A small explosion, releasing gases and ash, occurred at the Masaya volcano in Nicaragua on Sunday, December 22, 2024. This activity was accompanied with large cracks on the southern rim, raising concerns over potential landslides.
Volcanic ash plumes reached an altitude of approximately 6.7 km (22 000 feet) during the continued explosive activity at the Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
A swarm of volcanic earthquakes shook the Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat on Thursday, December 19, 2024. The MVO reported 93 Volcano-Tectonic (VT) earthquakes during this period with the 2 largest measuring up to M3.3.
The Aviation Color Code for White Island volcano in New Zealand was raised to Orange on December 16, 2024, following observations of occasional volcanic ash emissions alongside larger steam and gas plumes on December 14. The activity could lead to a new eruptive episode. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2.
The Icelandic Met Office (IMO) detected an earthquake swarm in Hofsjökull volcano on December 13, 2024, with the strongest quake recorded as M3.3 at a depth of 8.8 km (5.5 miles). The last eruption of the Hofsjökull volcano occurred approximately 12 000 years ago.
A civil defense project to further raise earthen dams around the Svartsengi Power Plant was initiated on December 9, 2024. The effort aims to safeguard the infrastructure against future lava flows.
New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from December 4 to 10, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported 17 volcanoes.
Larger steam and gas plumes have been detected at Whakaari/White Island volcano, New Zealand since December 10, 2024. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 and the Aviation Color Code is maintained at Yellow. No ash emissions have been detected so far.
A new eruption was observed at Home Reef submarine volcano in Tonga through satellite imagery acquired on December 7, 2024. This marks the second eruptive phase at Home Reef volcano this year.
A powerful explosive eruption took place at Kanlaon volcano, Philippines at 15:03 LT (07:03 UTC) on December 9, 2024, producing a massive ash plume and pyroclastic flows. As a result, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the Alert Level to 3 and ordered urgent evacuation of 87 000 people living near the volcano.
