http://www.lineone.net/cgi-bin/loadcontent.pl?page=/cgi-bin/drecgi/express/00/06/06/news/n0320-d.html Maggie, You did it again! Sounds very exciting...! Flash, bang, wallop, what a picture, what a photograph BY LOUISE JONES ALL they wanted was a quiet stroll up Mount Etna to gaze at one of the wonders of the world. What they got was a sudden eruption, a half-mile run for their lives - and some great pictures to stick in the family album. The 16 British holidaymakers were within 300 yards of the main crater of Europe's most-active volcano when lumps of molten rock started pouring down the mountainside. The eruption began at 10.15am and it seemed such fun that geography teacher Lucy Newstead felt confident enough to pose smiling for a photograph. But at 10.16am all hell broke loose. The party's Italian tour guides screamed at them to "run, run" as the volcano threatened to engulf them in a flow of boiling lava. Lucy, 31, who teaches at Diss High School, Norfolk, said: "Suddenly there was an explosion of ash. Straight away we could see this lava fountain of red hot rock. "It just got bigger and bigger and then lava bombs started flying through the air. It was an incredibly awesome sight and it all seemed to happen in slow motion. "We started running over the ash and ice until we reached a path. Every time I stopped because I was out of breath they made me carry on. "Some people were terrified, but I don't remember being scared. I did not even think about what danger we were in until we had reached safety." She was on the adventure holiday with Explore Worldwide when she took pictures of the group's escape. "I am just delighted to be here. It could have been a very different story if we had been closer to the crater when it erupted," she said. The eruption was the volcano's most violent this year and could be seen for miles. Fellow hiker Pat Holding, 52, of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, said: "It blew with no warning whatsoever. We saw a big white puff to begin with and then it darkened immediately and got higher and higher. "Every time I looked behind me the mushroom cloud was getting bigger and bigger." Mrs Holding, also a geography teacher, added: "There was no time to be scared. We just had to run for our lives. We went on the holiday in the first place to look at volcanos, but we ended up with a bit more than we bargained for." The group had driven up the mountainside in a four-wheel drive vehicle before climbing to the 11,000 ft high summit. They had earlier visited the Sicilian volcanoes Stromboli and Vulcano on their �600-a-head holiday. Travers Cox, managing director of Explore Worldwide, said: "We have been running trips to Etna for six years without any problems. A lot of our groups are disappointed if they do not see an active volcano so these people are lucky in a way."Our tour guides are very experienced and we try not to put people in any danger." � Express Newspapers, 2000

Subject: Rise in underground temperature Dear Sir/Madame, I am writting on behalf of a geologist here in Tashkent (Capital City of) Uzbekistan. They have a new puzzle which they are trying to find some answers for, through anyone & everyone who is a specialist, in geological & ecological problems. Here in various locations around Tashkent city, at a depth of around 10 meters, the ground temperature has risen from around the normal readings of aprox. 15 Celsius, up to as high as 30 & 50 Celsius! The questions are, what is causing such an increase in heat of the underground temperature around Tashkent, & have other major cities of the world has such cases of such readings? Thanks for any help, & correspondance in this matter. Joe Ruuskanen (Humanitarian aid worker for Central Asian Free Exchange, Tashkent Uzbekistan)

HOW STRANGE WHAT ON EARTH DOES IT MEAN? It sounds rather worrying to me. Can anyone confirm the meaning.

do they sit on a fault-line or volcanic area? wouldn't magma rising slowly to the surface cause the heat to increase? (oh, we're supposed to give answers not more questions!!)

I post questions as well as answers. If we had all the answers, there would be no purpose for Geo other than playing. hmmmm..that's what we do anyway. Get back to you on that question - gotta consult my experts!

oh, look, marcia has her own experts! *giggle* please let us know, this is most curious.

How about Funk and Wagnals?? Now you haave made me forget the question Yup, the family geologist/volcanologist... Wolfie, behave.....I thought you were my friend....*sigh* Google.com is my expert if all else fails...

Back from reading that post about the rise in temperatures of the ground in and around Tashkent...That was forwarded to me by son David who got it from a bulletin sent out to professional geologists and volcanologists. Apparently no one knows and they are asking for help. Will let you know further when I know.

Montserrat Volcano Observatory - Montserrat, W.I. Report for the period midday, 9 June 2000 to midday, 16 June 2000 Rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows have occurred from the growing lava dome throughout the week, with a dilute ash plume maintained to the west of the island. The broadband seismic network recorded a total of 326 rockfall signals, 49 hybrid earthquakes, 1 volcano-tectonic and 76 long period earthquakes for the reporting period. There has been a marked increase in rockfall activity this week and a sustained high level of long-period earthquakes. This information suggests that the dome is still growing at a moderate rate. Visual observations of the Soufri�re Hills Volcano have again been hampered throughout the week by low cloud. The upper parts of the dome were glimpsed briefly early in the week. The high point on the dome is now close to 3,000 ft, and the size of the dome is approaching the same as it was immediately prior to the large collapse event of 20 March 2000. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity has been in the Tar River valley and within the summit crater. There has been steady production of volcanic ash which has blown westwards over Plymouth and out to sea; ash has not affected inhabited areas. The GPS network is fully operational, and the pattern of ground deformation remains similar to that which has been seen since late last year. Maintenance of field stations is still being hampered by the dry, ashy conditions on the volcano. Residents of and visitors to Montserrat are advised to tune in to ZJB Radio for up-to-date information on the status of the volcano. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity is likely to remain at a high level for several weeks, producing more ash clouds which may blow over inhabited areas if winds are from the south or southeast. Elevated levels of pyroclastic flow activity may develop very rapidly. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions or when you disturb ash. The Belham valley should be avoided during and after periods of heavy rain and everyone is reminded that access to Plymouth, Bramble airport and beyond is prohibited.

Mount Cameroon volcano lava threat recedes June 14, 2000 Web posted at: 11:20 AM EDT (1520 GMT) YAOUNDE, Cameroon (Reuters) -- Lava flowing down the flanks of Mount Cameroon has slowed and the threat to people in the nearby town and villages has receded, officials said on Wednesday. "There is no more reason to panic. All is calm and the people are going about their jobs normally," an aide to the governor of South West Province in the town of Buea told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. Scientists monitoring the volcano, which showed fresh signs of activity on May 29 and later began spewing lava, said last week that Buea was a high risk zone and the authorities were on standby to evacuate people living in the area. The 4,095 meter (13,435 foot) volcano is on a geological fault line running through Cameroon. It was last active in March and April, 1999, when lava cut a key highway before stopping a few meters from the Atlantic Ocean.

For the European contingent, You have volcanoes too: ************************************** Piton de la Fournaise - new eruption ************************************** From: Dan Shackelford Increased seismicity on 22 June and at ~1800 on 23 June a new eruption began at Piton de la Fournaise, on the SE flank of Dolomieu. Bad weather has precluded visual observations to date. Following from Henry Gaudru SVE INFORMATION release - June 24, 2000 PITON DE LA FOURNAISE - Reunion Island - (France) Following an increasing of the seismic activity during Thursday 22nd a new eruptive activity has began on the Piton de la Fournaise. From a local source the new eruption occured on Friday 23 at 6 PM (local time). Preliminary information shows that the eruption started from the Southeast flanc of the Dolomieu crater (Summit of the Piton de la Fournaise) near the site of the previous eruption of July 1999. Because poor meteorological condition no direct observation was possible yesterday. (Further details next ) ---------------------------------- European Volcanological Society C.P.1 - 1211 Geneva 17 Switzerland Fax : 41.22.759.21.05 Email : info@sveurop.org http://www.sveurop.org

Montserrat Volcano Observatory Montserrat, W.I. Report for the period midday, 23 June 2000 to midday, 30 June 2000 Activity has increased at the Soufri�re Hills Volcano this week, with almost continuous rockfall activity and small pyroclastic flows being produced. The broadband seismic network recorded a total of 315 rockfall signals, 4 hybrid earthquakes, 4 volcano-tectonic and 157 long period earthquakes for the reporting period. The number and size of rockfall events increased throughout the week. Long-period earthquake activity remains at a high level, indicating relatively high pressures inside the dome. Dome growth is occurring high on the eastern face of the dome at the top of the Tar River Valley, forming a rough spiny area. Much of this material is cascading down the steep eastern face of the dome producing many small rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows. Rockfall talus is accumulating more slowly around the southern edge of the dome, where it encroaches on a low point which would lead into White River Valley. Good views of the notches onto the north flanks of the volcano and into Gages Valley were not obtained. Although the volcano appears to be quiet, the level of activity can change extremely quickly and portions of the dome can collapse with no warning and generate much larger pyroclastic flows than have been seen for many months. Residents of and visitors to Montserrat are advised to tune in to ZJB Radio for up-to-date information on the status of the volcano. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity is likely to remain at a high level for several weeks, producing more ash clouds which may blow over inhabited areas if winds are from the south or southeast. Elevated levels of pyroclastic flow activity may develop very rapidly and could affect any valleys around the volcano. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions or when you disturb ash. The Belham valley should be avoided during and after periods of heavy rain and everyone is reminded that access to Plymouth, Bramble airport and beyond is prohibited. The daytime entry zone remains closed. 12 noon, Friday, 30 June 2000

Kilauea is not doing this right now, but in honor of Geo's Birthday....

Love that last photo! When was that one taken? Kilauea did not do that when I was there...which is probably a good thing, considering where we were hiking... :-)

My thoughts exactly... we would have had to have the old asbestos umbrella handy. It was during this episode that the fountain reached 2000' (610M) and made a roar heard 10 miles away. I did not get up there to see it, and that phase did not last very long, but it WAS spectacular! I'll have to check with David and see if he can remember when it occurred. I can't seem to remember. The lable on the image was just "gyser"(sic)

Friday July 14, 9:32 AM Japan volcano erupts again on island off Tokyo TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese volcano erupted for a second time on Friday, spewing ash and rocks high into the air and prompting officials to recommend the evacuation of residents, officials said. A local government official said the eruptions were expected to be short-lived and were unlikely to pose threat to the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the island. However, they recommended the evacuation of residents of about 30 homes near the foot of Mount Oyama on the island of Miyakejima, some 200 km (125 miles) south of Tokyo, as large amounts of ash cascaded from the sky after the eruption. "It's a pretty impressive cloud of ash, so we decided to issue the evacuation warning," a Miyakejima official said. "We will monitor the situation closely." A Meteorological Agency official said Friday's second eruption from the summit of Mount Oyama took place at 3:50 p.m. (7.50 a.m.). "The eruptions are within our expectations and unless there are other signs, we don't think there will be a major eruption," the official said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. BILLOWING GRAY ASH Like the first eruption earlier in the day, pale gray ash was seen being billowing about 1,000 metres into the air after a thunderous explosion from the volcano's summit. Last Saturday, a similar eruption occurred at Mount Oyama, hurling ash and rocks into the air. The volcano started to rumble at the end of June, but residents who had been evacuated from homes near the mountain were given the green light to return home after a few nights in local schools and other designated evacuation centres. The island chain south of Tokyo has experienced tens of thousands of earthquakes over the past few weeks triggered by the increasingly active volcano. This month, a powerful earthquake rocked the neighbouring island of Kozushima, triggering landslides that killed one man, the first earthquake fatality in the earthquake-prone nation for five years. Miyakejima is one of a chain of seven islands south of Tokyo. The island has a population of about 3,800 and its perimeter measures about 38 km (22 miles). Mount Oyama's last major eruption was in 1983 when it destroyed 400 houses and left a moonscape of rock, burning out nearby forests and destroying a lake. A lava flow from an eruption in 1940 killed 11 people and it erupted again in 1962.

(loved the picture Marcia)

(Thanks, Maggie!) The photos and video on the morning news were truly horrifying. Thanks for posting the article!

