All articles tagged with #eruption
A UK-led study models a Yellowstone supereruption, detailing a cascading sequence from months of increased seismic activity to a cataclysmic blast that could eject ash across North America, cause massive fatalities (0.7–1.3 billion), disrupt infrastructure and food supplies, trigger a global recession, and usher in long-term societal changes — while emphasizing such an eruption is rare and inherently unpredictable.
Kīlauea remains in the eruption’s longest precursory phase, with overnight spatter bursts at the north vent forming a spatter cone (35–70 ft) as tremor stays steady and summit inflation stays high; the USGS notes episode 55 fountaining is likely today or tomorrow if conditions remain favorable, with inflation above the episode 54 starting point. The Volcano Alert Level remains WATCH and Aviation Color Code ORANGE.
Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has erupted again, spewing ash plumes that disrupted hundreds of flights. The piece revisits Krakatoa’s devastating 1883 eruption—one of history’s loudest blasts that triggered deadly tsunamis and a temporary global cooling—before noting that Anak Krakatau remains active but current data do not indicate a collapse large enough to trigger a tsunami. The main risk today is airborne ash and aviation disruption, with authorities conducting weather-modification efforts to remove ash from the atmosphere.
Mount Sinabung on Sumatra erupted, spewing a dark ash plume several thousand meters high; the 2,600-meter volcano erupted Monday morning and is leaning east and southeast, with authorities reporting no casualties.
Yellowstone sits over a volcanic hotspot and is active, but the USGS says another supereruption is unlikely. If it erupts again, the most probable outcome would be a localized lava flow with possible ash, or a hydrothermal explosion; a full-scale supereruption could devastate nearby areas and potentially affect climate, but such an event is extremely unlikely. Current monitoring shows normal alert levels with background earthquakes, and any major eruption would come with warning signs.
Guatemala evacuated several villages around the Fuego volcano after an eruption sent lava flows and ash plumes toward nearby towns, with residents taking shelter in San Juan Alotenango while authorities monitor ongoing activity.
Guatemala’s Fuego volcano remains dangerous in a days-long eruption, with activity gradually reducing but ongoing risks from collapsing summit material that could trigger pyroclastic flows. Ashfall has affected about 29,000 people, and more than 1,700 have been evacuated. Authorities warn lahars could form if rain arrives, three regions are under red alerts, and roads and schools are being affected, while the main airport stays open and monitoring continues for roughly 72 hours.
Campi Flegrei, the volcanic caldera west of Naples, is accelerating toward a breaking point, with a new study suggesting the system could transition within the next decade. The outcome is uncertain: it could trigger an eruption or another change in the volcano's internal plumbing. About 500,000 people live in the area, so researchers plan ongoing forecasts to support emergency planning, but no date or size of an eruption can be determined from the current data.
Mount Dukono on Halmahera island erupted Friday, sending an ash plume high into the sky in a zone officials had restricted due to high alert. About 20 climbers went up the volcano to film online content despite warnings; three people were killed and five injured as rescue efforts faced ongoing eruptions and rough terrain. By Friday afternoon, 17 climbers had been evacuated, including seven Singaporeans and two Indonesians who aided the operation; police say the climbers knew the mountain was restricted but proceeded anyway and will question those who joined the ascent.
An eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island in Indonesia's North Maluku province killed three hikers—two Singaporeans and one Indonesian—as ash was ejected high into the sky, prompting safety warnings while authorities monitor ongoing volcanic activity.
The January 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption sent roughly 146 teragrams of seawater vapor into the stratosphere, cooling that atmospheric layer by about 0.5–1°C rather than warming it, and leaving no clear imprint on global surface temperatures in 2023–2024. The eruption's depth (about 490 feet below sea level) let magma vaporize seawater and fuel the plume, which reached the mesosphere and generated planetary-scale pressure waves and a Mediterranean meteo-tsunami. The event injected more water vapor than any prior eruption and, because the moisture persists, it is expected to influence atmospheric chemistry into the late 2020s, reshaping how scientists model volcanic impacts on the climate.
A recent study using satellite radar data detected ground uplift at Iran's Taftan volcano, indicating pressure buildup that could precede an eruption, prompting the need for increased monitoring and preparedness, though no eruption is imminent.
A year after a rare episodic lava fountaining eruption began at Kīlauea's summit on December 23, 2024, the volcano has hosted 38 eruptive episodes, significantly reshaping the landscape with spectacular lava fountains and new geological features, while remaining monitored and visible from various vantage points.
The summit eruption of Kīlauea remains paused with a potential eruption expected between December 22 and 27. Gas emissions are elevated, and summit inflation continues, indicating possible upcoming activity, though visibility is currently low due to weather or vog.
The Kīlauea volcano on Hawaiʻi is currently paused but is expected to erupt again between December 22 and 27, with ongoing monitoring indicating a new episode of high lava fountains. The volcano has been erupting episodically since December 23, 2024, with the next episode likely to occur within the forecast window, although the timing may shift based on inflation rates.