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Archived Volcano News - John Seach
November 2002
News reports posted in Eastern Australian Time (UT + 10 hr)
Reports written by John Seach
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Saturday 30th November 2002
The eruption of Mount Etna is continuing on its 34th day without showing signs of abating. Activity continues on the upper southern flank at the large pyroclastic cone, where two or three vents are producing lava fountains and ash columns. Lava flowing from a vent on the base of the active cone has invaded a forest at about 1750-1800 m elevation on the southwestern flank but appears to have slowed its advance.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Friday 29th November 2002
Explosive activity at the cluster of eruptive vents between 2750 and 2800 m elevation on the southern flank of the volcano is continuing with lava fountains, Strombolian explosions, and ash emission.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Volcano threatens to rise out of sea off Sicily
Thursday 28th November 2002
A submerged volcano off the coast of Sicily could reappear in the coming weeks. Etna has been erupting, seismic activity to the north and east of Sicily and gas activity around the Aeolian Islands. Now the volcano called Graham Bank (or Ferdinandea) is threatening to resurface. Formed by the tip of a submerged volcano, it last popped up in 1831, sparking a diplomatic spat among several nations before it sank beneath the Mediterranean waves six months later. Over the centuries, the island has emerged four times, with underwater volcanic eruptions first recorded during the first Punic War of 264-241BC. The last emergence, on July 2, 1831, caused months of international wrangling, with four nations - including Britain, Spain and the Bourbon court of Sicily - making territorial claims. The rock, which rose some 65m above the surface and had a circumference of about 5km, emerged for six months, giving the British time to claim it as Graham Island, while Sicily's King Ferdinand II called it Ferdinandea. This time, Sicilian divers have gone down and planted a flag on the rock in the hope of claiming it as Italian the moment it rises above the surface.
More on Ferdinandea...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Wednesday 27th November 2002
The lava flow that had advanced southward toward the tourist complex has stopped short of the Provincial Road 92, providing a small break for workers trying to save the tourist complex at Sapienza. Explosive activity is now occurring not only at the summit of the huge pyroclastic cone at 2750 m elevation but also from a small vent at the northern base of that cone
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Monday 25th November 2002
Frightened Sicilians fled from their homes on Mount Etna's slopes, as three earthquakes rocked the area in less than an hour on Sunday. No damage has been reported, but evacuation of a refuge on the volcano has begun. The river of lava flowing down Europe's most active volcano is just 400 meters from the Refuge Sapienza, used by hikers and tourists. Staff at the refuge have begun to evacuate the building. They have started loading furniture onto trucks, fearful that the lava flow may swallow the building. The pylons and cars of the nearby ski lift are also being dismantled. Meanwhile, the army is working with bulldozers and trucks, in an effort to construct a wall of earth around the refuge that will slow down the flow of the lava and save it.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Pago Volcano (Papua New Guinea)
5.58 S, 150.52 E, summit elevation 742 m, Caldera
Sunday 24th November 2002
Lava flow continues from the Northwestern end of the fissure system and is running in two directions - Northwest and South. Volcanic earthquakes are being recorded as well as some deformation of landscapes. Experts are not excluding the possibility of a major eruption, but it is most likely that quiet eruptions will continue for years at the present level. This could mean that a number of villages and a lot of arable land nearby is lost for many years. 18,000 people from the danger zone have been evacuated into nine camp settlements around the provincial capital of Kimbe.
