The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: April 13 - 19, 2022

New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from April 13 to 19, 2022. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 16 volcanoes.

New activity/unrest

Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

55.972°N, 160.595°E, Summit elev. 2882 m

KVERT reported that the effusive eruption at Bezymianny continued during 8-15 April, along with incandescence at the lava dome, avalanches descending the SE flank, and steam-and-ash emissions. A daily thermal anomaly over the dome was identified in satellite images. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale). Dates are based on UTC times; specific events are in local time where noted.

Geological summary: Prior to its noted 1955-56 eruption, Bezymianny had been considered extinct. The modern volcano, much smaller in size than its massive neighbors Kamen and Kliuchevskoi, was formed about 4700 years ago over a late-Pleistocene lava-dome complex and an ancestral edifice built about 11,000-7000 years ago. Three periods of intensified activity have occurred during the past 3000 years. The latest period, which was preceded by a 1000-year quiescence, began with the dramatic 1955-56 eruption. This eruption, similar to that of St. Helens in 1980, produced a large horseshoe-shaped crater that was formed by collapse of the summit and an associated lateral blast. Subsequent episodic but ongoing lava-dome growth, accompanied by intermittent explosive activity and pyroclastic flows, has largely filled the 1956 crater.

Edgecumbe, Southeastern Alaska (USA)

57.05°N, 135.75°W, Summit elev. 970 m

AVO stated that a seismic swarm beneath Kruzof Island near Edgecumbe began at about 0200 on 11 April, and by 15 April several hundred earthquakes had been recorded. The number of events was unusual for that volcano. The magnitudes were generally M 1.7 or smaller, though a M 2.8 was detected on 11 April. The events were located at depths of less than 10 km, though the exact locations were difficult to constrain due to the lack of a local seismic network on the island; the closest station was in Sitka, 25 km E. The source of the swarm was unknown, and related either to tectonic processes or volcanic unrest, or a combination of both. Both the Volcano Alert Level and Aviation Color Code were Unassigned due to the lack of dedicated, local instrumentation. AVO noted that additional data from distant seismic stations was being analyzed, and several years of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data was being evaluated for topographical changes. No surficial changes were visible in recent satellite images and webcams views.

Geological summary: The Pleistocene-to-Holocene Edgecumbe volcanic field covers about 260 km2 of Kruzov Island west of Sitka in the SE panhandle of Alaska. The basaltic-to-dacitic field is dominated by the large composite cones of Mount Edgecumbe, Crater Ridge, and Shell Mountain, and has an unusual tectonic setting only 16 km E of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather transform fault separating the North American and Pacific plates. Mount Edgecumbe is a stratovolcano with a well-defined crater, and is the largest volcano of the field. Crater Ridge is truncated by a 1.6-km-wide, 240-m-deep caldera. These and other vents are oriented along a SW-NE line. Volcanic activity originated about 600,000 years ago along fissures cutting Kruzof Island. A series of major silicic explosive eruptions took place about 9000-13,000 radiocarbon years ago. The latest dated eruptions were phreatomagmatic explosions during the mid-Holocene, and all postglacial activity has been pyroclastic. Reports of historical eruptions of Mount Edgecumbe are unsubstantiated.

Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)

54.049°N, 159.443°E, Summit elev. 1513 m

KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was visible in satellite images on 9 and 11-12 April; the volcano was quiet or obscured by clouds on the other days during 8-15 April. Explosions produced ash plumes that rose to 6 km (19,700 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SSW, based on satellite data acquired at 0810 on 20 April, local time. Explosions continued and within an hour produced larger ash plumes that rose 9.8-10 km (32,100-32,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifted almost 30 km NE. KVERT raised the Aviation Color Code to Red (the highest level on a four-color scale). Dates are based on UTC times; specific events are in local time where noted.

Geological summary: Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka’s eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, located immediately south. The caldera enclosing Karymsky formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

Krakatau, Sunda Strait

6.102°S, 105.423°E, Summit elev. 155 m

PVMBG reported that several ash emissions from Anak Krakatau were visible in webcam images and described by observers during 15 and 17-19 April. The ash plumes were variably whitish gray, gray, and black, with all but one characterized as dense. Events at 0327, 1034, and 1837 on 15 April produced ash plumes that rose 0.7-1 km above the summit and drifted SW. Ash plumes at 0925, 1830, and 2215 on 17 April rose 500-800 m above the summit and drifted SW; Strombolian activity produced the ash plume at 1830. On 18 April events at 0358, 0419, 0714, 1246, 1330, and 1558 generated ash plumes that rose as high as 2 km and drifted SW. Ash plumes were visible on 19 April, rising 50-500 m above the summit and drifting SE and NE. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay at least 2 km away from the crater.