Friday July 14 4:38 AM ET Japan Volcano Erupts Again on Island Off Tokyo TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese volcano erupted for a second time on Friday, spewing ash and rocks high into the air and prompting officials to recommend the evacuation of residents, officials said. A local government official said the eruptions were expected to be short-lived and were unlikely to pose threat to the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the island. However, they recommended the evacuation of residents of about 30 homes near the foot of Mount Oyama on the island of Miyakejima, some 125 miles south of Tokyo, as large amounts of ash cascaded from the sky after the eruption. ``It's a pretty impressive cloud of ash, so we decided to issue the evacuation warning,'' a Miyakejima official said. ``We will monitor the situation closely.'' A Meteorological Agency official said Friday's second eruption from the summit of Mount Oyama took place at 3:50 p.m. ``The eruptions are within our expectations and unless there are other signs, we don't think there will be a major eruption,'' the official said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Billowing Gray Ash Like the first eruption earlier in the day, pale gray ash was seen being billowing about 1,000 meters into the air after a thunderous explosion from the volcano's summit. Last Saturday, a similar eruption occurred at Mount Oyama, hurling ash and rocks into the air. The volcano started to rumble at the end of June, but residents who had been evacuated from homes near the mountain were given the green light to return home after a few nights in local schools and other designated evacuation centers. The island chain south of Tokyo has experienced tens of thousands of earthquakes over the past few weeks triggered by the increasingly active volcano. This month, a powerful earthquake rocked the neighboring island of Kozushima, triggering landslides that killed one man, the first earthquake fatality in the earthquake-prone nation for five years. Miyakejima is one of a chain of seven islands south of Tokyo. The island has a population of about 3,800 and its perimeter measures about 22 miles. Mount Oyama's last major eruption was in 1983 when it destroyed 400 houses and left a moonscape of rock, burning out nearby forests and destroying a lake. A lava flow from an eruption in 1940 killed 11 people and it erupted again in 1962.

(Hey, I just posted that - see 216!!! Great minds or somthing....)

Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 12:24:23 -0700 From: Barry Cameron Subject: Eruption at Lascar, Chile Sender: VOLCANO Approved-by: Barry Cameron To: VOLCANO@asu.edu Reply-to: VOLCANO X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) ******************* Eruption at Lascar, Chile July 20, 2000 ******************* The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center has been notified of a major eruption of Lascar in eastern Chile. GOES-8 satellite imagery confirmed the eruption at approximately 14:10 UTC. The cloud, estimated at 35 to 40 thousand feet, is presently moving east into northern Argentina. Official advisories will be issued by the Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. Satellite imagery including still images and loops can be viewed at the NOAA Satellite Services Division website, at: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/SAB/cases.html Brian Hughes Meteorologist NOAA/NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

Can't wait to read the papers coming out of this conference since I also live on an active volcano! ************************************** Cities on Volcanoes-2 Auckland, New Zealand February 12-16, 2001 Auckland is a modern vibrant city, with an international status in trade, investment and business, superbly located on a green isthmus between two magnificent harbours. However the metropolitan centre of Auckland has developed across a potentially active basaltic volcanic field. It also faces a hazard from several large central North Island volcanic centres. Auckland, like many other cities, is preparing for a volcanic crisis through collaborative work of specialists in a variety of fields, such as volcanology, sociology, psychology, emergency management, economics and city planning. This meeting will provide a forum for specialists from several disciplines and countries to collaborate to re-evaluate volcanic crises preparedness and management in cities and densely populated areas. By drawing upon multidisciplinary perspectives the workshop affords an opportunity to develop strategies and consider the means for their implementation.

*********************** Eruption at Semeru, Indonesia July 27, 2000 *********************** We sadly post this report: At approximately 0621 on the morning of 27 July an eruption from the summit crater of Semeru resulted in two deaths and injuries to six other volcanologists near the crater. Both fatalities, Wildan and Mukti, were Indonesian scientists from the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI). Other members of the group sustained injuries caused by ejected material. These included Kris from VSI, Amit Mushkin from the Hebrew University in Israel, Mike Ramsey from the University of Pittsburgh, and Lee Siebert and Paul Kimberly from the Smithsonian Institution. Kimberly's injuries were more serious, including a broken hand, broken arm, and 3rd-degree burns. He is now recovering in a Singapore hospital. The members of the group had attended a meeting of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) in Bali during the previous week. Background. 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 steepsided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises abruptly to 3676 m elevation, towering above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping Ajekajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a NS 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. Semeru has been in almost continuous eruption since 1967.

************************ Lascar Eruption Images - July 20, 2000 ************************ This kindly submitted by Dr. Jose Viramonte: GOES 8 and NOAA 14 images of the Lascar eruption on 07/20/00 can be found at: http://www.unsa.edu.ar/varias/lascar/

************************************** Mount Oyama, Miyakejima, Japan ************************************** http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000810/sc/japan_volcano_dc_3.html Thursday August 10 2:37 AM ET Japan Volcano Erupts Again on Island Off Tokyo TOKYO (Reuters) - A volcano on a small Japanese island south of Tokyo erupted again early Thursday, spewing steam, smoke and ash into the air, and prompting local officials to urge nearby residents to evacuate. The eruption from the summit of Mount Oyama on the island of Miyakejima, some 113 miles south of Tokyo, took place at 6:59 a.m. (5:59 p.m. EDT Wednesday), the Meteorological Agency said. There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruption. Some 4,000 people live on the small resort island. The volcano has erupted several times since the end of June. It last erupted on July 15. Although the eruptions seemed to have subsided slightly, local officials recommended the evacuation of some 630 residents from 315 homes near the foot of the volcano. "There has been no panic among the residents and the eruption is apparently subsiding. But as a precaution, we have urged residents to evacuate," one official said. The eruption forced the airport on the island to close and commercial flights between Tokyo and the island were canceled, an airport spokesman said. The island chain south of Tokyo has experienced tens of thousands of earthquakes in the past two months triggered by the increasingly active volcano. Mount Oyama's last major eruption was in 1983 when it destroyed 400 houses and left a moonscape of rock, burning out nearby forests and destroying a lake. A lava flow from an eruption in 1940 killed 11 people and it erupted again in 1962.

************************** Miyakejima eruption ************************** Mount Oyama experienced its largest eruption in 17 years, forcing the evacuation of residents. There were no reports of injuries, but some reports said the ash had formed into a small rock-like objects that had fallen on to car roofs. The volcano last erupted on August 10. For full stories and links, see: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000818/sc/japan_volcano_dc_7.html http://www.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/east/08/18/japan.volcano.reut/index.html

**************************************** Elevated seismicity at Bandaisan, Japan **************************************** In 1888 a sector collapse at Japan's Bandaisan created a horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the N and killing 461 people in the process. [There were several explosions that may have triggered this event]. Some 1� km3 of debris deposits from the catastrophic slope failure. Since Aug 14 there has been much elevated seismicity at this volcano, including felt events and tremor. JMA began monitoring this volcano in 1965. This information courtesy of: http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/bandai.html (maintained by S. Nakada of the University of Tokyo) **************************************** White Island and Ruapehu, New Zealand **************************************** For the week ending 18 August, White Island continued its mild gas and ash venting unchanged, with plumes to ~1,000m. Ruapehu had an episode of moderate to strong volcanic tremor without any visible change in its activity. From: http://www.gns.cri.nz/hazardwatch/latest/gweekvo.htm White Island Minor eruptive activity continued during the week. No notable changes in activity occurred. Ash and gas plumes rose to a height of about 1000m and drifted about 50 km downwind of the volcano. The Alert level remains at 2. Ruapehu A short period of moderate-strong volcanic tremor was recorded during the week, but no volcanic activity was observed associated with this tremor. Ruapehu remains at Alert Level 1 (signs of volcano unrest).

More info on Miyakejima, Japan ******************************** Following information from: http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/miyake.html (maintained by S. Nakada) Since the 8 July summit collapse opened a pit crater atop Miyakejima's Oyama cone, collapse has continued, marked by ongoing deflation and earthquakes. This now likely is a small caldera, currently 1.4km diam by 450m deep. Intermittent phreatic eruptions continue, especially since 10 August. Photos of the 10 and 14 August eruptions appear on the URL above. Prior to 10 August, an est. 2 million cubic meters of ejecta while the caldera vol. is about 0.35 cubic km. The eruption cloud on 10 Aug. eventually achieved 10km in ht. A rather large eruption from ~1700 - ~1900 on 15 Aug. with the eruption cloud rising to at least 8km. "Abundant ash fell mainly in the northwestern part of the volcano island; as thick as 15 cm about 3 km away from the crater. Cinders as large as 5 cm fell over the airport which locates in the southeastern part of the island, breaking windows of automobiles". All eruptions to date appear to solely phreatic in nature, although the 18 Aug. tephra is still being analyzed. ************************** Miyakejima, Japan photos ************************** From: Claude Desgroseilliers http://www3.50megs.com/claude/volcano/miyakejimavolcano.html --

I wish I could attend this: ********************************* Penrose Conference Announcement ********************************* Penrose Conference to address Longevity and Dynamics of Rhyolitic Magma Systems A Geological Society of America Penrose Conference, "Longevity and Dynamics of Rhyolitic Magma Systems" will be held June 7-12, 2001, in Mammoth, California. Mammoth Mountain forms the southwest rim of the Long Valley caldera, one of three large Quaternary rhyolitic caldera centers in the United States. Long Valley, a site of recent volcanic unrest, lies at the heart of current debate over the mechanisms and time scales for the production, storage, and differentiation of rhyolite magma. Such information is critical to our understanding of fundamental geologic problems such as the formation and growth of Earth's continents and predicting volcanic hazards. The purpose of the conference is to bring together petrologists, geochemists, volcanologists and geophysicists actively studying the generation and evolution of silicic magmas. We hope to try and resolve, or at least constrain, a number of very important and currently highly topical issues pertaining to the shallow-crustal evolution of large, typically caldera-forming, silicic magma bodies. These include: � What is a magma chamber-a large, long-lived fractionating liquid body or a "sleepy" crystal mush that gets kicked to life every so often, re-mobilizing existing material? A related issue is to what degree do plutons carry-forward, in some integrated way, the expression of this? � What do crystals really represent-phenocrysts vs. xenocrysts-and what 'memory' do they retain? Related to this issue are questions such as does crystal growth- and dissolution-zoning reflect protracted fractionation of a single magma body or remobilization and dispersal of crystal mush during injection of fresh magma into the subvolcanic system and how do crystals move in the magma system - or are the crystals effectively static in a moving magma system? � What is the efficacy of, and driving forces for, convection/mixing in silicic magmas? Can crystal disequilibrium features, such as chemical/isotopic zoning and dissolution surfaces, serve to discriminate between thermal convection and magma mixing? � What are the time scales needed to produce large, rhyolitic magma bodies? Recent work using 40Ar/39Ar, Rb/Sr or U-series isotope data has led to the suggestion that rhyolite magmas in the Long Valley system are stored, following differentiation, for long (105-106) time scales. This contention has been disputed principally on the basis that it would be difficult to keep a body of magma thermally viable for such long periods, even if grater than 500km3 volume. Alternative physical models have been proposed, such as remobilization of juvenile plutons or cumulate materials and ion microprobe work on zircons has variously upheld or contested the claims for long magma residence times. A key focus of the meeting will be to evaluate the different types of data available that bear on ages of magmatic events, and discuss their interpretations. A limited number of keynote talks will serve to outline the current state of knowledge concerning the generation and evolution of large rhyolitic magma systems, and will set the foundation for evaluation of existing paradigms, development of new models, and discussion of future research directions. Most of the meeting will focus on poster sessions and group discussions. Mid-meeting field trips to selected Bishop Tuff and Sierran plutonic locations will serve to raise questions concerning limits and constraints on sampling and interpreting geochemical data from pyroclastic deposits based on our knowledge of how large silicic systems erupt, links between plutonic and volcanic environments, and the importance of recharge and mixing in magma evolution. The conference is limited to approximately 50 participants to ensure a 'workshop-type' atmosphere focussed on manageable discussions. We encourage participation of graduate students working on silicic magma systems; partial student subsidies will be available. The registration fee, which will include lodging, some meals, field trips, and all other conference costs except personal incidentals, is not expected to exceed $750. Information on travel to the conference will be provided in the letter of invitation.