More on Pago Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Friday 22nd November 2002
A new lava flow from the still-active cone at 2750 m elevation on the upper southern flank of the volcano has advanced about 1 km and is heading toward the area of the Rifugio Sapienza and the surrounding tourist facilities, which were seriously threatened and partially damaged during the 2001 eruption. There are currently no guided excursions offered at Etna, and most tourist facilities have been severely damaged or destroyed during both the 2001 and 2002 eruptions. Piano Provenzana, on the northern flank, has been virtually deleted from the face of Earth on the first day of the 2002 eruption. With the onset of the winter season, visits to the summit area of Etna and the sites of the 2002 eruption will be close to impossible until next spring and reconstruction of access roads. Access to the upper portions of the volcano (above 1900 m on the southern flank, and above the town of Linguaglossa on the northern flank) is forbidden.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Thursday 21st November 2002
Explosive activity is continuing mainly from one vent in the summit crater of the huge pyroclastic cone formed since 27 October, generating alternating emissions of ash and Strombolian explosions. Though continuing, the overall impression of the activity is that this is not exceedingly strong, but phases of waning and waxing have been observed at this cone repeatedly during the past two weeks. Piano Provenzana, on the northeastern flank of Etna has been become unrecognisable compared to what it previously looked like. All eruptive activity near that place has ended since 5 November, but the lava flows which destroyed virtually all of the tourist facilities of Piano Provenzana on 27 October is still emitting steam.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Nyamuragira Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.408 S, 29.20 E, summit elevation 3058 m, shield volcano
Wednesday 20th November 2002
Nyamuragira volcano has been constantly emitting sulphur dioxide for weeks at levels comparable or higher than those observed near Etna (see bolow). Data was provided by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument carried on ESA’s ERS-2 satellite. Nyamuragira, which first erupted on 26 July, is close to the Nyiragongo volcano that razed much of city of Goma in January in Africa's most destructive volcanic eruption for 25 years.
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Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion, Indian Ocean)
21.22 S, 55.71 E, summit elevation 2631 m, shield volcano
Wednesday 20th November 2002
The eruption concentrated on a principal crater, which can have a height of a score of meters. The eruptive trémor slightly decreased, but the flow of the crater seems as significant as last Saturday. No lava tubes are present. Many lava overflows are visible in the high part.
More on Piton de la Fournaise...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Wednesday 20th November 2002
Levels of sulphur dioxide around Mount Etna have dropped three to four times since the volcano's initial eruption, according to an analysis of ESA satellite data. When comparing the current values from my analysis with those during the eruption, sulphur dioxide columns have decreased by a factor of three to four. Despite the falling concentration of sulphur dioxide measured in the wake of volcano’s eruption, sulphur dioxide levels remain higher than normal. Since the eruption on 27 October, Etna has continued to spew huge plumes of smoke, with ash falling on area residents for weeks. The eruption also threw large amounts of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. Together with the plume of ash and other gases, the sulphur dioxide gas has been transported by the prevailing winds towards Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Mayon Volcano (Philippines)
13.257 N, 123.685 E, summit elevation 2462 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 19th November 2002
Government volcanologists closely monitoring restive Mayon Volcano noted yesterday a high level of gas emission during the past 24-hour observation period. The high level of sulfur dioxide gas emission indicates that magma is still rising into Mayon’s volcanic system. Alert Level 1 remains raised at Mayon Volcano as its level of activity is still relatively higher than during its period of repose. As Mayon’s alert level remains at Alert Level 1, Phivolcs reiterates its advisory that the public must refrain from entering the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) around the volcano especially within the southeast sector where volcanic flows, falling and rolling debris may be produced from a possible explosion. Phivolcs raised the alert level at Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 0 to Alert Level 1 on Oct. 30 when it showed continuous signs of restiveness after the occurrence of an ash explosion on Oct. 11.
More on Mayon Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Tuesday 19th November 2002
The eruption initiated on 27 October 2002 is continuing at 2750 m on the southern flank, where a large pyroclastic cone continues to grow and lava is flowing to the southwest; all eruptive activity on the northeastern flank ended by 5 November. On 17 November, explosive activity occurred from two distinct vents within the crater of the pyroclastic cone on the upper southern flank, producing intermittent fountains of incandescent bombs and ash that rose about 500 m above the vent. Lava issued from a vent on the southern flank of this cone, coinciding with the northern wall of a smaller crater active during the first days of the eruption. Currently access to all areas of Etna above 1910 m elevation (Rifugio Sapienza) is forbidden by decree of the Prefecture of Catania.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion, Indian Ocean)
21.22 S, 55.71 E, summit elevation 2631 m, shield volcano
Tuesday 19th November 2002
Summary of Eruption, November 15-18 (translated from French)
On November 15, 2002 a strong seismic crisis began towards 23h37 (standard time) and continuous. Strong deformations observed at the top and seemed to continue towards the side of the volcano.