Geological summary: The renowned volcano Krakatau (frequently misstated as Krakatoa) lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Collapse of the ancestral Krakatau edifice, perhaps in 416 or 535 CE, formed a 7-km-wide caldera. Remnants of this ancestral volcano are preserved in Verlaten and Lang Islands; subsequently Rakata, Danan, and Perbuwatan volcanoes were formed, coalescing to create the pre-1883 Krakatau Island. Caldera collapse during the catastrophic 1883 eruption destroyed Danan and Perbuwatan, and left only a remnant of Rakata. This eruption, the 2nd largest in Indonesia during historical time, caused more than 36,000 fatalities, most as a result of devastating tsunamis that swept the adjacent coastlines of Sumatra and Java. Pyroclastic surges traveled 40 km across the Sunda Strait and reached the Sumatra coast. After a quiescence of less than a half century, the post-collapse cone of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) was constructed within the 1883 caldera at a point between the former cones of Danan and Perbuwatan. Anak Krakatau has been the site of frequent eruptions since 1927.

Poas, Costa Rica

10.2°N, 84.233°W, Summit elev. 2697 m

OVSICORI-UNA reported that submarine fumaroles in the S part of Poás’s Boca A lake and subaerial fumaroles along the E margins continued to produce low-temperature gas emissions during 13-19 April. The lake water continued to convect, and was light gray in color, since the phreatic explosion that had occurred on 6 April at “Orange Fumarola” located in a fumarolic field along the inner N crater wall. For a period of time on 17 April a gas monitoring station in Coronado measured a higher concentration of sulfur dioxide aerosols, between 8.5 and 17.6 micrograms of gas per cubic meter of ambient air, which was higher than the daily average of 6.7. Some residents reported respiratory discomfort such as sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Geological summary: The broad vegetated edifice of Poás, one of the most active volcanoes of Costa Rica, contains three craters along a N-S line. The frequently visited multi-hued summit crater lakes of the basaltic-to-dacitic volcano are easily accessible by vehicle from the nearby capital city of San José. A N-S-trending fissure cutting the complex stratovolcano extends to the lower N flank, where it has produced the Congo stratovolcano and several lake-filled maars. The southernmost of the two summit crater lakes, Botos, last erupted about 7,500 years ago. The more prominent geothermally heated northern lake, Laguna Caliente, is one of the world’s most acidic natural lakes, with a pH of near zero. It has been the site of frequent phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions since an eruption was reported in 1828. Eruptions often include geyser-like ejections of crater-lake water.

Ruang, Sangihe Islands

2.3°N, 125.37°E, Summit elev. 725 m

PVMBG reported that at least 121 deep volcanic earthquakes at Ruang were recorded during 1-16 April, though the number of those events began to increase on 7 April. No visible changes to the crater were noted, but weather conditions sometimes prevented views. Seismicity significantly changed on 16 April, characterized by 50 deep volcanic earthquakes, two local tectonic earthquakes, and four felt earthquakes. That same day the Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) and residents and tourists were warned to stay 1.5 km away from the active craters and 2.5 km on the E, SE, S, and SW flanks. Elevated seismicity continued to be recorded through 18 April.

Geological summary: Ruang volcano, not to be confused with the better known Raung volcano on Java, is the southernmost volcano in the Sangihe Island arc, north of Sulawesi Island. The 4 x 5 km island volcano rises to 725 m across a narrow strait SW of the larger Tagulandang Island. The summit contains a crater partially filled by a lava dome initially emplaced in 1904. Explosive eruptions recorded since 1808 have often been accompanied by lava dome formation and pyroclastic flows that have damaged inhabited areas.