Arenal, Costa Rica Arenal Volcano erupted yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 23, injuring two American tourists and a Costan Rican tour guide hiking near the volcano. The tour guide, Ignacio Protti, later died from second and third degree burns. From: http://www.nacion.co.cr/ln_ee/2000/agosto/24/pais1.html (in Spanish) http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20000824/wl/costa_rica_volcano_cof.html

From Maggie and Reuters: Friday August 25 12:54 AM ET Japan Volcano-Hit Island Set to Evacuate Children TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese authorities plan to evacuate nearly 200 school children from an island near Tokyo after a volcanic eruption last week left the island covered in ash and fearful of more eruptions. Officials on Miyakejima island, struck by its biggest eruption in 17 years on August 18, said the evacuation may occur within a week to have the children settled by September 1, the start of the new school term. This would involve taking around 190 primary and junior high school children off the island, by ship, to an evacuation site somewhere in the Tokyo metropolitan area, they added. ``Authorities are saying there could be another eruption like the one last week, or even larger,'' said Chihoko Kaechi, an official at the Miyakejima Board of Education. ``We can't guarantee the children's safety.'' The total population of primary and junior high students is 327, but the rest have already left voluntarily. A week ago, the island was plunged into darkness when a massive pall of smoke and ash from Mount Oyama was thrown as high as 26,400 feet into the air, burying the island in centimeters of gray ash. The volcano has erupted repeatedly since late June. It spat out more ash Friday morning. ``This place is like a desert now,'' said Kaechi. ``It's very hot and the ash gets in your eyes. People with conditions like asthma are really suffering.'' Workers have been clearing the ash from roads and buildings, using shovels and brooms and scooping it into bags. The Meteorological Agency has warned that, while they believe it unlikely, they cannot entirely rule out an eruption of magma at some point. Eruptions on the scale of the August 18 eruption, or larger, are also possible, with the chance of small rocks being thrown out with the ash. Decision To Be Made Soon Tokyo government officials said that while no final decision on the evacuation had yet been made, they expected one soon. ``The biggest difficulty is deciding whether to keep each school together or break them into smaller units and evacuate them separately,'' an official with the Tokyo Board of Education said. ``And of course it is quite hard to find a good site.'' About 4,000 people live on Miyakejima, 113 miles south of Tokyo, part of the Izu island chain, which has been jolted by tens of thousands of earthquakes in addition to volcanic eruptions over the past two months. Some 800 have already left the island voluntarily. Those who remained have suffered through periodic orders for short-term evacuations to gymnasiums and public halls. Mount Oyama's last major eruption in 1983 destroyed 400 houses and left a moonscape of rock, burning out nearby forests and destroying a lake. A lava flow from an eruption in 1940 killed eleven people. Japanese media reported that Miyakejima's mayor had asked that all remaining residents be evacuated from the island, but a Tokyo city official said there had been no formal request. The entire population of Oshima, another island in the chain, was evacuated when a volcano there erupted in 1986. The Tokyo official said that the city was not considering such an evacuation at this point, adding that it was not yet dangerous enough to warrant the logistical difficulties and the trauma involved in uprooting people from their homes. ``Besides, the activity of this volcano is proving extremely difficult to predict. Who will take responsibility for evacuating people -- and then nothing happens for months or years?''

This web site contains the updating Etna, Vesuvius and Stromboli Volcanoes. Watch them erupt! ******************************************* Earthquakes & Volcanoes in Sicily website ******************************************* From: Villari Letterio I should like to inform the Volcano List Server follower that since the beginning of the current year weekly news on Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Sicily (Italy) are available, on-line, by consulting the Poseidon web page, at http://www.poseidon.nti.it address. L. Villari, Director

Mt Etna is erupting and may get a lot bigger. Watch in real time: http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~gerhard/cam_etna.html

"Today In Volcanic History" This is for all of August- August 4 1905- Savai'i, Samoa Erupts August 8 1991- Hudson, Chile Erupts August 16 1663- Usu, Japan Erupts August 17 915- Towada, Japan Erupts August 24 79- Vesuvius, Italy Erupts I snitched this from Yahoo! Clubs: WARNING Volcanology Activated

Update on the Japanese volcano: Tuesday August 29 2:39 AM ET Japan Island Volcano Erupts; Evacuation Speeded Up By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - A volcano on a Japanese island 113 miles south of Tokyo spewed a huge column of steam, smoke and ash Tuesday, forcing authorities to speed up a planned evacuation of school children from the island. Officials on Miyakejima said they were taking the last remaining school children off the island Tuesday afternoon rather than Thursday, as previously scheduled.``This new eruption made us decide to speed up the evacuation as it's no longer safe,'' a Board of Education official said. Some 139 children, from primary to high school, were scheduled to leave by boat later Tuesday. There are normally close to 500 students on the island, but the rest had already left voluntarily. Authorities were hurrying to take enough food and bedding to a boarding school in western Tokyo where the students will be housed, NHK public television said. The evacuation will last at least until the end of September. Television pictures showed Miyakejima island shadowed by a massive pall of smoke and ash that shot as high as 26,400 feet into the air from Mount Oyama. Officials said the eruption -- the ninth in a series that began in late June -- emitted no volcanic cinders, unlike an eruption on August 18 that was the largest in 17 years, but warned that the situation remained extremely fluid. ``There is a strong smell of sulphur in the air, but this eruption is much smaller than the one two weeks ago,'' an official at the Miyakejima town office said.There was no outflow of lava but up to six inches of ash had accumulated on some parts of the island. Emergency Task Force Residents were told to stay indoors while officials prepared evacuation centers for residents who wanted to leave their homes.No formal evacuation order had been issued, however, and there were no reports of injuries.Chief cabinet secretary Hidenao Nakagawa told a regular news conference Tuesday the government was establishing an emergency task force to aid evacuation efforts and address safety issues.About 4,000 residents live on Miyakejima, part of the Izu island chain that has been jolted by tens of thousands of earthquakes in addition to volcanic eruptions over the past two months.The nearby islands of Niijima and Kozushima were jolted by a moderately strong earthquake that measured 5.0 on the Richter scale Tuesday morning, but there were no reports of damage or tidal waves.Around 1,159 people had left Miyakejima as of late Monday, Japanese media said -- more than one-third of the population.The Meteorological Agency has warned it cannot entirely rule out the possibility of an eruption of magma, althoug this is considered unlikely. Eruptions on the scale of the August 18 eruption or larger are also possible, with the chance of small rocks spewing out with the ash. Mount Oyama's last major eruption in 1983 destroyed 400 houses and left a moonscape of rock, burning out nearby forests and destroying a lake. A lava flow from an eruption in 1940 killed 11 people.The latest eruption also briefly appeared to boost sulphur dioxide levels to several times acceptable amounts in the air over areas west and south of Tokyo, where residents complained of a sulphurous smell Monday. No illnesses were reported.Prevailing winds apparently blew smoke from Miyakejima toward the area, Japanese media reported.

Thank, Maggie. David has not sent me the official update yet!

*********************** Arenal, Costa Rica *********************** Last Wednesday 23 of August, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, erupted a sequence of pyroclastic flows originated by a crater collapse in the north flank of the volcano. The first activity began at 15:45 hours GMT, with a vigorous emission that began at 16:01 and had a duration of 23 minutes. Two tourists and their guide were burnt by the front part of the flow, about 2.3 km. from the crater. The guide Ignacio Protti took the two tourists, walking about 500m. and driving about 2 km to a safer place. Mr. Protti died around midnight (6:00 GMT of Aug. 24). A second and more intense sequence of flows began at 19:23 GMT with a duration of 1 hour and 14 min. The deposits reached a maximum distance of 2.7 km. from the active crater and expanded more than 300 m in the distal part. The following activity has returned to the normal emission of gases (carried to the west by the predominant winds) and lava through the same direction of the pyroclastic flows. The National Park was closed and most of the nearest hotels were evacuated. On Saturday 26 an airplane with 10 passengers crashed against the northeastern flank of Arenal Volcano, about 200 m. lower than the summit and a distance of about 600 m from the collapse. All the occupants died. The Red Cross are attempting to rescue the bodies today, Aug. 28. More information could be found at the web pages http://www.una.ac.cr/ovsi http://www.nacion.co.cr/ln_ee/2000/agosto/24/pais1.html http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20000824/wl/costa_rica_volcano_cof.html

Thanks American_Patriot VOLCANOES- August 29 2000- Mt. Etna Explodes- Italy's Mt. Etna Volcano erupted Monday afternoon, raining ash on the Sicilian city of Catania to the south. No one was threatened by the lava flows of Etna. The lava flowed from one of Etna's youngest craters located on the southwestern flank. August 29 2000- Mt. Oyama Erupts Twice- Mt. Oyama is on Miyake island 120 miles south of Tokyo erupted twice on Tuesday. Mt. Oyama's activity began in June but first erupted on Tuesday at 4:35 AM and sent a plume of ash 5 miles into the sky. Then erupted again at 2:53 PM (14:53). There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. These eruptions have so far been the largest since her last eruption 17 years ago.

SHEVELUCH VOLCANO 56o38' N, 161o19' E; Elevation 2,447 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE. PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN WAS YELLOW. A short-lived explosive eruption was observed at 11:35 AM KDT (2235 OTC) sending an ash-rich plume to an estimated altitude of 33,000 ft (10 km) ASL; the ash cloud was reported as moving to the southeast. Increased seismicity was noted at 2231-2237 followed by volcanic tremor. Seismicity has decreased significantly and the eruption appears to be over at this time. However, Sheveluch has had several short-lived explosive eruptions recently as partial dome collapse has occurred and more eruptive activity could occur. PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

****************************** Indonesian volcano updates ****************************** Below is a summary of Indonesian volcanic activity reported for the week ending 21 August. Interesting to note the Kaba appears to "active" and that famed Merapi, after an unusually long quescence, appears to be increasing in activity. From: http://www.vsi.dpe.go.id/hotnews.html VSI Weekly Report, 23 August 2000 Report for the period 15-21 August 2000 G. Kaba During the week the weather around the volcano was cloudy, so the visual observation can not be done clearly. But from seismicity of Kaba volcano was still in active. That was represents from the number earthquakes. Although the number of seismicity was decreased over last week, seismograph was still recorded the main of volcanic earthquake, deep volcanic (A) earthquake but the number lesser than previous. In contrast, tectonic earthquake was increased over last week, 37 events during the week. On 17 August seismograph was recorded tremor harmonic earthquake with the maximum amplitude of 14 mm. The complete data were deep volcanic (A) earthquake 256 events, 1 event of shallow volcanic (B) earthquake, and 12 events of tremor volcanic earthquake. Kaba activity was stated in level 2 (out of four alert level). Anak Krakatau Anak Krakatau activity was still continuing. Although the haze obscured the visual observation, observer was heard booming sound from the volcano. Seismograph was still recorded many quakes, especially for explosion/small explosion earthquakes which the number were increased over the previous week, and infrasonic was also recorded 12 events of explosion earthquakes but decreased for the number of deep volcanic (A) earthquakes. The complete seismicity were 1 event of deep volcanic (A) earthquake, explosion/small explosion earthquake 326 events, infrasonic 12 events. Anak Krakatau volcano is stated in level 2, alert. G. Slamet Central Java 109�13�20"N, 7�16�2"E, summit elevation 3676 m Ash smoke was ejected from the summit with the height was about 50-100 m. Seismicity was dominated by small explosion earthquake (1018 events during the week) and tremor earthquakes, with the amplitude of about 0.5-15 mm. Slamet activity is stated in level 2 (out of four alert level). G. Semeru East Java 112.92�N, 8.11�E, summit elevation 3676 m Semeru activity was still high but lower than the week before. It was represents from both visual and instrumental observations. From the volcano was appears ash plume in white thin-brown color hit about 600 m height. The number of seismicity were lesser than last week. Seismograph was still recorded volcanic earthquake, but the dominant seismicity were explosion earthquakes. The complete data were listed as follow deep volcanic (A) earthquake 2 events, explosion earthquake 420 events, avalanche earthquake 17 events, and 5 events of tectonic earthquake. Semeru activity is now stated in level 2, alert (out of four alert level). G. Lokon North Sulawesi 1�21.5�N, 124�47.5�E, summit elevation 1579 m Based on visual observations, there is no major changes around the volcano compare to the week before, but ash plume was still appears and reached about 100-300 m height above the rim of the crater. Night observations was notice that the red flame was appears from the crater. The radiation was about 25 m height above the crater rim. It was observed from the Kakaskasen post observatory. Seismicity was increased over the week before, mostly in deep volcanic earthquake. Seismograph was recorded 3 events of shallow volcanic (B) earthquake, 4 events of deep volcanic (A) earthquake, 40 events of tectonic earthquake, and a continuous of tremor with the amplitude of 0.5 mm. Lokon activity is now stated in level 3 (out of four alert level). G. Soputan North Sulawesi 124�41�12"N, 1�6�20"E, summit elevation 1783,7 m On 14 August 21.05 (local time, WIB) was occurred again an explosion from the main crater of Soputan volcano. Ash explosion was in dark grey rises to 2500 m. This activity was continued by strombolian explosion which hit 150 m height above the rim of the crater. The ash explosion was went to the southwest. This activity was continuing until 6.00 am (local time) in the morning and accompanied by a continuum of thundering sound which made tremble the windows of people houses around the Maliku village (about 7 km away from the summit). This explosion also accompanied by lava avalanche, flowed down to the southwest 200 m away from the source. Seismicity was still dominated by avalanche and tremor harmonic earthquakes. Tectonic earthquake 18 events, explosion earthquake 3 events, avalanche earthquake 795 events, and a continuous of tremor earthquakes. Soputan activity is now stated in level 4 (the highest level). G. Merapi Yogyakarta 110.45�N, 7.54�E, summit elevation 2911 m Merapi activity continued to increase and now in level 2 (out of four alert level). That was represents from both visual and instrumental monitoring. By visual observations, solfatara was commonly in white thin-color with the maximum height was about 460 m and low in pressure. Based on instrumental monitoring, Merapi seismicity was higher, that was marked by an increasing of both of deep volcanic (A) and shallow volcanic (B) earthquakes which recorded in seismograph. But generally, seismicity was still dominated by avalanche and multiphase earthquakes.