November 16, 2002 the eruption began with the progressive appearance of a trémor towards 4h33 (standard time). The trémor is located on the side of volcano. No ash or fumes visible on the images of the cameras of the observatory.
November 17, 2002 the eruptive trémor decreased approximately by a factor 4 since the beginning. This night of many seisms are still appeared in the trémor. Casts were emitted in the morning around 8 hours to 400 m of altitude (1,7 km of the trunk road, according to the gendarmerie). Because of the weak slope its progression will slow down. The crack in the south around 1850 m altitude is not active any more.
The crack around 1750 m altitude is not active any more. Two cracks around 1600 m altitude are active. Smallest and lowest only one very low flow has. Largest, slightly more to north and 100 m higher, has a significant flow. Projections of 80 m were observed yesterday, they are only 30 m this morning, because of the small lake of lava which was formed with interior cone.
Casting on the Great Slopes skirts the casting of March 2001 by the south. A channel was practically formed all along casting, visible of the trunk road.
November 18, 2002 The eruptive trémor has slightly increased for 24 hours. This night of many seisms are still appeared in the trémor. According to the gendarmerie, the Picard crater with the top of the Plain of Osmunds emits much smoke, this point was to be checked quickly.
1200h Following the overflight with the helicopter of the army: continuous projections of the cone to 1600 m altitude are visible. The flow on the level of the cone is unchanged by report/ratio yesterday morning. Overflows on the Great Slopes dissipate the lava and slow down the food of the face of the cast coulée. Lava increased by approximately 300 m since yesterday morning and are to 1.4 km of the trunk road. No release of smoke was observed in the Plain of Osmunds. The Picard crater is absolutely quiet.
More on Piton de la Fournaise...
Mauna Loa Volcano (Hawaii)
19.47 N, 155.60 W, summit elevation 4170 m, shield volcano
Monday 18th November 2002
Scientists have discovered 11 underwater radial vents (eruptive fissures) on the western flank of Mauna Loa, which they say present potential hazards from undersea volcanic explosions. Researchers examined Mauna Loa's volcanic processes with the sophisticated remotely operated submersible vehicle, Jason II. An explosive shallow-water eruption has the potential to generate a tsunami or spew hot ash onto people living in coastal areas. An eruption occurring near the coastline will be more violent than typically occurs for Hawaiian volcanoes. Mauna Loa's only known underwater eruption occurred in 1877 from a radial vent in Kealakekua Bay, south of Kailua-Kona. About 20 scientists from institutions in the United States, France, Canada and Australia participated in the undersea volcanic explorations from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1. The scientists produced the first detailed map of the entire 23-mile-long underwater section of Mauna Loa's southwest rift, covering about 800 square miles to a depth of 2.8 miles.
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Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion, Indian Ocean)
21.22 S, 55.71 E, summit elevation 2631 m, shield volcano
Monday 18th November 2002
After 3 months of high seismic activity beneath Piton de la Fournaise and 3 small seismic crises, a strong seismic crisis with several hundreds of earthquakes started on November 15th at 23h36 local time, accompanied by large summit deformations of up to 300 microradians. Seismic crisis still continues at 4h local time. Eruption finally started at 4h33 with the appearance of eruption tremor, which is located on the east flanc of Piton de la Fournaise, at approximatively 1900 m altitude.
More on Piton de la Fournaise...
Major Earthquake Hits Russia
Sunday 17th November 2002
The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: A major earthquake occurred about 170 miles (275 km) ese of Poronaysk, Russia at 9:53 PM MST today, Nov 16, 2002 (Nov 17 at 2:53 PM local time in Russia). A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.5 WAS COMPUTED FOR THIS EARTHQUAKE. The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available. There have been no reports of damage.
Volcanoes of Russia...
Papandayan Volcano (Indonesia)
7.32 S, 107.73 E, summit elevation 2665 m, stratovolcano
Sunday 17th November 2002
Chronology of eruption activity :
Early October 2002, seismograph started to record deep volcanic earthquake.
Middle October 2002, shallow volcanic earthquake recorded, it means there was earthquake migration toward surface. Existence of this volcanic earthquake continued until eruption and landslide.
11 November 2002, at 04.52 and 04.54 local time there was a felt shock which has II MMI scale. This earthquake trigerred Papandayan's stability and caused tremor at 12.00 local time. This tremor continued until 15.06 with amplitude of 6 mm.