Ruapehu, North Island (New Zealand)

39.28°S, 175.57°E, Summit elev. 2797 m

On 20 April GeoNet reported that elevated unrest at Ruapehu had continued during the previous week. Scientists observed upwelling in the lake over the N vent area and visible sulfur slicks on the lake’s surface during an observation flight. The lake water temperature had stabilized at 37 degrees Celsius and continued to be medium gray in color. The lake observations were within normal ranges for a typical heating cycle. Tremor levels remain elevated, though, representing the longest period of tremor recorded over the previous 20 years. The Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale from 0-5) and the Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.

Geological summary: Ruapehu, one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes, is a complex stratovolcano constructed during at least four cone-building episodes dating back to about 200,000 years ago. The dominantly andesitic 110 km3 volcanic massif is elongated in a NNE-SSW direction and surrounded by another 100 km3 ring plain of volcaniclastic debris, including the NW-flank Murimoto debris-avalanche deposit. A series of subplinian eruptions took place between about 22,600 and 10,000 years ago, but pyroclastic flows have been infrequent. The broad summait area and flank contain at least six vents active during the Holocene. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded from the Te Wai a-Moe (Crater Lake) vent, and tephra characteristics suggest that the crater lake may have formed as recently as 3,000 years ago. Lahars resulting from phreatic eruptions at the summit crater lake are a hazard to a ski area on the upper flanks and lower river valleys.

Ongoing activity

Aira, Kyushu (Japan)

31.593°N, 130.657°E, Summit elev. 1117 m

JMA reported that very small eruptive events at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) were recorded during 11-18 April. Crater incandescence was periodically visible at night. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale), and residents were warned to stay 2 km away from the crater.

Geological summary: The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan’s most active. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of the 17 x 23 km caldera about 22,000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the Aira caldera, along with several post-caldera cones. The construction of Sakurajima began about 13,000 years ago on the southern rim of Aira caldera and built an island that was finally joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit cone ended about 4850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minamidake. Frequent historical eruptions, recorded since the 8th century, have deposited ash on Kagoshima, one of Kyushu’s largest cities, located across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km from the summit. The largest historical eruption took place during 1471-76.

Asosan, Kyushu (Japan)

32.884°N, 131.104°E, Summit elev. 1592 m

JMA reported that no eruptions had been recorded at Asosan after the end of the last eruption in October 2021. Crater incandescence, which had been occasionally visible since December 2021, was absent beginning on 27 February. Deflation began around 27 February but stabilized in April. Observations of the crater from 17 March revealed that it had deepened, compared to pre-eruption conditions, and that water had returned. Sulfur dioxide emissions had increased to 1,600 tons per day on 25 March, but four observations made during 29 March-12 April showed values in the range of 800-1,200 tons per day. Though these values were higher than those measured in September 2021, before the eruption, they represented a decreasing trend. During a field visit on 7 April scientists observed white emissions rising from Nakadake Crater and gray pools of hot water on the crater floor. A hot spring was active on the S side of the pools. The area of the water represented about 40 percent of the crater floor and the water temperature was 71 degrees Celsius. JMA lowered the Alert Level to 1 (on a scale of 1-5) on 15 April, noting that the likelihood of an eruption affecting an area within a radius of 1 km had decreased.

Geological summary: The 24-km-wide Asosan caldera was formed during four major explosive eruptions from 300,000 to 90,000 years ago. These produced voluminous pyroclastic flows that covered much of Kyushu. The last of these, the Aso-4 eruption, produced more than 600 km3 of airfall tephra and pyroclastic-flow deposits. A group of 17 central cones was constructed in the middle of the caldera, one of which, Nakadake, is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes. It was the location of Japan’s first documented historical eruption in 553 CE. The Nakadake complex has remained active throughout the Holocene. Several other cones have been active during the Holocene, including the Kometsuka scoria cone as recently as about 210 CE. Historical eruptions have largely consisted of basaltic to basaltic-andesite ash emission with periodic strombolian and phreatomagmatic activity. The summit crater of Nakadake is accessible by toll road and cable car, and is one of Kyushu’s most popular tourist destinations.

Dukono, Halmahera

1.693°N, 127.894°E, Summit elev. 1229 m

Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 13-18 April ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE, E, SE, and S. The Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to remain outside of the 2-km exclusion zone.

