The higher level of activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano continues into a second day. Over the last 24 hours there have been numerous rockfall and pyroclastic flow signals. Late yesterday afternoon there was a pyroclastic flow into the Tar River Valley. This was the first such event in many weeks and came totally without warning.
There were two dozen long period earthquakes recorded over the reporting period plus a few volcano-tectonic earthquakes. Some of these events triggered rockfalls over the Galways Wall into the White River Valley. During the night a small regional earthquake was also recorded.
Yesterday and this morning (Sunday) visibility of the dome was poor but a few brief periods of visibility allowed scientists to take a quick view of the southwest face of the dome. Some new material was spotted against the southern crater wall and in the upper reaches of the tar River Valley.
Scientists warn that as the dome grows higher there will be increasing rockfalls and flows in both the Tar River Valley and the White River Valley. No one should visit these areas at all as they are extremely dangerous.
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