11 November 2002, at 15.30 local time, phreatic eruption occurred from Kawah Baru (formed in 1942). Instability as result of previous felt shock and this phreatic eruption caused landslide (at 16.50 local time) at west wall of old crater complex. This material of landslide taken along the
river and become lahar flood.
Until 14 November 2002, eruption progress into phreatomagmatic (or magmatic?). There are 7 eruption points inside Kawah Baru. 4 of them as sources of sporadic magmatic eruption, while another 3 points as continuous ash eruption. Since 00.17 and 11.50 local time (14/11) occurred 17 times of magmatic eruption. Ash erution revealed as thick-grey color and reached 500-1000 m high above activity point.
15 November 2002, at 06.30 local time, big eruption occurred, produced dark-thick eruption ash, reached 5000 m high above the summit. Papandayan volcano is stated in level 4.
Local relevant authorities in Indonesia has warned that the activities at Mt. Papandayan, which experienced a major explosion early on Friday, have reached alarming levels, forcing thousands of people living within a radius of four kilometers from its peak to flee.
Mas Atje Purbawinata, a volcanologist from the Directorate General for Volcanology Affairs and Mitigation at Bandung, West Java, declared on Friday that the volcano's status was raised to that of dangerous due to an increase in its activities after a major eruption at 6:33 a.m. on Friday, the Jakarta Post reported Saturday. "According to our monitoring and seismographic records, the volcano, after its major eruption early this morning (Friday), has shown increasing activity by continually spewing hot ash and thick smoke to a height of 6,000 meters," Purbawinata told The Jakarta Post at a monitoring site. Everyone living within a radius of four km of the volcano's crater must flee to prevent them from being covered in hot ash and from breathing possible noxious gases, he warned. Besides, the mountain could trigger hot or cold mudflows if it continued raining above the crater, endangering villages located on the banks of several rivers flowing down the slopes of the volcano, he added. Garut regent Dede Satibi said the local administration had evacuated a number of villages, and more than 2,000 villagers were taking shelter in makeshift accommodation, mosques, school buildings and the premises of the local military. Wimpy S. Tjetjep, another expert from the Directorate General of Volcanology Affairs and Mitigation, said the volcano had spewed out more than one million cubic meters of volcanic material, including silica, magnesium and sulfur, which would be dangerous to humans if it were mixed with the mudflows moving toward the Cileutik, Cibeureum and Cimanuk Rivers flowing from the volcano. Meanwhile, Director General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure, Rustam Syarif said some 2,600 hectares of paddy field in the regency were suffering ashortage of water as the mudflows had damaged several dams on the Cibeureum River.
More on Papandayan Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Saturday 16th November 2002
Eruptive activity at the active cone at 2750 m elevation on the southern flank of Mount Etna is continuing on its 20th day. Explosive activity is alternating between ash-rich emissions and "dry" (ash-poor) Strombolian bursts, and lava continues to flow from the fissure at the southern base of the cone. One million cubic meters of lava have been emitted during the past two days so far.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Saturday 16th November 2002
According to Civil Defense, over 4,700 families have been affected by the recent eruption of the volcano El Reventador. An additional 80 families have lost all their properties. These families have found refuge in improvised shelters or are staying with relatives. Most of them are rural or indigenous families living in rural areas nearby the volcano. The Civil Defense in the Napo province informed that 800 persons who live on the outskirts of the volcano were evacuated and given refuge in El Chaco. The capital was also affected by the emission of a considerable quantity of ash, and one of the water reserves serving the city has been closed.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the inter-agency evaluation mission, 100,000 hectares of crops and pastures have been covered with ash. In the cantons of El Chaco and Quijos, in the province of Napo (near the volcano), 40,000 hectares have been destroyed and 700 livestock heads are at risk. In Quijos the milk production has suffered a 50 percent loss. In the Sucumbios province 20,000 hectares and 5,000 heads of livestock have been affected. According to experts, losses in the agriculture and livestock sectors amount to USD 150 million.