Geological summary: Reports from this remote volcano in northernmost Halmahera are rare, but Dukono has been one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. More-or-less continuous explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, occurred from 1933 until at least the mid-1990s, when routine observations were curtailed. During a major eruption in 1550, a lava flow filled in the strait between Halmahera and the north-flank cone of Gunung Mamuya. This complex volcano presents a broad, low profile with multiple summit peaks and overlapping craters. Malupang Wariang, 1 km SW of the summit crater complex, contains a 700 x 570 m crater that has also been active during historical time.

Great Sitkin, Andreanof Islands (USA)

52.076°N, 176.13°W, Summit elev. 1740 m

AVO reported that slow lava effusion at Great Sitkin continued during 13-19 April, based on high-resolution satellite data. Weather clouds prevented visual observations on most days. Very low seismicity persisted. The Aviation Color Code and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Orange and Watch, respectively.

Geological summary: The Great Sitkin volcano forms much of the northern side of Great Sitkin Island. A younger parasitic volcano capped by a small, 0.8 x 1.2 km ice-filled summit caldera was constructed within a large late-Pleistocene or early Holocene scarp formed by massive edifice failure that truncated an ancestral volcano and produced a submarine debris avalanche. Deposits from this and an older debris avalanche from a source to the south cover a broad area of the ocean floor north of the volcano. The summit lies along the eastern rim of the younger collapse scarp. Deposits from an earlier caldera-forming eruption of unknown age cover the flanks of the island to a depth up to 6 m. The small younger caldera was partially filled by lava domes emplaced in 1945 and 1974, and five small older flank lava domes, two of which lie on the coastline, were constructed along northwest- and NNW-trending lines. Hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles occur near the head of Big Fox Creek, south of the volcano. Historical eruptions have been recorded since the late-19th century.

Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands (USA)

19.421°N, 155.287°W, Summit elev. 1222 m

HVO reported that lava continued to effuse from a vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater during 12-19 April, entering an active lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. The surface of the lava lake was active all week, and the height of the lake fluctuated. Flows occasionally overtopped perched levees. At 2315 on 10 April a flow emerged from the S side on the vent that covered areas along the southwest and western margins, and was active through 14 April. Breakouts along the N, NE, and S parts of the crater were visible during 14-19 April. The Aviation Color Code and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Orange and Watch, respectively.

Geological summary: Kilauea overlaps the E flank of the massive Mauna Loa shield volcano in the island of Hawaii. Eruptions are prominent in Polynesian legends; written documentation since 1820 records frequent summit and flank lava flow eruptions interspersed with periods of long-term lava lake activity at Halemaumau crater in the summit caldera until 1924. The 3 x 5 km caldera was formed in several stages about 1,500 years ago and during the 18th century; eruptions have also originated from the lengthy East and Southwest rift zones, which extend to the ocean in both directions. About 90% of the surface of the basaltic shield volcano is formed of lava flows less than about 1,100 years old; 70% of the surface is younger than 600 years. The long-term eruption from the East rift zone between 1983 and 2018 produced lava flows covering more than 100 km2, destroyed hundreds of houses, and added new coastline.

Lewotolok, Lembata Island

8.274°S, 123.508°E, Summit elev. 1431 m

PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 12-19 April. Daily white-and-gray ash plumes rose as high as 50-500 m above the summit and drifted W, NW, and E. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4) and the public was warned to stay 3 km away from the summit crater and 4 km away from the crater on the SE flank.

Geological summary: The Lewotolok (or Lewotolo) stratovolcano occupies the eastern end of an elongated peninsula extending north into the Flores Sea, connected to Lembata (formerly Lomblen) Island by a narrow isthmus. It is symmetrical when viewed from the north and east. A small cone with a 130-m-wide crater constructed at the SE side of a larger crater forms the volcano’s high point. Many lava flows have reached the coastline. Eruptions recorded since 1660 have consisted of explosive activity from the summit crater.

Manam, Northeast of New Guinea

4.08°S, 145.037°E, Summit elev. 1807 m

The Darwin VAAC reported that on 18 April ash plumes from Manam rose to 13.7 km (45,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted N based on information from RVO, satellite images, and weather models. Ash had dissipated by 1540. At 2000 an ash plume was visible in a satellite image through a break in weather cloud cover drifted NE at an altitude of 4.9 km (16,000 ft) a.s.l. Ash had dissipated by 0830 on 19 April.

