A major eruption at Mount Semeru, East Java, Indonesia, on November 19, 2025, produced large pyroclastic flows descending the southern slopes. One of them was captured on video, allowing both the sight and sound of the approaching flow to be recorded. The video shows a large pyroclastic density current moving downslope at high speed, generating…
Contrary to recent media coverage suggesting Mount Rainier had entered an unprecedented tremor phase, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that no volcanic tremor is occurring at the volcano. The abnormal seismic signal detected over several days in mid-November 2025 originated from ice buildup and communication interference at the STAR station on Rainier’s west flank. Monitoring data from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) show no signs of volcanic unrest, and the Alert Level remains at Normal.
Indonesia’s Geological Agency raised the alert level for Semeru volcano to the highest (Level IV) following a major eruption on November 19, 2025, that produced an ash column up to 17.9 km (59 000 feet) above sea level. Authorities ordered evacuations of at least 300 residents from nearby villages and expanded exclusion zones up to 8 km (5 miles) from the crater and along the Besuk Kobokan valley. No casualties have been reported so far.
A visually impressive Strombolian eruption occurred at Fuego volcano in Guatemala on November 16, 2025, producing rhythmic explosions, incandescent ejections, and an ash plume rising to about 4 300 m (14 000 feet) above sea level.
Ash from the Whakaari/White Island caused multiple flight cancellations in parts of New Zealand on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, with the Whakatāne and Tauranga airports reporting severe service impacts due to the ash.
Multiple explosive eruptions at Sakurajima’s Minamidake crater in Kagoshima, Japan, on November 16, 2025, sent ash to about 4 400 m (14 400 feet) above sea level, prompting ashfall forecasts and flight cancellations at Kagoshima Airport.
Effusive eruption at Nyamuragira volcano, Democratic Republic of the Congo, continues at elevated levels. Sentinel-2 imagery from November 12, 2025, shows lava overflowing the northern rim of the caldera and extending about 6.5 km (4 miles) along the northwestern flank. On November 14, 2025, TROPOMI detected a high SO2 plume at approximately 15 km (49 200 feet) altitude, confirming intensified degassing linked to sustained magma supply.
A period of renewed eruptive activity occurred at Planchón-Peteroa volcanic complex on the Chile–Argentina border between late October and early November 2025. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Buenos Aires issued multiple warnings for continuous ash emissions reaching altitudes of up to 4 600 m (15 000 feet). Local monitoring networks reported persistent degassing and minor explosions. The volcanic alert level remains at Yellow.
Episode 36 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea volcano, Hawaiʻi, ended at 16:16 LT on November 9 (02:16 UTC, November 10), 2025, after just under 5 hours of continuous fountaining. The event produced record-high lava effusion rates of around 500 m³/s (650 yd³/s) and built fountains up to 330 m (1 100 feet) high, covering 60–80% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
Minor ash emissions were confirmed at Whakaari / White Island, New Zealand, following two short-lived eruptions on October 30, 2025. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 3 and the Aviation Color Code at Orange, indicating minor eruptive activity with uncertain future development. An observation flight on November 3 confirmed an ash plume rising 400–500 m (1 300–1 600 feet) above sea level, drifting southeast for 5–8 km (3–5 miles).