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Papandayan Volcano (Indonesia)
7.32 S, 107.73 E, summit elevation 2665 m, stratovolcano
Saturday 16th November 2002
Papandayan volcano ejected clouds of ash and smoke high into the air Friday in its biggest eruption yet, officials said. There were no reports of damage or casualties.
Mount Papandayan, on the country's main island of Java, first erupted on Monday, forcing the evacuation of around 4,000 villagers living on or close to its slopes.
Early Friday, Papandayan recorded its largest eruption, spewing plumes of thick smoke and ash three miles into the air, said Isya Dana, an official with Indonesia's volcano monitoring body.
The villagers, who have been staying at mosques away from the danger area, have been told not to return home, Dana said. There were no signs of hot lava or clouds of poisonous gas that often accompany volcanic eruptions, he said. The main danger to villages close to the 9,255-feet high mountain was volcanic mudflows brought about by heavy rain over the crater, he said.
The volcano is located in West Java province, about 112 miles southeast of Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
More on Papandayan Volcano...
Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Saturday 16th November 2002
On November 15 (Fri), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency aid in kind (portable water tanks, electric generators, water purifiers, etc.), worth approximately 12.9 million yen, to the Government of the Republic of Ecuador, which sustained large-scale damage from volcanic eruptions.
The volcano Reventador in Ecuador erupted on November 3 (Sun) at 7:00 a.m. local time. The eruptions have continued with several lava flows that destroyed houses, bridges and roads mainly in Sucumbios, Pichincha and Napo provinces in the northeastern part of the country, and about 43,000 persons have been afflicted. Approximately 100,000 hectares of farmland has also sustained damage from the eruptions, including ash falls, raising fears of a serious effect on agriculture and stock farming, which is one of the principal industries of the country. The ash falls and other effects of the eruptions paralyzed the functions of the capital city Quito in Pichincha province for a time, with the international airport closed and all activities in the city at a standstill. The Government of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in those three provinces.
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Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Friday 15th November 2002
The eruption is now continuing on its 19th day. Lava emission and explosive activity continue at the new cone on the upper southern flank of Mount Etna. According to a report in the Catania-based journal "La Sicilia" on 12 November, the eruption produced 10-11 million cubic meters of lava (mostly on the northeastern flank) and more 20 million cubic meters of tephra through 11 November. The lava volume is thus only about half the volume of lava emitted during the 2001 eruption, but the volume of tephra is at least twice that emitted in 2001, and the greatest emitted during any flank eruption of Etna since 1879.
More on Mt Etna Volcano...
Panarea Volcano (Italy)
38.63 N, 15.07 E, summit elevation 421 m, Lava dome
Thursday 14th November 2002
On 4 November, bubbling, a strong sulfur smell, and micro-telluric tremor were observed in the sea near Panarea Island in the Aeolian Archipelago. The submarine hydrothermal activity killed hundreds of fish. According to Stromboli On-Line, the temperature of the water in the area was not very high (~25°C). They stated that an intensification of degassing and consequent bubbling occurred in the area surrounding the small islet of Lisca Bianca, about 2 km E of Panarea.
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Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Thursday 14th November 2002
The eruption of Mt Etna is now continuing on its 18th day. While all activity on the northeastern flank (where devastation has been greatest) ended on 5 November, the main vent on the eruptive fissure on the upper southern flank has remained continuously active. During the days after 5 November, the activity there seemed to diminish, but since about 8 November it has remained more or less stable. Much of the ash emissions from the cone may have been caused by magma-water interaction at a shallow aquifer (although this awaits further analysis), and a rise of the magma column above this aquifer may have led to the change to purely magmatic (Strombolian) activity. A similar evolution, though at a different time scale, has been observed during the 2001 eruption at the cone on the former Piano del Lago (officially named "Monte Josemaria Escrivà", although most Etnean mountain guides continue to call it the "cono del laghetto").