Geological summary: The 10-km-wide island of Manam, lying 13 km off the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea, is one of the country’s most active volcanoes. Four large radial valleys extend from the unvegetated summit of the conical basaltic-andesitic stratovolcano to its lower flanks. These valleys channel lava flows and pyroclastic avalanches that have sometimes reached the coast. Five small satellitic centers are located near the island’s shoreline on the northern, southern, and western sides. Two summit craters are present; both are active, although most observed eruptions have originated from the southern crater, concentrating eruptive products during much of the past century into the SE valley. Frequent eruptions, typically of mild-to-moderate scale, have been recorded since 1616. Occasional larger eruptions have produced pyroclastic flows and lava flows that reached flat-lying coastal areas and entered the sea, sometimes impacting populated areas.

Merapi, Central Java

7.54°S, 110.446°E, Summit elev. 2910 m

BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 8-14 April. The volumes of the SW lava dome and the central lava dome were unchanged from the previous week, and seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 112 lava avalanches originating from two areas on the SW dome traveled a maximum of 2 km down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public was warned to stay 3-7 km away from the summit based on location.

Geological summary: Merapi, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, lies in one of the world’s most densely populated areas and dominates the landscape immediately north of the major city of Yogyakarta. It is the youngest and southernmost of a volcanic chain extending NNW to Ungaran volcano. Growth of Old Merapi during the Pleistocene ended with major edifice collapse perhaps about 2,000 years ago, leaving a large arcuate scarp cutting the eroded older Batulawang volcano. Subsequent growth of the steep-sided Young Merapi edifice, its upper part unvegetated due to frequent activity, began SW of the earlier collapse scarp. Pyroclastic flows and lahars accompanying growth and collapse of the steep-sided active summit lava dome have devastated cultivated lands on the western-to-southern flanks and caused many fatalities.

Pavlof, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

55.417°N, 161.894°W, Summit elev. 2493 m

AVO reported that the eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 12-19 April, though weather conditions sometimes prevented visual observations. Seismic tremor persisted and elevated surface temperatures were identified in satellite images almost daily. Steam emissions were seen rising above the summit in webcam images on 16 April. The Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch and the Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Geological summary: The most active volcano of the Aleutian arc, Pavlof is a 2519-m-high Holocene stratovolcano that was constructed along a line of vents extending NE from the Emmons Lake caldera. Pavlof and its twin volcano to the NE, 2142-m-high Pavlof Sister, form a dramatic pair of symmetrical, glacier-covered stratovolcanoes that tower above Pavlof and Volcano bays. A third cone, Little Pavlof, is a smaller volcano on the SW flank of Pavlof volcano, near the rim of Emmons Lake caldera. Unlike Pavlof Sister, Pavlof has been frequently active in historical time, typically producing Strombolian to Vulcanian explosive eruptions from the summit vents and occasional lava flows. The active vents lie near the summit on the north and east sides. The largest historical eruption took place in 1911, at the end of a 5-year-long eruptive episode, when a fissure opened on the N flank, ejecting large blocks and issuing lava flows.

Reventador, Ecuador

0.077°S, 77.656°W, Summit elev. 3562 m

IG staff observed high levels of activity at Reventador during a field visit from 4 to 7 April, and noted sporadic emissions with moderate ash content. They viewed the volcano with a thermal camera and saw an active lava flow on the upper NNE flank, producing rock avalanches as it advanced. The flow was 1.7-2 km long and effused from a vent about 200 m below the summit on the NNE flank. Two inactive and cooling flows were located adjacent to the active flow. Activity continued to be high during 12-19 April, though cloudy weather conditions frequently prevented visual observations. Steam, gas, and ash plumes, often observed multiple times a day with the webcam or reported by the Washington VAAC, rose as high as 1 km above the summit crater and drifted W and NW. Crater incandescence was visible most nights and early mornings; incandescent material was visible descending the flanks during 13-14 April.

Geological summary: Reventador is the most frequently active of a chain of Ecuadorian volcanoes in the Cordillera Real, well east of the principal volcanic axis. The forested, dominantly andesitic Volcán El Reventador stratovolcano rises to 3562 m above the jungles of the western Amazon basin. A 4-km-wide caldera widely breached to the east was formed by edifice collapse and is partially filled by a young, unvegetated stratovolcano that rises about 1300 m above the caldera floor to a height comparable to the caldera rim. It has been the source of numerous lava flows as well as explosive eruptions that were visible from Quito in historical time. Frequent lahars in this region of heavy rainfall have constructed a debris plain on the eastern floor of the caldera. The largest historical eruption took place in 2002, producing a 17-km-high eruption column, pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 8 km, and lava flows from summit and flank vents.