The AGU 2000 Fall Meeting will take place in San Francisco, Dec. 15-19 2000. For your convenience, here is a summary list of special sessions offered by the Volcanology, Geochemistry, Petrology (VGP) Section, including cross-listed sessions. Convener contact information is included. Full descriptions of each session can be found at: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm00_spss.html Abstracts are due Sept. 1, 2000 by postal submission, and Sept. 7, 2000 by electronic submission.

VOLCANO- August 30 2000- Tokyo Prepares For Evacuations- An earthquake and small eruption hit a volcanic island south of Tokyo today, prompting naval forces to station a destroyer off the coast for a speedy evacuation. The Tokyo city government offered shelter for the remaining 1,600 residents of the island. Massive underground reservoirs of magma are responsible for the recent volcanic and seismic activity on Miyake, one of the Izu islands about 118 miles from Tokyo. Mt. Oyama which experienced its last big eruption in 1983, shot a 1.6 mile-high column of ash and smoke at 4:24 AM today. Hours later a magnitude 4.8 quake struck. No reports of injuries or damage were made. Mahalo to A_P1

http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/current_volcs/arenal/arenal.html Check out the above URL for information and a pic ture of the perfect composite cinder-cone Volcano. Hawaiian volcanoes are all shield volcanoes, as are those in Iceland.

You may have seen these before, but they were new to me. Here are some fantastic Hawaiian volcano pix by G. Brad Lewis - all copyright, but well worth a look see https://secure.hialoha.net/kw/lavart/1999_catalog.html.

If that link doesn't work (it doesn't show up linked on here) try http://www.lavart.com/ and click on image catalog

**************************************** Volcanoes, Aerosols and Climate meeting **************************************** VOLCANOES, AEROSOLS AND CLIMATE Royal Meteorological Society Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group of the Geological Society of London Aerosol Society Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR, UK Wednesday 18 October 2000, 1-5pm The meeting will cover several aspects of the relationship between volcanism and climate, from measurements of gases as they emanate from active volcanoes, through the processes of aerosol formation, growth and transport in the troposphere and stratosphere, and the impacts of volcanic aerosol upon the chemical composition, radiation budget, and climate of Earth's atmosphere. The meeting is free and open to all who are interested. For further details see: http://www.royal-met-soc.org.uk/wedmeet.html http://www.royal-met-soc.org.uk/wedabs001018.html

Ash eruptions - Komagatake,Popocatepetl,Tavurvur(Rabual) The full report from the Japan Times (09/06/00) is available at: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news.htm excerpt: SAPPORO (Kyodo) A volcano in Hokkaido erupted Monday night for the first time in nearly two years, the Meteorological Agency said early Tuesday. Mount Komagatake in southwestern Hokkaido erupted at 10:14 p.m. ...There have been no reports of casualties or damage. At around 5 a.m. Tuesday, the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory reported seeing smoke from the volcano reaching as high as 500 meters above the volcano...The observatory also reported that a seismic tremor was observed on the 1,133-meter mountain, which is about 120 km southwest of Sapporo. ************************* Popocatepetl, Mexico ************************* from the CENAPRED September 5 Bulletin http://www.cenapred.unam.mx/boletines.html September 4. At 03:47 a moderate large plume of ash was produce. The doppler radar detected the plume, that occurred at night. There were reports ash fall in many towns in the North-west flank: Amecameca, Ozumba, Tepetlixpa, San Juan Tehuxtitlan, Zoyatzingo and Valle de Chalco. Some ash also fell on the South limit of Mexico City. The intense phase of this event lasted 3 minutes, and was followed by 25 minutes of high frequency tremor. A tectonovolcanic event, below the crater and of magnitude 1.8 also ocurred. It is recommended not to approach the volcano to less than 7 km from the crater. The traffic light of volcanic alert is maintained yellow. (Recent images of the volcano can be viewed in this web page.) ************************** Tavurvur (Rabual), PNG ************************** full Reuters report at: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000906/wl/papua_volcano_dc_1.html excerpt: BRISBANE (Reuters) - Thick clouds of volcanic ash have blown over the Papua New Guinea town of Rabaul and authorities said on Wednesday they were watching a nearby volcano closely for signs of increased activity. The Tavurvur volcano in PNG's remote northeast province began blowing smoke and debris last week but vulcanologists said the activity was still considered normal and no alert had been issued to warn townspeople in the New Britain island trading port. "In the past several days we have had strong southeasterly winds which have blown the ash directly into Rabaul," Ima Itikarai, director of the Rabaul Vulcanological Observatory, told Reuters by telephone. "It is not at the stage where we would declare it critical, but we will keep a close watch on it."...Itikarai said the current activity is similar to events in 1995 and 1996, when Tavurvur spewed debris for several hours at a time over a period of days before calming down.

VOLCANO- Sept 7 2000- Volcano In Papua New Guinea Explodes- Tavurvur Volcano, located in a remote NE province of Papua New Guinea, exploded Wednesday. The volcano began showing signs of increased activity last week, spewing smoke and volcanic debris. The activity was within the mountain's normal range, and no alerts were issued. Rabaul, located 500 miles NE of the capital Port Moresby, is built on the caldera of the volcano. The city suffered extensive destruction in 1994 when Tavurvur erupted simultaneously with a neighboring volcano, Vulcan, killing five people. Both of the volcanoes erupted in 1937 triggering tsunamis that flooded the city. Rabaul is surrounded by 6 volcanoes, and is located on the Pacific's Ring of Fire. Thanks to A_P again!

Hello Marcia. I thought it best to make my maiden post at Geo on this conference. Since you mentioned living on an island with a large volcano -- Hawaii, the big island of course. You live in the shadow of the great goddess Pele. There used to be a beautiful black sand beach on Hawaii. It's gone now, under lava fields. The process of island building goes on!

Kalapana black sand beach is no more and I have it documented inch by painful inch in photographs as it was paved over by 20 feet of faceless lava. However, as the leading edge of molten lava hit the sea it fractured into minute particles and remade a balck sand beach several hundred feet from the former shoreline. Locals whose houses escaped collected coconuts which had sprouted in the kipukas (kipuka = island of original land which the new lava left untouched) and planted them in an arc around the new beach. It is getting pretty out there and they hold surfing contests again. Pele giveth and Pele taketh away. The current eruption just down the coast from Kalapana is still ongoing and has added over 5000 square acres to our island. The cartographers have a constant updating job here. I have watched two mini mountains form which are now on maps and have names. It is fascinating! I was wondering when you would post in my conference...Aloha! E komo mai! Original Kalapana Black Sand Beach\ New Black Sand Beach at Kalapana

Large rocks in strange places http://www.islenews.com/ By Staff | 2000.9.7 - 17:19:53 HST Sometimes in science you find something that theory says you shouldn't. Then your pulse starts racing. Are your observations or calculations wrong? Is the theory wrong? Or is there a middle ground, in which observations can be fit to theory if both are tweaked a little? In late August two volcanologists from the USGS (one from HVO) and one from the Smithsonian Institution were faced with this dilemma. We don't yet know what the final outcome will be, but we're pretty excited. As this column has previously noted, Kilauea has exploded more often than many people think. Ongoing research at HVO is trying to learn as much as possible about these explosions, for flying rocks are clearly hazardous events that will impact the public. We went looking for rocks that were thrown out of the volcano about 1,000 years ago. Work in past months had shown that a wide variety of material was exploded from Kilauea then, mostly cherry-sized scoria and other fine-grained material. However, several times explosions were apparently more violent or powerful. They ejected large, heavy rocks, much like those from the 1924 explosions that litter the surface around Halema`uma`u today. The question we asked was how far out were such rocks thrown? Using a hand-held GPS unit, we established a grid between the Hilina Pali Road and the `Ainahou Ranch Road. The grid is about 700 m (2,300 feet) on a side. At each node of the grid, we spent a total of 18 minutes looking for rocks on the surface-6 minutes per person with a full crew, and 9 minutes with only two of us. We selected the largest 10 rocks we could find during the search. It was like an Easter egg hunt, except the rocks can't be eaten and Nature put them there. We were searching for the largest rocks we could find. We were not interested in those that broke off the surface of the lava flow beneath our feet, but in those that were clearly foreign-that reached their resting place by flying through the air ballistically. After a little practice, recognizing the ballistics became a simple matter. Some of the rocks are even coarse-grained gabbro, which cooled and crystallized underground before being blasted out. What we found surprised, even shocked, us. Rather than seeing few, if any, large rocks so far from the caldera, we found lots. And some were very large. At a distance of 10 km (6 miles) from the summit, we found one rock (a gabbro) weighing 1292 g (2 lbs 13 oz.). At 7.9 km (4.7 miles) from the summit, we found another weighing 1998 g (4 lbs 5 oz.). Many others weigh 100 g (3.5 oz.) or more. When we compared our findings with theoretical models of how far such large rocks could have been thrown from a volcanic vent, we found that we were observing the impossible. The models simply say no dice, it can't be done. Even if we assume that the source for the rocks was on the east rift zone, say near Pauahi Crater or Mauna Ulu, the distance of more than 5.25 km (3.2 miles) is still too great for the models to accept. But, models or no models, the rocks traveled through the air to get where we found them-and that has to be explained. We think we are on to something. Kilauea has likely had explosions that were either more powerful, or of a different type, than existing theoretical models can explain. Before you toss out theory, all steps in the observation and interpretation process must be checked and double checked. We are doing that now. Explosions of such unusual power or type are significant; we can leave no stone unturned (pun intended) in trying to determine their nature and cause.

Waiting for the pause that refreshes http://www.islenews.com/ By Staff | 2000.8.31 - 18:17:49 HST What do Kilauea Volcano's eruption and Hilo's 7:30 a.m. traffic have in common? For one thing, lots of stops and starts. The stops and starts in the eruption at Kilauea are the by now familiar pauses; the stops and starts in busy Hilo traffic might be referred to in more colorful terms. The latest pause in Kilauea's ongoing eruption occurred just over a week ago and was brief. The pause started late on Wednesday, August 23, and ended Saturday, August 26. This was the first Y2K pause but the 30th of the current eruptive episode, which began in February 1997. Eruptive pauses can be short--lasting only a few hours--or long--lasting days or even tens of days. For avid local volcano viewers and once-in-a-lifetime visitors, a pause can be a frustrating experience, since lava stops flowing completely, and there is little, if anything, to see that is red and molten. However, for residents and visitors who are acutely aware of air quality, a pause can be a refreshing experience. Since the current eruption began in 1983, Kilauea has released a total of around 8 million tons of toxic sulfur dioxide gas (SO2)--enough to fill 400,000 Goodyear blimps or 350 billion party balloons. This gas, which reacts in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid and other aerosols, is the principle gas responsible for the formation of volcanic smog (vog). At Kilauea, the amount of sulfur dioxide gas released is directly proportional to the amount of lava erupted. Therefore, when the lava eruption rate declines, there is generally a decrease in the amount of SO2 discharged. During a long pause, the amount of SO2 released from the eruption site is usually drastically reduced. For example, during a 25-day break in the eruption in early 1997, so little SO2 was being emitted that it could not be detected downwind of the eruption site using our standard measurement techniques. This abrupt decrease in gas confirmed that, in addition to the absence of lava at the surface, magma had also withdrawn from beneath Pu`u `O`o. Several months later, SO2 emissions were still only around half their typical value, reflecting the sluggish start-up of the eruption. During this delightful three-month period of very low SO2 emissions, Kona residents reported the return of the clear air that was the norm before 1986, when the eruption became continuous. Residents who had moved off-island to escape the hazy Kona air quality inquired whether the improved conditions were likely to continue and it might be time to move back. The respite was brief however, and as the lava production came up to full volume, so did the SO2 emissions, and thereby the air pollution problem. During brief pauses, SO2 emissions may decline somewhat but not stop altogether. During the most recent event, measurements showed that the amount of SO2 released during the pause was still around two-thirds of what we had measured prior to the pause. Although no active lava was flowing, residual degassing of cooling lava, tubes, the vent areas, and shallow magma beneath Pu`u 'O`o continued. It can take many days for all of the gas to escape from the material remaining in the system, so a brief pause may give little chance for chronic volcanic air pollution, such as that in Kona, to clear. Close to the emission sources, it may also be difficult to detect that a decrease in SO2 has occurred. Under steady trade wind conditions, a compact plume of the residual SO2 from the inactive eruption site can cross the Chain of Craters Road in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, 9 km (5.5 miles) from the emission source. This plume is concentrated enough so that a person would still experience the pungent smell, taste and ensuing watery eyes associated with SO2 exposure. Although the latest pause in Kilauea's ongoing eruption was brief, an extended "pause that refreshes" may lie in the future.

