It didn't take long in the new year to get started!
Nymuragira erupting in January 2010.
Nyamuragira in the Congo erupted to start off the new year, producing explosions and lava flows. The flow are moving down the southern flank of the volcano. The eruption started with loud, concussive noises at 3:45 AM that startled rangers at the National Park that surround the volcanoes Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo. It appears that there was some part of the eruption that was either fire fountains or strombolian as the rangers describe the early events as "fire with sparks flying". The lava flows from this eruption could threaten populations of endangered chimpanzees and great apes that live on the slopes of the volcano in Virunga National Park. However, unlike eruptions of Nyiragongo that reached the city of Goma, this eruption (so far) is into fairly unpopulated areas.
Nyamuragira is a relatively active volcano, producing lava lakes and flows - some of which reached as far as 30 km. The last eruption of Nyamuragira was in 2006, a VEI 2 event that produced lava flows on the south flank, similar to what is occurring now. That eruption lasted about a week, but other eruptions since the turn of the century lasted upwards of months.
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I've tried several times to post the information about this eruption (and also about a new eruption at Piton de la Fournaise at the same time) in the previous entry, but got a message "your comment is being approved", something that happened already several times in the past. These comments "being approved" actually never appear in the list of comments.
Anyway, Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion island, Indian Ocean) erupted spectacularly on the afternoon of 2 January 2010 (local time). More detail here: http://ovpf.univ-reunion.fr/
Thanks for that Piton de la Fournaise link ... and sorry for the spam comment filter being overzealous. I'll fix that right away!
That goes for everyone: if your comments say they need "approval", its always good to remind me to check the spam filter. The system at SB doesn't actually tell me when there are comments awaiting approval.
Erik, a little primer on the unusual alkalic nature of the Nymuragira lavas, and the resulting implications, may be useful for the non-petrologist/volcanologist readers.
Yea, what Ekoh said.... Totally armchair here from the peanut gallery.
I have read the lava on this area is very fluid. Is that Alkalic?
Good suggestion ... I'll come up with something and post it later this weekend or Monday.
It sure didn't take long, did it?!
I am also an "armchair" geologist/volcanologist (even if I did climb Lassen twice) and an avid rockhound. Anything about the chemical structure of lava/hardened rock, crystals, etc. I am interested in. I plan on boning up on this stuff. I took geology years ago and I remember very little. Shouda kept up on it. :-)
Look like we have another volcano that wants to join in the party. Galeras just erupted with ash to 40,000 feet.
Received FVXX22 at 02:30 UTC, 03/01/10 from KNES
VA ADVISORY
DTG: 20100103/0228Z
VAAC: WASHINGTON
VOLCANO: GALERAS 1501-08
PSN: N0113 W07722
AREA: COLOMBIA
SUMMIT ELEV: 14029 FT [4276 M]
ADVISORY NR: 2010/002
INFO SOURCE: GOES-12. GFS WINDS. VAFTAD.
INGEOMINAS
ERUPTION DETAILS: EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION AT 03/0043Z
OBS VA DTG: 03/0145Z
OBS VA CLD: SFC/FL400 N0131 W07732 - N0114 W07710
- N0050 W07734 - N0108 W07753 - N0131 W07732 MOV
W 20KT
FCST VA CLD +6HR: 03/0800Z SFC/FL350 N0154 W07801
- N0135 W07740 - N0046 W07831 - N0104 W07854 -
N0154 W07801
FCST VA CLD +12HR: 03/1400Z SFC/FL350 N0228
W07856 - N0157 W07804 - N0006 W07915 - N0045
W07958 - N0228 W07856
FCST VA CLD +18HR: 03/2000Z SFC/FL350 NO ASH EXP
RMK: SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0145Z SHOWED AN
ASH CLOUD EXTENDING 25NMI N...20NMI W...AND 15NMI
N...OF THE SUMMIT. ASH WAS MOVING GENERALLY W AT
20KTS. ...
NXT ADVISORY: WILL BE ISSUED BY 20100103/0830Z
The BBC has some footage of the eruption, including what look like lava fountains, here.
By clicking my name on this comment (avoiding the crazy SB spam filter here, which really does need to be improved) will get those interested to a post on the region right around Nyamuragira.
I'll just add this: I once had a Land Rover with front seats copped from a small plane (and then modified) that found its final resting place on the slopes of Nyamuragira. Also, the one time it snowed on me in Central Africa was in that volcano field.
Immer landen frische Handys auf den Handelsplatz. Aber wie ordentlich sind diese wirklich?
Ständig erscheinen frische Handys auf den Handelsplatz. Aber wie ordentlich sind diese wirklich?
I believe that may be an interesting point, it made me suppose a bit. Thank you for sparking my thinking cap. Occasionally I get so much in a rut that I just feel like a record.