Sangay, Ecuador

2.005°S, 78.341°W, Summit elev. 5286 m

IG reported that the eruption at Sangay continued at a high level, with lava flows effusing from the Ñuñurcu, Central, and Norte vents. Explosions originated from a western vent that reactivated in late 2021, and from Central vent. The Norte vent, on the N flank, had opened on 2 December 2021. Activity levels were slightly higher during 4-6 April, characterized by a higher rate of lava effusion and a satellite-detected thermal anomaly at the Norte vent on 4 April, along with a diffuse but continuously-emitted volcanic cloud that rose 1.7 km above the crater rim and drifted up to 650 km W during 5-6 April. Low-frequency tremor was also recorded during 5-6 April. Even though the eruption plume drifted notably farther than average distances recorded during 2019-2022, only minor ashfall was reported in Chauzán San Alfonso (40 km W, in Guamote canton, Chimborazo province). During 12-18 April weather clouds and rain often prevented visual and webcam observations of the volcano, though daily ash-and-gas plumes were identified in satellite images by the Washington VAAC or in webcam views; plumes rose less than 2 km above the volcano and drifted W and NW. Minor ashfall was reported in Chauzán San Alfonso. The seismic network detected signals indicating descending lahars during 12-13 and 15 April.

Geological summary: The isolated Sangay volcano, located east of the Andean crest, is the southernmost of Ecuador’s volcanoes and its most active. The steep-sided, glacier-covered, dominantly andesitic volcano grew within horseshoe-shaped calderas of two previous edifices, which were destroyed by collapse to the east, producing large debris avalanches that reached the Amazonian lowlands. The modern edifice dates back to at least 14,000 years ago. It towers above the tropical jungle on the east side; on the other sides flat plains of ash have been sculpted by heavy rains into steep-walled canyons up to 600 m deep. The earliest report of a historical eruption was in 1628. More or less continuous eruptions were reported from 1728 until 1916, and again from 1934 to the present. The almost constant activity has caused frequent changes to the morphology of the summit crater complex.

Semeru, Eastern Java

8.108°S, 112.922°E, Summit elev. 3657 m

PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 13-19 April. Daily ash plumes were visible rising 300-400 m above the summit and drifted N and S, even though cloudy weather sometimes prevented visual observations. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). The public was warned to stay at least 500 m away from Kobokan drainages within 17 km of the summit, along with other drainages originating on Semeru, including the Bang, Kembar, and Sat, due to lahar, avalanche, and pyroclastic flow hazards.

Geological summary: Semeru, the highest volcano on Java, and one of its most active, lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera. The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a N-S trend cutting through the summit, and cinder cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and NE flanks. Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE. Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional lava flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows that have reached the lower flanks of the volcano.

Semisopochnoi, Aleutian Islands (USA)

51.93°N, 179.58°E, Summit elev. 1221 m

AVO reported that low-level eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus cone continued during 12-19 April. Periods of seismic tremor were detected daily and occasional small explosions were recorded in seismic and regional infrasound data on most days. Weather cloud cover often hindered webcam and satellite views; minor, low-level ash plumes were visible in webcam images during 16-19 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange and the Volcano Alert Level remained at Watch.

Geological summary: Semisopochnoi, the largest subaerial volcano of the western Aleutians, is 20 km wide at sea level and contains an 8-km-wide caldera. It formed as a result of collapse of a low-angle, dominantly basaltic volcano following the eruption of a large volume of dacitic pumice. The high point of the island is Anvil Peak, a double-peaked late-Pleistocene cone that forms much of the island’s northern part. The three-peaked Mount Cerberus was constructed within the caldera during the Holocene. Each of the peaks contains a summit crater; lava flows on the N flank of Cerberus appear younger than those on the south side. Other post-caldera volcanoes include the symmetrical Sugarloaf Peak SSE of the caldera and Lakeshore Cone, a small cinder cone at the edge of Fenner Lake in the NE part of the caldera. Most documented eruptions have originated from Cerberus, although Coats (1950) considered that both Sugarloaf and Lakeshore Cone could have been recently active.

Sheveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

56.653°N, 161.36°E, Summit elev. 3283 m

KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 8-15 April, and lava-dome extrusion continued. Explosions on 9 April produced ash plumes that rose as high as 12 km (39,400 ft) a.s.l. and drifted more than 2,000 km NE during 9-10 April. Explosions during 13-14 April generated ash plumes that rose to 6-6.5 km (19,700-21,300 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 80-110 km SW and S. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale). Dates are based on UTC times; specific events are in local time where noted.

Geological summary: The high, isolated massif of Sheveluch volcano (also spelled Shiveluch) rises above the lowlands NNE of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. The 1300 km3 volcano is one of Kamchatka’s largest and most active volcanic structures. The summit of roughly 65,000-year-old Stary Shiveluch is truncated by a broad 9-km-wide late-Pleistocene caldera breached to the south. Many lava domes dot its outer flanks. The Molodoy Shiveluch lava dome complex was constructed during the Holocene within the large horseshoe-shaped caldera; Holocene lava dome extrusion also took place on the flanks of Stary Shiveluch. At least 60 large eruptions have occurred during the Holocene, making it the most vigorous andesitic volcano of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Widespread tephra layers from these eruptions have provided valuable time markers for dating volcanic events in Kamchatka. Frequent collapses of dome complexes, most recently in 1964, have produced debris avalanches whose deposits cover much of the floor of the breached caldera.

Suwanosejima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)

29.638°N, 129.714°E, Summit elev. 796 m

JMA reported that eruptive activity continued to be recorded at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater during 11-18 April. One explosion produced an eruption plume that rose as high as 2.7 km above the crater rim. Ashfall was reported in Toshima village (3.5 km SSW) and in other areas as far as 5 km away. No explosions were recorded during 15-18 April, though emissions rose 1.1 km. The Alert Level remained at 3 and the public was warned to stay 2 km away from the crater.

Geological summary: The 8-km-long, spindle-shaped island of Suwanosejima in the northern Ryukyu Islands consists of an andesitic stratovolcano with two historically active summit craters. The summit is truncated by a large breached crater extending to the sea on the east flank that was formed by edifice collapse. Suwanosejima, one of Japan’s most frequently active volcanoes, was in a state of intermittent strombolian activity from Otake, the NE summit crater, that began in 1949 and lasted until 1996, after which periods of inactivity lengthened. The largest historical eruption took place in 1813-14, when thick scoria deposits blanketed residential areas, and the SW crater produced two lava flows that reached the western coast. At the end of the eruption the summit of Otake collapsed forming a large debris avalanche and creating the horseshoe-shaped Sakuchi caldera, which extends to the eastern coast. The island remained uninhabited for about 70 years after the 1813-1814 eruption. Lava flows reached the eastern coast of the island in 1884. Only about 50 people live on the island.

Wolf, Isla Isabela (Galapagos)

0.02°N, 91.35°W, Summit elev. 1710 m

IG reported that the eruption at Wolf continued during 13-18 April. Lava flows continued to advance towards the coast based on thermal data; satellite images showed minor advancement during 11-16 April and the end of the flow near the coastline.

Geological summary: Wolf, the highest volcano of the Galápagos Islands, straddles the equator at the north end of the archipelago’s largest island, Isabela. The 1710-m-high edifice has steeper slopes than most other Isabela volcanoes, reaching angles up to 35 degrees. A 6 x 7 km caldera, at 700 m one of the deepest of the Galápagos Islands, is located at the summit. A prominent bench on the west side of the caldera rises 450 above the caldera floor, much of which is covered by a lava flow erupted in 1982. Radial fissures concentrated along diffuse rift zones extend down the north, NW, and SE flanks, and submarine vents lie beyond the north and NW fissures. Similar unvegetated flows originating from a circumferential chain of spatter and scoria cones on the eastern caldera rim drape the forested flanks to the sea. The proportion of aa lava flows at Volcán Wolf exceeds that of other Galápagos volcanoes. An eruption in in 1797 was the first documented historical eruption in the Galápagos Islands.

Reference:

Smithsonian / US Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 April-19 April 2022. Managing editor: Sally Kuhn Sennert

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