 'O'o. At the beginning of the current eruption, in January 1983, eruptive fissures were active in that area, but later the eruptive focus stabilized at Pu'u 'O'o. So far, the new fissure eruption seems to be only minor, with low lava fountaining and small lava flows. Activity at the previously active vents near Pu'u 'O'o has ended, and part of the large cone has collapsed. The future development of the eruption is unpredictable, and access to the eruption area has been closed.
Other recent volcanic events. Montserrat has been one of the most active volcanoes worldwide since the most recent update on 10 December 1996. Its lava dome continued to grow vigorously, at times interrupted by larger collapse events which resulted in major pyroclastic flows, some of which reached the sea. Some of the activity in January 1997 was the strongest since a large dome collapse and explosive event on 17 September 1996. Background info and updates on the current activity (twice per day) can be found on the Montserrat Volcano Observatory Homepage.
In a similar kind of activity, Merapi (Java, Indonesia) returned to the stage on 14 January 1997, after two months of minor activity. Rapid growth of a lava dome in the steep and therefore highly unstable summit area soon changed to explosive activity and partial collapse of the lava dome, culminating on 17 January with the generation of extensive pyroclastic flows on the southern and southwestern flanks. It appears that these flows were as large as those emplaced in November 1994 when 69 people were killed. This time, press reports mention one person killed (but other sources speak of no victims); up to 5000 had to be evacuated from the threatened areas. Kompas Electronic Newspaper of 18 January has an article (in Indonesian) and a photo of the activity on 17 January. The News page of the Societé Volcanologique Européenne has a summary of the events at Merapi. Check that page soon because older eruption news are removed after some time! Also, don't miss the Merapi page of Volcano World which has some exciting photos of the volcano back in 1982, during a period of similar activity.
Still in Indonesia, a small (phreatic?) eruption, consisting mainly in the emission of gas, occurred in the Dieng volcanic area on 31 December 1996. The event caused the evacuation of several hundred people and the closure of a touristic area nearby. Dieng is the site of numerous gas emissions that have repeatedly caused victims. While three people were killed there in 1992, a much more devastating event in 1979 caused at least 150 deaths.
Reports of possible eruptive activity at Heard Island volcano (in the southern Indian Ocean) were received in early January 1997 from airplane pilots. These reports state that an eruption plume was visible above the volcano, but other details were lacking. Heard Island is a basaltic intraplate volcano whose activity is characterized by persistent lava lakes in a summit pit crater and lava flow emission (most recently in 1985-1987 and 1992-1993).
Intermittent Strombolian activity occurred from the Bocca Nuova crater on Etna during the first days of 1997, but clear views of the volcano on 14-16 January from Catania showed only vigorous steam and gas emissions from the summit craters, and no incandescence was visible at night. At the same time, Stromboli maintains the low level of its activity begun in September 1996. The seismicity graph of Stromboli On-line shows low numbers of eruptive events through January 1997, considerably below the "normal" levels of activity for Stromboli.

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