Maggie!!! This is hilarious stuff!!! Whoooooo...I did not know it was even out there let alone for God and everyone to read. Thanks for putting it here!!! Kilauea continues to erupt on the southwest flank and continues to add acreage to the island as it does so....and more black sand for the beaches. The House Male assured me that the new Kalapana black sand has all washed away and thatr this other beach is a poor replacement for the old one. But, it is one of the few remaining beaches in the area. He said there are 200-foot (61 M) cliffs now where the "new" black sand beach used to be.

******************************* Aoba Volcano, Vanuatu website ******************************* From: Roberto Carniel A short note to inform you that, in collaboration with Charlie Douglas and Sandrine Wallez, Geohazard Mitigation section of the Department of Geology, Mines and Water resources of Vanuatu, and Michel Halbwachs and Michel Lardy, of French IRD, we prepared a page regarding the current situation at Aoba volcano, in the island of Ambae, Vanuatu. STROMBOLI ON LINE, by J. Alean & R. Carniel, http://stromboli.net From homepage follow link: *Eruptions worldwide", then "Aoba, Ambae, Vanuatu". Best regards. Roberto Carniel. University of Udine, Italy

(did you see 251 as well?)

You probably know all this but it was new to me ...The following near-real-time Earthquake Bulletin is provided by the National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS) of the U. S. Geological Survey as part of a cooperative project of the Council of the National Seismic System. For a description of the earthquake parameters listed below, the availability of additional information, and our publication criteria, please finger qk_info@gldfs.cr.usgs.gov. This Bulletin is updated every 5 minutes, if necessary. The same Bulletin is also available via the Internet at: http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/bulletin.html and that is the preferred means of obtaining it. Updated as of Thu Sep 14 22:22:40 GMT 2000. DATE-(UTC)-TIME LAT LON DEP MAG Q COMMENTS yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss deg. deg. km 00/09/12 06:43:13 35.35N 99.32E 33.0 4.7Mb A QINGHAI, CHINA 00/09/12 09:50:50 22.65S 179.92W 544.7 4.6Mb B SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS 00/09/12 09:54:38 36.42N 120.99W 9.7 2.8Md CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 00/09/12 10:54:12 6.66N 73.05W 163.9 5.0Mb A NORTHERN COLOMBIA 00/09/12 15:54:33 27.41S 177.16W 33.0 4.8Mb B KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION 00/09/12 16:27:24 5.42S 101.76E 33.0 6.1Ms A SW OF SUMATERA, INDONESIA 00/09/13 00:11:26 51.00N 179.28E 33.0 4.3Mb B RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 00/09/13 00:13:33 23.86S 66.71W 33.0 4.9Mb B JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA 00/09/13 03:55:10 27.76N 51.74E 33.0 4.7Mb B PERSIAN GULF 00/09/13 04:17:04 27.77N 51.72E 33.0 4.8Mb A PERSIAN GULF 00/09/13 08:47:50 7.91S 74.41W 147.1 4.3Mb A PERU-BRAZIL BORDER REGION 00/09/13 09:04:22 27.48N 51.85E 33.0 4.7Mb B PERSIAN GULF 00/09/13 10:08:01 42.73N 145.09E 33.0 4.4Mb A HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION 00/09/13 10:34:53 58.38S 25.05W 33.0 4.8Mb B SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION 00/09/13 13:09:46 27.82N 51.70E 33.0 5.1Mb A PERSIAN GULF 00/09/13 15:11:20 34.18N 95.08E 33.0 4.7Mb B QINGHAI, CHINA 00/09/13 20:39:03 9.12N 126.10E 132.0 4.7Mb B MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES 00/09/13 22:15:09 44.51N 140.56E 248.4 4.2Mb B EASTERN SEA OF JAPAN 00/09/13 22:29:10 54.31S 136.80W 10.0 5.3Mb C PACIFIC-ANTARCTIC RIDGE 00/09/14 14:59:57 15.65S 179.80E 33.0 6.2Ms A FIJI ISLANDS 00/09/14 17:33:27 22.43S 176.35W 104.5 5.2Mb A SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS

Also http://www.drudgereport.com/quake.htm The areas covered are: LIVE REPORTS WORLD LIST LOS ANGELES LIST LOS ANGELES MAP SAN FRANCISCO LIST SAN FRANCISCO MAP INSTA CALI MAP EMERGENCY INFO SEISMO/H'WOOD ENTIRE US MAP AP QUAKE NEWS UPI/REUTER QUAKE NEWS MAMMOTH VOLCANO WATCH

Yup...post them daily in Geo 26, but I appreciat your posting them anyway. I am desperately trying to retrieve my foot from my mouth in which it has been firmly wedged all week! Appreciate your diligence. Btw, falcon came here in July and apparently was soooo bored that he has not been back since...!

Friday September 15 2:35 PM ET Mexico's Popocatepetl Volcano Spouts Steam And Gas MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano spewed a column of steam and gas nearly a mile into the air on Friday but authorities said there was no threat to people living nearby. The Center for the Prevention of Disasters (CENAPRED) said the volcano, 40 miles east of the nation's capital, remained on yellow alert, meaning it could erupt in weeks or months but probably no sooner. The center advised people to stay at least 4.3 miles away from Popocatepetl, which means ``smoking mountain'' in the indigenous Nahuatl language. Ramon Pena, director of Plan Popocatepetl at the center, told local radio the exhalation was normal for an active volcano. He attributed the emission to the presence of snow on the crater that evaporates rapidly on contact with the magma. Recently, the 17,887-foot volcano has shown increased activity. ``Popo,'' as it is known locally, was inactive from 1927 to 1994, when there was a moderate eruption. Since then it has been active, regularly sending up smoke and ash columns. In November 1998, the volcano spewed fragments of lava rock.

VOLCANO- Sept 10 2000- Tavurvur, Rabual Caldera, New Britian Island, Papua New Guinea Erupts- On Sept 6, the stratovolcano Tavurvur erupted sending thick clouds of ash over the town of Rabual. Tarvurvur began showing signs of increased activity the week before, but not alerts were issued. *Mahalo, A_P*

Asama-Yama Volcano Japan................ Asama-Yama, Japan Location: 36.4N, 138.53E Elevation: 8364 Ft. (2550 m) Asama-yama is a stratovolcano. Three overlapping bodies make up this volcano. It consists of a young stratovolcano with two craters lying on a shield volcano. The shield volcano rests on an older stratovolcano. Kurohu-yama is the name of the western crater rim of the older stratovolcano. It stands 7888 ft (2405 m) high. Erosion has enlarged this crater to 1.25 miles (2 km) around. Water rests in the crater and is drained to the SW. The eastern part of this stratovolcano has been down-faulted and buried under a shield volcano. A younger stratovolcano also lies on top of this shield. This younger stratovolcano has two craters. The SW rim of the outer crater is Maekake-yama. It stands 8177 ft. (2493 m) high. The outer crater is ~3900 ft. (1200 m) across from east to west and ~3000 ft. (900 m) across from north to south. This crater is about 1.25 miles (2 km) east of Kurohu-yama. Kama-yama is a cone at the center of the outer crater. It stands 8364 ft (2550 m) high. This cone rises 558 ft. (170 m) above the bottom of the crater. Its crater pit is ~1150 ft. (350 m) across and very active. The depth of this crater changes with time. It was 820 ft. (250 m) deep in 1893, but it was completely filled with lava in 1912. All recorded eruptions have taken place from this crater pit. Asama-yama sits on a flat plateau. This plateau is about 3300 ft. (1000 m) high. It is made of rocks erupted from other volcanoes, lake deposits and rocks make up the older volcanoes. Hotoke-iwa exists as a bulge to the SW of the outer crater of the younger stratovolcano. Hotoke-iwa is a shield volcano with a steep slope. The first stage of activity of Asama was the eruption of Kurohu-yama. This cone shaped stratovolcano grew 6560 ft. (2000 m) from its base at the time. Its crater began to grow by erosion once the cone itself stopped growing. The eastern part of Kurohu-yama was destroyed by down-faulting and large scale steam explosions. The second stage of activity involved the eruption of Hotokeiwa. Several lava flows occurred during this stage. These are now exposed at Hotokeiwa SSE of the present active crater. Ko-asama-yama is a parasitic lava dome on the eastern side of Asama. It stands 5428 ft (1655 m) high and is made of a rock similar to dacite erupted during the formation of the shield volcano. The western side of the shield was destroyed by down-faulting. The third state of activity consisted of the eruptions of two pumice flows. These flows had great volume that spread over wide areas to the north and south of the shield volcano. Andesite stratovolcanoes grew during the fourth stage of activity. The recent eruptions produced thick lava flows and pyroclastic ejecta together with pyroclastic flows (nuees ardentes). On the southern side of this cone there is a parasitic lava dome made of andesite. Its name is Sekison-zan. It rises 656 ft. (200 m) from the surrounding cone. This cone is younger than the cone of Kurohu-yama but older than the recent cone. Its age relation with the shield volcano is unknown. Asama has erupted 121 times. Most of these eruptions have been Vulcanian. A weak solfatara is active at the SW crater rim of the volcano. The last eruption was in 1990. American_Patriot [Yahoo! Clubs: WARNING Volcanology Activated]

This was a new site to me ...and I have been surprised at the sheer number of African volcanoes ...several I knew about but many here are new to me ...I think everyrone has pix...often from space, great detail and documented. Too much to explore right now, but I'll be coming back to this site for sure ....... http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/africa/africa.html I found this site through http://www.viexpo.com/dmstest/volcano.html which is also well worth looking at ....

Been there and done that. Thanks for reminding me...!

Marica, I'm sorry it took me ages to get back. I can't get here as often as I'd like having all those "Mom" things to do. Thank you so much for the lovely greeting and the information and beautiful photos of the two Kalapana black sand beaches. It must have been very painful to have seen it disappear. I admire and am amazed at the the people who had the forsight to collect the coconut sprouts and plant them on the new beach.

There are sacred-to-Hawaiian-Ohana (extended family) places all over the place down around Kalapana. There was little grieving by the Hawaiians who have lived with Madame Pele forever. Rather, the celebrate the new land and consecrate it with offerings of food, flowers, carefully made into haku leis, and chants. One hike I took was with a class of geology students. My hiking buddy a local girl. She prayerfully collected flowers for her offering and prayers to Pele for safe passage over the just-barely-hardened flows. I still have the photo of her offerning and will try to scan it. There were about 20 students, one professor and one mom (guess who) who went on the night hike, and none intruded into her quiet departure from us when we reached the new lava on foot. She was just about 5 minutes away from us, out of sight, and no one doubted that her offering and chants helped us escape unscathed. One place we crossed made my hiking boots' soles smoke! It also poured on us at one point - so heavily that our feet made squelching sounds as we walked. But, in Hawaii, rain is a blessing. No one complained and we were all toasty-warm and dry by the time the hike was over!

A long story and no mention of the coconuts. Part of the Hawaiian respect for the 'Aina (the land) is their replanting where the lava has taken away.