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Papandayan Volcano (Indonesia)
7.32 S, 107.73 E, summit elevation 2665 m, stratovolcano
Wednesday 13th November 2002
At least 5,000 people have fled their homes near a volcano in Indonesia's West Java province which is emitting smoke and mudflows, an official said Wednesday. At least six out of eight craters of the 2,636-metre (8,700-feet) Papandayan volcano began emitting white and black smoke on Tuesday. Along with an alert status, authorities have also closed an area of seven kilometres (four miles) from the peak of the volcano. The volcano near the town of Garut had since Tuesday been emitting mudflows known as lahar into the Cibeureum river. At least 18 homes in two villages had been destroyed by the mudflows, and 5,000 people had fled their homes compared to 2,000 on Monday, when the volcano belched smoke and lava. The refugees took shelter in a mosque, a sport stadium and a local provincial government office in Cisurupan. The mudflows covered around 43 hectares (106 acres) of rice fields in one village. Officials have set up four emergency medical posts to help the villagers.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 12th November 2002
A volcanic cloud descended on parts of the Ecuadorean capital Monday, forcing the mayor to close schools and health officials to warn residents to protect themselves against respiratory ailments. The grayish sulfuric cloud came from the 11,775-foot Reventador volcano, which began erupting Nov. 3. It is located 60 miles northeast of the capital, in a region where the Andes mountains butt up against Ecuador's Amazon rain forest. While no new eruptions were reported Monday, Quito Mayor Paco Moncayo said the cloud had been floating in the atmosphere from an earlier eruption. He said he canceled classes after Ecuador's Geophysical Institute spotted the vaporous mass northeast of the city of 1.4 million people. Residents in parts of Quito reported a ``stench similar to sewage,'' said Dr. Patricio Ampudia of the Health Ministry. He warned the cloud could trigger respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis. Reventador's initial eruptions sent gases and ash nine miles high and blanketed the capital and nearby regions with up to 2 inches of white ash. The volcanic fallout forced the closure of Quito's international airport and led President Gustavo Noboa to declare a state of emergency in Quito and four provinces. Reventador, which means ``Exploder'' in Spanish, erupted again on Thursday, spewing a column of ash and gases four miles high. That eruption did not propel ash over Quito. The state of emergency remained in effect Monday. Officials reopened the airport Sunday, although some airlines had yet to resume flights on Monday. Although the eruptions have not killed anyone, one person died and 16 others were injured in separate accidents involving people who fell while sweeping ash from rooftops, officials said. Weekend rains and municipal workers using shovels had largely cleared Quito's main streets of ash on Monday, although smaller side streets remained dust-covered.
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Papandayan Volcano (Indonesia)
7.32 S, 107.73 E, summit elevation 2665 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 12th November 2002
Papandayan volcano erupted Monday, forcing about 1,000 people to flee their villages.
The volcano in West Java first spewed lava into the air at about 3 p.m. Residents of two nearby villages moved to safer areas and authorities were prepared to evacuate other villages.
The volcano is about 20 miles south of Garut in West Java, about 110 miles southeast of Indonesian capital Jakarta. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Saturday 9th November 2002
El Reventador volcano continues to show high level of activity, expelling steam, ash and lava. The Geophysical Institute estimates that the volcanic activity will continue for some time but predicting the intensity of it is difficult. An Emergency Committee, headed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, has been established to co-ordinate, together with the National Civil Defence, the relief assistance in response to the crisis. In each line ministry contingency procedures exist to facilitate co-ordination. A main problem identified is the lack of consolidated official data on the emergency relief requirements. So far, the Government of Ecuador has not made a request for international relief assistance. An initial assessment was undertaken on 6 November by the UN system in Ecuador with the support of a two-member in-country UNDAC team mobilized by OCHA, and the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Social Welfare and Health, the Ecuadorian Red Cross, ECHO and MSF. Based on information gathered in situ the situation after the volcanic eruption of El Reventador in the different sectors is as follows: Health: No human victims are reported in the zone. The health infrastructure is working adequately providing permanent health services. There is some stock of medicines which has to be complemented in order to meet the increased incidence in respiratory infections, skin and eye ailments caused by the high level of ashes in the air. In rural areas, water sources without protection have been contaminated, which will cause a growing incidence of gastro-enteritis and stomach problems. Distribution of safe drinking water is required, especially in the provinces of Pichincha and Napo. Infrastructure (electric power, telecommunications, transport): The electric power was suspended in many areas in the provinces of Pichincha, Sucumbios and Napo, due to ash fall in the transformers and fallen power lines. During the first hours of the event, telecommunications were also affected and in the areas near the volcano this service has still not been restored. In general, roads to and from the affected areas are cleared. The exception is the road between Baeza and Lumbaqui, where the pyroclastic flows and lahars have destroyed two road bridges. The international airport in Quito remains closed. Agriculture: the agricultural sector is the most seriously affected: the short-cycle crops and the flower plantations are seriously damaged. The pastures covered with ash, cause digestive problems to livestock, and milk production has decreased substantially. The Chaco zone, in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, is the most affected, where ash fall completely destroyed pasture and crops, the main economic activity of the rural communities. In Cayambe, more than 8,000 ha. of crops (vegetables, grin, fruit trees) have been affected. In addition there is a concentration of commercial flower growers in Cayambe and Pedro Moncay, whose production is seriously affected. Housing: the population cleared roofs quickly to avoid damages. In general, the housing sector has suffered minimal damages.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Friday 8th November 2002
Reventador volcano erupted again on Thursday morning around 9am local time. Ashfall is expected in Quito.
