The Ambrym volcano in Vanuatu has transitioned from minor unrest to a minor eruption state over the weekend, leading authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level from 1 to 3 on January 14, 2024. The eruption is occurring inside the Benbow crater, with a designated Danger Zone B extending approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) around Benbow and 4 km (2.4 miles) around Marum craters.
Another eruption began south-southeast of Hagafell, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland at 07:57 UTC on January 14, 2024. The latest images show the lava flowing toward the town of Grindavik. The perimeter was about 450 m (1 470 feet) from the northernmost houses in the town around 08:40 UTC.
A glacial outburst flood has begun at Grímsvötn volcano, located beneath the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland. In addition, the volcano was hit by a M4.3 earthquake on January 11 — the strongest since measurements began in 1991. Glacial outburst floods are known to increase the likelihood of volcanic eruptions. As a result, the Aviation Color Code for the volcano has been raised to Yellow.
New activity/unrest was reported for 4 volcanoes from January 3 to 9, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 17 volcanoes.
A man is missing after falling into a ground crack caused by recent volcanic activity on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. The incident occurred in Grindavik, a coastal fishing town near the site of a recent eruption, on Wednesday morning, January 10, 2024.
Eruptive activity at the Lewotobi volcanic complex further increased over the past 10 days, prompting the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) to raise the Alert Level to the highest (4 of 4) on January 9, 2024.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) warns of an increased risk of eruption in the Reykjanes area, following their analysis on January 9, 2024, which reveals magma accumulation beneath Svartsengi similar to levels prior to the December 18 eruption.
The January 15, 2022, eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano produced the largest underwater explosion ever recorded, injecting an unprecedented amount of water vapor into the stratosphere, causing significant ozone loss and rapid aerosol formation, according to recent studies.
A notable increase in seismic activity associated with rock fracturing started at Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz volcano on January 3, 2024. The alert status remains at Yellow, indicating unstable behavior and potential for quick escalation. This volcano is known for producing the deadliest lahar in history.
New activity/unrest was reported for 2 volcanoes from December 27, 2023, to January 2, 2024. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 23 volcanoes.