*************************** Indonesian updates *************************** Below is a summary of some of the Indonesian volcanic activities for the week ending 18 September. Kerinci, Anak Krakatau, Slamet, Semeru (pyroclastic flows too), Batur, Api Siau (nightime glares and continuous tremor), Lokon-Empung (nighttime glow), Soputan, Ijen (minor ash plume) and Merapi (rockfalls and ash falls) all continued to be active. Following from: http://www.vsi.dpe.go.id/news/index.html Weekly Report No. 581 12 - 18 September 2000 Kerinci Jambi, Sumatera; 1�41.5' S, 101�16' E, summit elev. 3,800 m During this week, the activity of Kerinci volcano was still ongoing. Visually, a white thin-thick as plume was observed with a maximum height reached about 300 m above the crater. Seismic record was still dominated by emission earthquakes, but the seismicity decreased compare to the last week. Recorded activities were emission earthquake 129 events and tectonic 15 events. The alert level of Kerinci volcano is in level 2. Anak Krakatau Sunda strait; 6�6'5.8" S, 105�25'22.3" E Anak Krakatau was covered by smog, so that the visual observation could not be done from the observatory post. Boom sound was not heard from the post. Seismograph was still recording emission earthquakes but the number decreased compare to the last week. Infrasonic sensor recorded 4 explosion earthquakes. Recorded activities were deep volcanic earthquake 2 events, emission/explosion earthquake 1,477 events and tectonic earthquake 1 event. Anak Krakatau volcano is in level 2. Slamet Central Java; 7�14.30' S,109�12.30' E During this week, Slamet volcano produced a white medium-thick ash plume with the height of 50-100 m above the summit. Seismicity was dominated by emission and tremor earthquakes with the amplitude of 0.5-5 mm, but there was no a significant change compared to the last week. Seismograph recorded shallow volcanic earthquake 5 events, continuous tremor and emission earthquake 212 events. Slamet volcano is in level 2. Semeru East Java; 8�6.50' S, 112�55' E The visual observation showed that a white gray thin ash plume rose up to 600 m above the summit. Seismicity was still dominated by explosion earthquakes and the number showed a increase, whereas the number of ash fall decreased. During this week, seismograph recorded 623 explosion earthquakes, pyroclastic flow 3 events, tremor 2 events and ash fall 72 events. The alert level of Semeru volcano is in level 2. Batur Bali; 8�14.30' S, 115�22.30' E During this week, from the visual observation, Batur volcano produced a white thin ash plume with the height of 10 m above the crater edge. Seismograph recorded shallow volcanic earthquake 3 events, deep volcanic 8 events, emission earthquake 4 events and tectonic 14 events. Batur volcano is in level 2. Karangetang Siau island; 2�47' N, 125�29' E A white thin-thick ash plume from the main and the second craters rose up to 400 m above the craters. At night, was observed the light around the crater that the height reached 75 m above the crater. Continuous tremor volcanic dominated seismic activity, with the amplitude of 0.5-29 mm, and only 1 event of tectonic was recorded. Karangetang volcano is in level 2. Lokon North Sulawesi; 1�21.5' N, 124�47.5' E During this week, there was no a significant change from this volcano compared with the last week. A white thin-thick ash plume rose up to 400 m high from the crater edge. A light was seen around the crater with the height of 25 m above the crater. Tremor earthquake was recorded with 0.5-1 mm of amplitude and also recorded 32 tectonic earthquakes. Lokon volcano is in level 3 Soputan North Sulawesi; 1�6.5' N, 124�43' E A significant change of Soputan volcano was not seen visually. A white thin-medium emission ash plume rose 50 up to 200 m above the summit. Seismicity was dominated by ash fall earthquakes (178 events). Seismograph also recorded deep volcanic 6 events and tectonic 33 events. Soputan volcano is in level 4. Ijen East Java; 8�3.5' S, 114�14.5' E A white thin-medium ash plume rose up to 25 m above the crater. Seismicity showed a decreased in the number of volcanic earthquakes, but tremor volcanic earthquakes were recorded continuously. The complete seismicity as follows : deep volcanic 1 event, shallow volcanic 11 events and tectonic 8 events. Ijen volcano is in level 2. Merapi Central Java; 7�32.5' S, 110�26.5' E Based on the visual and instrumental observations, the alert level of Merapi volcano is waspada Merapi (level 2). The visual observation showed that the volcano produced a white thin solfatar with the maximum height of 250 m from the summit and the pressure was low. Seismicity did not show a significant decrease and increase in volcanic activity. The activities were dominated by ash fall and multiphase earthquakes. Shallow and deep volcanic events still occurred. Merapi volcano is in level 2.

Update On Previous Volcanic Cases- thanks to A_P VOLCANOES- Sept 20 2000- Japan Volcano Threatens To Explode- Hundreds of earthquakes have jolted the region near central Japan's Mt.Asama Volcano since the beginning of the week. On Monday, at least 138 quakes shook the mountain, located on the border between Nagano and Gunma prefectures. There haven't been any evacutions. The tremors did however increase on Tuesday by 40 an hour. It has been spewing steam. This volcano has been silent for the last 217 years. A major explosion in 1783 killed 1,151 people. Sept 20 2000- Mexican Volcano Threatens To Erupt- On Wednesday a new lava dome formed on Popcatepetl Volcano which means that lava is rising to the surface and could cause a major eruption. The last major eruption of this volcano was in 1994 when it awoke from its 67-year dormancy. Alert status has not been raised. The nearest living establishment is 5 miles away from the base of this 17,259 foot volcano. Sept 22 2000- Guatemalan Volcano Spews Ash Cloud- An active volcano in Guatemala shot out a huge cloud of ash and smoke on Thursday, leaving nearby communities blanketed in ash. Plans to evacuate residents is in consideration. Volcano del Fuego, which is Spanish for Volcano of fire, was put on orange alert. The last major eruption of this volcano was in May 1999. Sept 28 2000- Japan Volcano Erupts- Mt. Komagatake, a volcano in northern Japan, exploded on Thursday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries. The 3,716-foot volcano, located 441 miles NE of Tokyo, on the island of Hokkaido, last erupted Sept.4. A major eruption of the volcano in 1929 killed two, and a 1856 eruption claimed 20.

Mt. Cameroon, Cameroon Location: 4.20N, 9.17E Elevation: 13,428 ft (4095 m) Mt. Cameroon is a poorly studied stratovolcano located in the nation of Cameroon, 180 miles west of the capital Yaounde. This volcano is also known locally as Mt. Faka and "Chariot of the Gods". It is one of Cameroon's main tourist attractions. Thousands of people participate in a race up its rocky slopes each year. It is the highest peak in West and Central Africa. Cameroon has erupted six times this century, most recently in the summer of 1999. Eruptions generally occur on the flanks of the volcano and produce small cinder cones and lava flows. Cameroon was the site of one of the earliest recorded volcanic eruptions--in the 5th century BC--observed by a Cathaginian ship captain while sailing down the Atlantic Coast of Africa. Mahalo to A_P

************************* Popocatepetl, Mexico ************************* Mexican Volcano Spouts Steam And Ash Column full Reuters report at: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20001004/sc/mexico_volcano_dc_2.html excerpt: Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano...spouted a 4-mile column of ash on Tuesday, its biggest this year, authorities said....CENAPRED said on Sept. 15 that Popocatepetl's main volcanic crater had been sealed by the formation of a dome-like structure. Tuesday's eruption of ash, gases and water came as the dome became slightly uncovered, Valdes said. CENAPRED bulletins and links to images are available at: http://www.cenapred.unam.mx/boletines.html ************************* Colima, Mexico ************************* The 22 September update for Colima volcano in Mexico indicate weakening activity but steam and ash emissions still are occurring. Loosely translated from URL

********************************************* Mt. Komagatake and Mt. Asama, Japan activity ********************************************* Information from Chris Eisinger Mt. Komagatake erupted last week on Thursday, Sept. 28, following an earlier eruption on Sept. 4. An AP news report is available at: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000928/wl/japan_volcano_1.html AP news also reported previously that Mt. Asama in central Japan was shaken by 138 earthquakes on Monday, Sept. 18 (compared with about 10 daily in recent months). By late Tuesday, Sept. 19 there were an average of 40 volcanic tremors an hour. The last major eruption of Mt. Asama in 1783 killed over 1,000 people. ********************************************* White Island and Ruapehu, NZ updates ********************************************* From: Dan Shackelford For the week ending 29 September, White Island's MH vent continued to emit gas with a very small amount of ash and the crater opened on 27 July produced gas. Also, a swarm of high-frequency earthquakes took place, as well as periodic low-frequency tremor. Minor tremor noted at Ruapehu, but no change in surface activity. From: http://www.gns.cri.nz/hazardwatch/latest/gweekvo.htm White Island During the week a swarm of small high-frequency earthquakes were recorded. These were sourced at or near White Island. There has also been periodic low-frequency tremor recorded. There have been no reported changes in activity, with MH vent still producing a very small amount of ash. Both the MH and the unnamed crater (formed July 27th) are emitting steam and gas. The Scientific Alert Level remains at 1. Other volcanoes A small amount of volcanic tremor was observed at Ruapehu during the week. No surface activity has been reported. The Scientific Alert Level remains at 1.

******************************* Mount Ulawun, Papua New Guinea ******************************* From: Dan Shackelford Papua New Guinea's Ulawun volcano erupted briefly on 29 Sept. 2000 at 0230 from its summit. Heavy ash falls prompted evacuations. As of 2-3 Oct. there have been no further eruptions but the summit crater continues to emit white fume, while low - moderate seismicity continues, including harmonic tremor. Full report: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20001002/news02.htm excerpt: Mt Ulawun quiet but stage 2 alert remains. The stage two alert on Mount Ulawun will be maintained indefinitely despite a decline in the volcanic activity. Mt Ulawun, on the border of East and West New Britain provinces, erupted at 2.30am on Friday but no casualties or major damages had been reported so far. Government officials say that although the eruption had stopped, there was still low to moderate seismic activity, which indicate that the volcano was still active. Reports of the early morning eruption were not received at the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory until about 8am, because of communication problems with its monitoring station on Mount Ulamona. A team of government officials from East New Britain comprising the senior volcanologist Ima Itikarai, provincial disaster co-ordinator Peniel Lotu and health adviser Bernard Lukara flew to the area to assess the situation. Their report was still to be ratified by the East and West New Britain provincial disaster committees. But government officers in Bialla said there has been a decline in activity. The summit of the volcano was clear while the vent was emitting thin white vapor. Full report: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20001003/news08.htm excerpts: Alert kept up on volcano THE stage two alert on Mount Ulawun will remain in force until authorities are convinced there is no imminent danger of another eruption. An update on the volcanic activity by the East New Britain provincial disaster committee, which is monitoring the situation through the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory, said the summit activity had quietened down. But the continuous occurrence of volcanic tremors provided evidence that the volcano was still active. West New Britain Governor Clement Nakmai yesterday met with the provincial executive council, the administration and disaster committee, to discuss the fate of the 3750 displaced people in care centres at Bakada, Soi and Kabaya. Officials in Bialla said the immediate concern was to feed those in care centres.

Kilauea update 0510 October 8, 2000 Note: Your observer will be attending a meeting in Waikiki on October 9-11. The next predawn report will be written on October 12. In the meantime, any important developments will be reported here as needed. Kamokuna continues to gobble up all the lava that makes its way across the coastal flat. This Sunday morning at 0435, the entry was glowing brightly and giving off a moderate steam plume. Still, the amount of lava entering the water seems substantially less than that pouring through the lava tube above Pulama pali. Apparently the new flow on the coastal flat is inflating and consequently taking up some of the lava that otherwise would make it all the way to the coast. Kamokuna is about 1.5 km west-southwest of Waha`ula and has been the site of repeated entries over the years. Narrow streams of lava are trickling over the old sea cliff there, spaced across a shoreline distance of about 600 m. The mid- dle of the three benches at Kamokuna is about 360 m wide and has been the most active for the past several days. On Pulama pali this morning at 0435, the only glow is from the long-lived skylight high on the scarp. The crater of Pu`u `O`o is dark on this cool, blustery morning. Volcanic tremor near Pu`u `O`o continues at a weak to moderate level. Earthquake activity is low across the island. The tilt at Kilauea summit is rather flat (ac- tually continuing the long-term slow deflation underway since the eruption began in 1983), as it is near Pu`u `O`o and everywhere else along the east rift zone.

********************************** Piton de la Fournaise eruption ********************************** From: Jean-Louis CHEMINEE A new eruption, the third in 2000, started at Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion Island) Oct 12 at 5:05, local time, after a seismic crisis started at 4:09, local time. This eruption, situated SE of Dolomieu crater flank, in the Enclos Fouquet, follows 4 weeks of increasing seismicity and ground deformations.