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Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Thursday 7th November 2002
The 2002 eruption of Etna is one of the most explosive eruptions of the in recent times. About half of the total volume of erupted products are pyroclastics, contrasting with most recent eruptions of Etna which produced mainly lava. The 2002 eruption was actually two eruptions in one, with two different types of magma being erupted on the southern and northeastern flanks. The fissures on the Northeast Rift produced the common Etna magma that has been produced by all eruptions in the past few centuries, while the vents on the southern flank produced a magma rich in amphibole, a water-bearing mineral that has been relatively rare in recent products of Etna until the 2001 eruption. The 2002 eruption is a repetition of the events of July-August 2001, when the same two magma types were erupted simultaneously from the different systems of eruptive fissures. The invasion of Piano Provenzana and the "Ragabo" forest by lava flows marks the end of a long, quiet period in that area; no lava flows had occurred in these places in historic time. The most recent major eruption on the Northeast Rift, in 1923, had occurred a few hundred meters further west on the rift, so that the lava flows traveled along-rift, in the direction of Linguaglossa, while in 2002 most of the lava took a more easterly course. Etna has grown progressively more active during the past 50 years. Flank eruptions are expected to occur at intervals ranging from 1-3 years, and some of them might be much more voluminous and potentially hazardous than the latest two eruptions. The 2002 eruption is the second in the new series, and it is well possible that the third one is not too distant in the future.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Thursday 7th November 2002
Eruptive process of "El Reventador" volcano continues.
1. Volcanic ash continued to fall on Monday over Quito and other cities located west and southwest of El Reventador volcano, which continued registering high levels of activity, emitting more ash into the atmosphere. The activity decreased in the afternoon. (Source: Geophysical Institute of Ecuador).
2. Heavy damage is reported in the agricultural sector. Several water supply systems have been contaminated and crops and pastures have been covered by considerable amounts of ash in an area where farming and cattle raising are the main economic activities.
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Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Wednesday 6th November 2002
Eruptive activity is decreasing. However intermittent weak strombolian explosions still occurs from the South flank fracture and lava flow moves slowly. North flank lava flow has stopped. Many ashfalls are still occuring around the volcano. The E flow slowed down until 1st November, but is still moving and crusting over in the middle portion of the flow field. The ski station and tourist shops on Piano Provenzana have been first destroyed by earthquakes, then surrounded by lava flows. The flows have also caused fire and destroyed parts of the pine forest. The E flow is still slowly spreading towards Linguaglossa.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Wednesday 6th November 2002
Timetable of eruption in Ecuadorean local time:
November 03,2002
02:00 Seismic events are being recorded
05:00 A 3 km ash column, incandescent rocks fall down volcano slopes.
09:00 Largest eruption with 15 km height, pyroclastic flows ran at 200 km/h. A collapse of upper cone is reported by geologists. Ash cloud is driven to the northwest falling over El Chaco and Borja.
12:00 Ash falls on Oyacachi, Cayambe and Pedro Moncayo, Province of Pichincha.
13:10 Ash starts to fall on Quito.
15:00 Ash is covering a wide area of Ecuador passing over the coast line.
20:00 Increase tremor amplitude and a larger number of explosions are recorded by Instituto Geofisico.
November 04, 2002
01:00 Decrease of seismic activity except small increase between 02:00 and 03:00.
07:30 A new explosion is recorded of smaller size than previous ones.
13:00 Observers close the volcano pointed out that No explosions are heard and only a light ash falls on this area.
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Mayon Volcano (Philippines)
13.257 N, 123.685 E, summit elevation 2462 m, stratovolcano
Wednesday 6th November 2002
Following the ash explosion of 11 October 2002, Mayon continues to exhibit a restive state. The number of volcanic earthquakes, although imperceptible, remains significantly above background levels since the ash puff. Another notable observation is the occurrence of small volcanic tremors, which suggest that magma is intruding into the volcano. This condition is also supported by slight swelling of the edifice as shown by consistent inflation detected by electronic tiltmeters. Even gas outputs from the summit crater have increased from recent emission rates of about 950 tonnes per day (t/d) to about 2,200 t/d measured yesterday. Increased gas outputs also suggest introduction of fresh magma into the volcanic system.
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Reventador Volcano (Ecuador)
0.07 S, 77.65 W, summit elevation 3562 m, stratovolcano
Wednesday 6th November 2002
On November 3 and 4, Volcano Reventador, 90 km west from the city of Quito, erupted on several occasions. As a result, lava and fire have descended along the Montana, Marquez and Piedra Fina ravines, destroying roads and highways between Quito and Lago Agrio directly affecting small agricultural producers. A 4 km high cloud of volcanic ash and other material is suspended over the affected region and is indirectly affecting over two million people. There are no immediate reports of damage but the heavy fall of ashes over the provinces of Pichincha, Napo and Sucumbios led to the closing of the international airport of Quito and the shutting down of the Trans Ecuadorian oil pipeline as precautionary measures.
Two people were seriously injured by the falling material and 22 people from surrounding rural areas have been evacuated. The Government of Ecuador has declared a local emergency and is making preparations for the potential evacuation of 3,000 people from areas closest to the volcano, specifically from the village of El Reventador.
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Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Friday 1st November 2002
Mount Etna's rivers of lava have slowed, but a fifth day of the quakes that revived Europe's biggest volcano has left it unclear if it is yet returning to its slumber. Residents on the slopes of the fire-spitting Sicilian volcano struggled to resume daily lives below clouds of ash, but hoped they were now out of danger.
The tongues of incandescent lava threatening the most vulnerable village, Linguaglossa, slowed to a speed of about 20 metres per hour and were still kilometres away, experts said on Thursday. "If it continues like this it means the eruption has a short life," Etna guide Orazio Di Stefano, who has watched the volcano day by day for two decades, told Reuters Television.
"But this eruption has got us used to ups and downs on a daily basis," he said as the ground shook and a fissure in Etna's flank hurled fire and molten rock into the air 300 metres (1,000 feet) behind him.
All night, Etna kept up its fireworks display, with fiery fountains bursting out of the
mountainside, boiling lava streaming out of fissures and stone boulders flying through the air as if they were as light as tennis balls. Ash fluttered down like pink and red confetti as molten rock lit up the sky with a glow. Hundreds of villagers living in Etna's shadow slept in their cars or in tents for the second night running in fear of earthquakes.
The night brought minor tremors but a quake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale hit the area late in the morning, local media said. A far stronger quake rocked central Italy, making cracks in buildings and sparking panic in a number of towns. Italian media said it had trapped some 50 children in a collapsing school. Dozens of powerful quakes in Sicily shook Etna into life on Sunday and damaged hundreds of homes.
In Linguaglossa, a popular ski town whose name means "big tongue of lava", cafes and shops opened on Thursday but schools remained closed and the streets were carpeted with ash. "There's absolutely no sense of panic here, but we're waiting for further news on what the lava is likely to do next," local civil protection official Luca Spoletini told Reuters. The mayor said he was reassured after scientists said fissures were opening to act as vents for the volcano, releasing pressure at regular intervals instead of allowing it to build up and produce a massive explosion. Inhabitants of Linguaglossa, 500 metres up the 3,350-metre volcano (11,000 feet), nonetheless cast anxious glances at nearby columns of smoke and ash hundreds of metres high.
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