************************************ MVO update, Friday, October 6, 2000 ************************************ From: Dan Shackelford Subject: Spine growth, incandescent rockfalls and pyroclastic flows at Soufriere Hills For the week ending 6 October, Soufriere Hills displayed spine and dome growth, small pyroclastic flows and incandescent rockfalls. Somewhat reduced seismic levels when compared to the previous week, Following from Montserrat Volcano Observatory, care of Peter Dunkley : Report for the period midday, 29 September 2000 to midday, 6 October 2000 Activity at the Soufri�re Hills volcano has continued this week with the summit lava dome continuing to grow. Clear views of the summit of the volcano were seen on most days of the week. A large steeply inclined lava spine dominated the eastern part of the summit region of the dome and changed in size and shape throughout the week. On the evening of the 30th September the top of the spine had reached an altitude of 1054 metres, this being the highest measurement taken on the dome so far. On the morning of 6 October there were several smaller spines. Observation flights indicate that there has been no new growth on the western flanks of the dome. Rockfalls were confined to the eastern side of the dome, where they contribute to a very broad apron of talus accumulating in the upper reaches of the Tar River valley. Rockfalls of incandescent material were observed in this area at night. There were a number of very small pyroclastic flows off the eastern side of the dome, the largest of which passed down the Tar River but did not reach the delta. This short-lived but energetic flow occurred on the morning of the 2nd October and produced a dense, dark ash cloud which remained at a low level and moved rapidly to the northwest on the prevailing wind, depositing ash in the Salem area before being swept out to sea. The level of seismic activity was considerably lower than in the previous week. The broadband seismic network recorded a total of 169 rockfall signals, 29 hybrid, 25 long period and 16 volcano-tectonic earthquakes for the reporting period. COSPEC measurements indicate an increase in sulphur dioxide emissions compared with the previous week, with daily average values of 790 and 948 tonnes on the 2nd and 3rd October respectively. Residents of Montserrat and visitors to the island are advised to tune in to ZJB Radio for up-to-date information on the status of the volcano. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity is likely to remain at a high level whilst the dome continues to grow, producing ash clouds which may blow over inhabited areas if winds are from the south or southeast. Elevated levels of pyroclastic flow activity may develop very rapidly and could affect any valleys around the volcano. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions or when you disturb ash. The Belham valley should be avoided during and after periods of heavy rain and everyone is reminded that access to Plymouth, Bramble airport and beyond is prohibited. There is a maritime exclusion zone around the southern part of the island that extends two miles beyond the coastline from Trant's Bay in the east to Garibaldi Hill on the west coast. The daytime entry zone remains closed. 12 noon, Friday, 6 October 2000

******************************************** KVERT Information Release; October 17, 2000 ******************************************** From: Alaska Volcano Observatory Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-44 Wednesday, October 18, 2000, 12:20 KDT (2320 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are in Kamchatkan Daylight Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Daylight Time. BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o 58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE WAS GREEN. A thermal anomaly, first observed in satellite images by AVO on September 21, has increased in intensity during the past week. According to AVO satellite data, a 4 pixel thermal anomaly at Bezymianny was observed in a nighttime AVHRR image at 07:04 KDT on October 18. One pixel was saturated at 50 degrees Celsius, and a recovery pixel was also present, indicative of intense thermal activity. Background temperature values were about -10 to -15 degrees Celsius. This is the most intense thermal activity that has been observed since the initial observation of the anomaly on September 21. No ash plumes or drifting ash clouds have been detected. Thermal anomalies detected in satellite data have preceded explosive eruptions of Bezymianny by days to weeks in October 1995, May and December 1997, February 1999, and March 2000. However, in June 1998, intense thermal activity was not followed by an explosive event. Only two small (M0) earthquakes were registered under the volcano during the past 5 days. On most days, clouds obscured the volcano. On October 16, weak fumarolic activity was observed. It is necessary to note that the nearest seismic station ZLN has been out of order since October 14. PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. Olga Chubarova David Schneider Kamchatka Volcanic Eruptions Alaska Volcano Observatory Response Team, IVGG, Piip Blvd, 9 4200 University Drive Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006, RUSSIA Anchorage, Alaska 99508 E-mail: ochubarova@emsd.iks.ru E-mail: djschneider@usgs.gov tel. (415-22)59385 907-786-7037 *************************************** KVERT Weekly Update, October 20, 2000 *************************************** From: Alaska Volcano Observatory Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-45 Friday, October 20, 2000, 12:00 KDT (2300 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are in Kamchatkan Daylight Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Daylight Time. KLYUCHEVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO 56o03'N, 160o39'E; Elevation 4,750 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. During the past week (October 13-19), seismic activity was near background levels. Shallow earthquakes occurred. On October 13, a fumarolic plume rose 200 m above the volcano and extended 5 km to the east. On October 15, weak fumarolic activity was observed. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. A thermal anomaly, first observed in satellite images by AVO on September 21, has increased in intensity and size during the past week. Only three small (M0) earthquakes were registered under the volcano during the past week. On most days, clouds obscured the volcano. On October 16, weak fumarolic activity was observed. SHEVELUCH VOLCANO 56o38'N, 161o19'E; Elevation 2,447 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. On October 15, weak fumarolic activity was observed. On October 16, a gas-steam plume rose 350 m above the dome. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. Weak continuous volcanic tremor was recorded during the entire week. At 15:12 KDT on October 14(02:12 UTC), seismic data indicated a possible gas-ash explosion as a 20-minutes-long series of strong shallow seismic events occurred. The height of the cloud was estimated on the basis of the seismicity at ~7,500 m ASL. KARYMSKY VOLCANO 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismic activity was at background levels. AVACHINSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES, 53o15'N, 158o51'E; CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismicity at Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes is at normal levels. MUTNOVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES GORELY VOLCANO, 52o33'N, 158o02'E, Elevation 1,828M MUTNOVSKY VOLCANO, 52o27'N, 158o12'E, Elevation 2,324 M. CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE FOR BOTH VOLCANOES IS GREEN. On October 14-15 and 17-18, both of volcanoes were quiet. On other days, clouds obscured the volcanoes. On October 13-16, microseismic signals were registered on seismic station GRL. PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. Olga Chubarova David Schneider Kamchatka Volcanic Eruptions Alaska Volcano Observatory Response Team, IVGG, Piip Blvd, 9 4200 University Drive Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006, RUSSIA Anchorage, Alaska 99508 E-mail: ochubarova@emsd.iks.ru E-mail: djschneider@usgs.gov tel. (415-22)59385 907-786-7037

******************************************************* Indonesian Volcano Update, 10-16 October ******************************************************* For the week ending 16 October, the Indonesian volcanoes Slamet and Semeru showed a decrease in the level of their activity, whereas the volcanoes Api Siau (lava flow and avalanches) and Merapi (earthquake swarm and deep earthquakes) showed a significant increase in their activities. Kerinci, Krakatau, Lokon-Empung and Soputan remained at about the same level of activity. From: http://www.vsi.dpe.go.id/news/index.html Weekly Report No. 585 - 10-16 October 2000 Kerinci Jambi, Sumatera; 1�41.5' S, 101�16' E, summit elev. 3,800 m Ash plume still occurred and dominating at Kerinci activity. The color was commonly in white thin-thick, rose up to 400 m height. Seismicity was still dominated by small explosion earthquakes and increased in volcanic earthquake. Deep volcanic (A) 3 events, shallow volcanic (B) 1 event, small explosion 261 events, and 3 events of tectonic earthquake. The alert level of Kerinci volcano is in level 2. Anak Krakatau Sunda strait; 6�6'5.8" S, 105�25'22.3" E Krakatau activity more quite during the week. There was no thundering sound from the volcano. Seismograph continued to record small explosion earthquake but the number decreased over last week. The complete seismicity during the week were 24 events of small explosion and 1 event of tectonic earthquake. Anak Krakatau volcano is in level 2. Slamet Central Java; 7�14.30' S,109�12.30' E During the week Slamet activity showed a significant decreasing. It was represent from both visual and instrumental monitoring. Ash plume rose about 50-100 m height and seismograph only record a continuous tremor with the amplitude of 0.15-7 mm. Slamet volcano is in level 2. Semeru East Java; 8�6.50' S, 112�55' E From seismograph recording Semeru activity indicated a major decreasing this week. The number of seismicity was decreased over the previous week. Pyroclastic flow occurred once time. Detail seismicity were deep volcanic (A) 1 event, shallow volcanic (B) 3 events, explosion 592 events, pyroclastic 1 event, avalanche 41 events, and 9 events of tectonic earthquake. The alert level of Semeru volcano is in level 2. Karangetang Siau island; 2�47' N, 125�29' E Karangetang activity showed a major increasing within this week. Main crater and crater II continued to ejecting white thin-thick ash plume, hit about 500 m height above the summit. Sometime was heard a thundering sound from the volcano and night view was observed the red flame up to 75 m. On 14 October 2000, at 18.40 WITA (local time) was observed glowing lava which flowed away 100 m distance to the Nenitu river. Meanwhile the avalanche hit about 1000 m. Seismograph recorded a significant increasing of deep volcanic (A) and small explosion earthquake. Complete data listed as follow : deep volcanic (A) 36 events, shallow volcanic (B) 1 event, small explosion 145 events, tectonic 11 events, and a continuous of tremor earthquake with the amplitude of 0.5-23 mm. Karangetang volcano is in level 2. Lokon North Sulawesi; 1�21.5' N, 124�47.5' E Based on visual observation there is no major change in Lokon activity. But the volcano was still ejecting the white thin-thick ash plume that hit about 250 m height. Red flame with the radiation of 25 m was shown from the crater. Seismograph was recorded 6 events of deep volcanic (A) and 22 events of tectonic earthquake. Lokon volcano is in level 2. Soputan North Sulawesi; 1�6.5' N, 124�43' E There is major change in Soputan activity during this week. Seismicity was dominated by avalanche earthquake but recorded 1 of deep volcanic earthquake. Complete seismicity were deep volcanic (A) 1 event, tectonic 18 events, and 242 events of avalanche earthquake. Soputan volcano is in level 2. Merapi Central Java; 7�32.5' S, 110�26.5' E Although visual observation was obscured by the haze, Merapi activity showed a significant increasing. Seismograph recorded a significant swarm and deep volcanic earthquake during this week. Meanwhile, seismicity was still dominated by superficial earthquakes such as multiphase and avalanche earthquake. Merapi volcano is in level 2.

I know this man with the JPL initials. VERY well, indeed. I also know Jim Griggs! We even share the same ISP! ************************************ Year 2001 IAVCEI Volcano Calendars ************************************ From: John Lockwood Dear Volcanophile Friends: Brian Hausback and Steve McNutt's superb Labor of Love, the Sacramento Volcanological Society's "2001 IAVCEI Volcano Calendars" (and other calendars focusing on Hawaiian Volcanic activity) are now available at the HAWAIIAN VOLCANO STORE (http://www.volcanostore.com). Please pardon the delay in presenting these, but the Store has undergone a change of ownership and management, and has been completely redesigned. Jim Griggs of Volcano, Hawaii, well-known for his photographs of Hawaiian volcanic activity, is the new Proprietor of the Store, and is now responsible for carrying the shop to new heights!. Marti and I have enjoyed filling thousands of orders for you over the past four years, but have decided that we really weren't cut out to be "shopkeepers". There are lots of volcanoes "out there", and so long as our legs stay strong, we intend to make them our main focus in life - both for fun and work! Jim and his colleagues will be greatly expanding the Store line of volcano-related products in the near future, and they look forward to hearing from you as to new quality products you'd like to see stocked. As before, the Store will be offering most products to you at below retail cost. Please stop by and see the changes! Aloha 'Oukou, Jack & Marti

Smithsonian Institution Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network Volume 25, Number 8, August 2000 VOLCANOES Arenal (Costa Rica) Maps, photos, and seismic data on the 23 August eruption Poas (Costa Rica) Fumarolic activity and increased seismicity during JanuaryJune 2000 Shishaldin (Alaska) Thermal anomaly and small explosions on 11 August Shiveluch (Kamchatka) Fumarolic plume, multiple gasash explosions, and partial dome collapses Bandai (Japan) Unprecedented increase in seismicity during 1416 August Komagatake (Japan) Small eruptions on 4 and 28 September, the first since October 1998 Aoba (Vanuatu) Increase in temperature and acidity at Lake Voui during AprilAugust 2000 Ulawun (Papua New Guinea) Eruption on 29 September causes the evacuation of nearby towns Rotorua (New Zealand) Smallscale hydrothermal eruption on 18 September White Island (New Zealand) Ashandsteam emissions accompanied by magmatic eruption Stromboli (Italy) Lowtomoderate eruptive activity JanuarySeptember 2000 EARTHQUAKES Santa Cruz Islands (Mw 6.7) 3 August; Sakhalin Island (Mw 6.8) 4 August; Kermadec Islands (Mw 6.7) 15 August; Indonesia (Ms 6.8) 28 August Editors: Rick Wunderman and Edward Venzke Editorial Assistants: Gari Mayberry, Luke Jensen, Alicia Arroyo, David Charvonia, and Jacquelyn Gluck

For an idea of how the Island of Hawaii is made of various volcanoes:

Hawaiian Meaning The Hawaiian name "Kilauea" means "spewing" or "much spreading," apparently in reference to the lava flows that it erupts. Most Recent Eruption Continuous since January 3, 1983 Number of Historical Eruptions 61, not counting the continuous lava-lake activity in Halema`uma`u crater Summit Caldera The caldera itself has no Hawaiian name other than Kilauea but houses the famous crater, Halema`uma`u; "hale" is a house, "ma`uma`u" a type of fern. Kamapua`a, a jilted suitor of Pele, is said to have built a house of ferns over Halema`uma`u to keep Pele from escaping her home and causing eruptions. The ploy failed. Dimension: 6 x 6 km (outermost faults), 3 x 5 km (main depression) Depth: 165 m deep Age: probably several incremental collapses 500-210 years ago Oldest Dated Rocks 23,000 years old Estimated Age of Earliest Subaerial Eruptions 50,000-100,000 years Estimated Age of First Eruption of Kilauea 300,000-600,000 years before present Hawaiian Volcano Stage Shield-forming stage

Close-up of where the erutpion is taking place:

In our latest effort to improve the volcano-monitoring instruments on Mauna Loa and Kilauea, we have just completed the installation of the most sensitive instruments available for monitoring the strain deep beneath the surface of a volcano. Three holes more than 100 m deep were drilled into Mauna Loa, and an existing deep hole in Kilauea's summit area was also used. In each hole were installed an ultra-sensitive strainmeter and a seismic package consisting of a three-component broadband seismometer and a strong-motion sensor. Currently the installations are being tested and modified where necessary. Later this year, a borehole tiltmeter may be added high in each hole. Once all of this is completed, the state-of-the-art instrumentation will radio data to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in real time and make possible the early detection and tracking of events occurring deep within Mauna Loa and Kilauea with unprecedented clarity. The instruments were installed in a collaboration between USGS scientists from HVO and the Earthquake Hazards Program (Menlo Park, CA) and scientists from the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV), University of Hawai`i in Hilo. The Carnegie Institution of Washington - Department of Terrestrial Magnetism manufactured the instruments and advised us in their installation. Funding for the drilling came through a grant from the Department of Defense via NASA. The project received invaluable assistance from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the Mauna Loa Observatory, the Mauna Loa High Altitude Observatory, and Hokukano Ranch. The holes on Mauna Loa were drilled by DOSECC (Drilling, Observation, and Sampling of the Earth's Continental Crust, Inc.). More... http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/howwork/strain/

********************************************* KVERT Information Release; October 29, 2000 ********************************************* Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-47 Monday, October 30, 2000, 10:30 KST (2230 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are in Kamchatkan Standard Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Standard Time. KLYUCHEVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE. PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE WAS YELLOW. The number and energy of shallow earthquakes has continued to increase. Seismic data indicate that (hot?) rock avalanches have rolled down from the dome. Beginning at 01:15 KDT on October 28, energy from B-type earthquakes increased. A thermal anomaly, first observed in satellite images by AVO on September 21, continued to be detected (8 pixels with 4 pixel at saturation temperature of 50 degrees Celsius in the satellite image at 06:32 KST on October 30). At 08:10 KST on October 30, a gas-steam plume rose 1000 m above the volcano and extended to the northeast. The previous few days, the volcano was obscured by clouds. Unfortunately, KVERT has incomplete seismic data because of unstable seismic stations operation. ********************************************* KVERT Update, Friday, October 27, 2000 ********************************************* Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-46 Friday, October 27, 2000, 13:00 KDT (0000 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are in Kamchatkan Daylight Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Daylight Time. KLYUCHEVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES; KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO 56o03'N, 160o39'E; Elevation 4,750 m. CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. During the past week (October 20-26), seismic activity was near background levels. Shallow earthquakes occurred. On October 23 and 25, weak fumarolic activity was observed. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. A thermal anomaly, first observed in satellite images by AVO on September 21, continued to be detected (4 pixels with one pixel at saturation temperature of 50oC). On October 21, a fumarolic plume rose 50 m above the volcano and extended to the east. On October 25, a fumarolic plume rose 50 m above the volcano and extended 20 km to the south. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. A few shallow earthquakes (M0) per day wee registered under the volcano. Since October 25, seismic data indicate that (hot?) rock avalanches have rolled down from the dome. From 20:40 to 21:00 KDT on October 26, spasmodic volcanic tremor was registered. Unfortunately, KVERT has not complete seismic data because of unstable seismic stations operation. SHEVELUCH VOLCANO 56o38'N, 161o19'E; Elevation 2,447 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. On October 25, a gas-steam plume rose 200 m above the dome. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. Weak continuous volcanic tremor and small shallow earthquakes were recorded on October 22-23. At 22:29 KDT on October 14(09:29 UTC) and at 21:14 KDT on October 26, seismic data indicated possible gas-ash explosions as shallow seismic events occurred. The height of the cloud was estimated on the basis of the seismicity at ~4,000 m ASL. Since 01:00 on October 26, volcanic tremor continued to be recorded. KARYMSKY VOLCANO 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismic activity was at background levels. On October 25, weak local events were registered and a small pyroclastic flow possibly occurred. AVACHINSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES, 53o15'N, 158o51'E; CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismicity at Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes is at normal levels. MUTNOVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES: GORELY VOLCANO, 52o33'N, 158o02'E, Elevation 1,828M; MUTNOVSKY VOLCANO, 52o27'N,158o12'E, Elev. 2,324 M. CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE FOR BOTH VOLCANOES IS GREEN. On October 20 and 25,both volcanoes were quiet. On October 24, a gas-steam plume rose 700 m above the Mutnovsky volcano. On other days, clouds obscured the volcanoes. Since October 24, no microseismic signals were registered on seismic station GRL.

**************************** Popocatepetl, Mexico **************************** Subject: Renewed dome growth and explosive activity at Popocatepetl. New dome growth is occurring at Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano. A rather vigorous eruption on 29 October at 1710 lofted an impressive ash cloud to ~3 km above the crater, with ashfalls to the ENE. This event followed several days of increased seismicity which is believed indicative of new tholoid growth. According to http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html, a "hot spot" was seen on satellite imagery for this event as well. From: http://www.cenapred.unam.mx/cgi-bin/popo/reportes/ultrep.cgi ******************************************** KVERT Information Release, October 30, 2000 ******************************************** From: Alaska Volcano Observatory Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-48 Tuesday, October 31, 2000, 11:00 KST (2300 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are in Kamchatkan Standard Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Standard Time. KLYUCHEVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE. Beginning at 23:00 KST on October 30, seismic activity increased. The most intense seismic activity was registered from 01:46 to 02:46 KST on October 31 (from 13:46 to 14:15 GMT on October 30). The seismic record did not show a distinct explosive event. AVHRR satellite data from AVO showed an ash eruption at Bezymianny. The image from October 30 at 1700 GMT showed an ash plume extending from the volcano to the southeast (azimuth 110-115 degrees) for 55 km (~30 nautical miles). An image from October 30 at 1800 GMT, showed the ash plume extending for about 80 km (45 nautical miles) to the southeast (azimuth 110-115 degrees). It was not possible to estimate the height of the ash plume. Wind data from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at 1200 GMT showed that the wind was generally out of the west at all altitudes, so it was not possible to estimate height based on cloud movement. According to visual report from Koziyrevsk at 07:30 KST on October 31, a gas-steam plume rose 1500 m above the volcano and extended to the southeast. Seismic activity at the volcano continues. Seismic data analysis implies that the volcanic activity may increase and another ash eruption can occur with little warning.

********************************************** MVO Weekly Activity Report, 27 October 2000 ********************************************** Montserrat Volcano Observatory Montserrat, W.I. Report for the period midday, 20 October 2000 to midday, 27 October 2000 Activity at the Soufri�re Hills volcano has continued at an elevated level this week. Clear views of the summit of the volcano were seen on most days. Growth of the lava dome continued on the east side of summit region where spectacular incandescence was observed at night. Growth was dominated by the semi-continuous extrusion of a broad lava spine inclined at a steep angle upwards towards the east. At various stages large portions of the spine broke off, but growth generally kept pace with disintegration as fresh material continued to be extruded. On the 25h October the top of the spine had an altitude of 1039 metres, and the general height of the surrounding summit region of the active lobe had an altitude of around 1000 metres. Observation flights indicate that there has been no new growth on the western and northern flanks of the dome. Rockfalls were confined to the eastern side of the dome, where they contribute to the talus fan accumulating in the upper reaches of the Tar River valley. The talus is beginning to bury the remnant buttress of older dome material on the north-east flank which formed during the 1995-98 phase of growth. Rockfalls produced small ash clouds which drifted north-westwards on the prevailing wind and gave rise to very light ash falls in the populated areas of the island. Rockfalls of incandescent material were observed at night. The level of seismic activity has been much lower than in previous weeks. The broadband seismic network recorded a total of 214 rockfall signals, 9 hybrid, 35 long period and 4 volcano-tectonic earthquakes for the reporting period. Some of the rockfalls had long period precursor signals characteristic of small explosive events. COSPEC measurements indicate daily average sulphur dioxide emissions of 235, 925 and 2252 tonnes on the 23th, 24th and 26th October respectively. Residents of Montserrat and visitors to the island are advised to tune in to ZJB Radio for up-to-date information on the status of the volcano. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity is likely to remain at a high level whilst the dome continues to grow, producing ash clouds which may blow over inhabited areas if winds are from the south or southeast. Elevated levels of pyroclastic flow activity may develop very rapidly and could affect any valleys around the volcano. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions or when you disturb ash. The Belham valley should be avoided during and after periods of heavy rain and everyone is reminded that access to Plymouth, Bramble airport and beyond is prohibited. There is a maritime exclusion zone around the southern part of the island that extends two miles beyond the coastline from Trant's Bay in the east to Garibaldi Hill on the west coast. The daytime entry zone remains closed. 12 noon, Friday, 27 October 2000

Mexico on Alert Over Volcano Popocatepetl Activity MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities were on alert on Saturday for a possible strong exhalation of ash and smoke by the volcano Popocatepetl, which lies 38 miles from Mexico City, due to an increase in volcanic activity. "We have increased our preventive measures and increased the radius of security to 10 km (6.2 miles). Previously the radius was 7 km (4.3 miles) from the crater," a spokesman for the National Center for Prevention of Disasters (Cenapred) told Reuters. However, the spokesman said the activity of the volcano, known as "The Smoking Mountain" in the indigenous Nahuatl language, had diminished since Saturday morning after earlier increasing. After the volcano's activity picked up on Friday, the center decided to step up the state of alert to "yellow phase three" from "yellow phase two," which means preventive measures are reinforced among the local population. "This does not in any way imply a possible evacuation," the spokesman said. Recently, Popocatepetl, 17,884 feet high, has been registering strong exhalations. The volcano sporadically exhaled small amounts of steam and gases on Saturday. Popocatepetl, active for the past six years, in 1997 spewed up a spout of ash 11.2 miles into the sky, causing eye irritation and respiratory problems among thousands of people living nearby.

*********************************************** Montserrat Volcano Observatory: Weekly Report *********************************************** Montserrat Volcano Observatory Montserrat, W.I. Report for the period midday, 27 October 2000 to midday, 3 November 2000 Activity at the Soufri�re Hills volcano has continued at an elevated level this week. Growth of the lava dome has continued on the east side of summit region. Clear views of the volcano were seen on the last three days of the reporting period when the summit region of the dome was occupied by a cluster of toppled spine fragments, the highest of which had an altitude of 1013 metres. Observation flights indicate that there has been no new growth on the western and northern flanks of the dome. Rockfalls were confined to the eastern side of the dome, where they contribute to the talus fan accumulating in the upper reaches of the Tar River valley. The talus has continued to encroach upon the remnant buttress of older dome material on the north-east flank which formed during the 1995-98 phase of growth. Rockfalls produced small ash clouds which drifted north-westwards on the prevailing wind and gave rise to very light ash falls in the populated areas of the island. Rockfalls of incandescent material were observed at night. The level of seismic activity was slightly lower than in the previous week. The broadband seismic network recorded a total of 146 rockfall signals, 20 hybrid, 19 long period and 3 volcano-tectonic earthquakes for the reporting period. A few rockfalls had long period precursor signals characteristic of small explosive events. Residents of Montserrat and visitors to the island are advised to tune in to ZJB Radio for up-to-date information on the status of the volcano. Rockfall and pyroclastic flow activity is likely to remain at a high level whilst the dome continues to grow, producing ash clouds which may blow over inhabited areas if winds are from the south or southeast. Elevated levels of pyroclastic flow activity may develop very rapidly and could affect any valleys around the volcano. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions or when you disturb ash. The Belham valley should be avoided during and after periods of heavy rain and everyone is reminded that access to Plymouth, Bramble airport and beyond is prohibited. There is a maritime exclusion zone around the southern part of the island that extends two miles beyond the coastline from Trant's Bay in the east to Garibaldi Hill on the west coast. The daytime entry zone remains closed. 12 noon, Friday, 3 November 2000

************************************ KVERT Update, Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 ************************************ From: Alaska Volcano Observatory Kamchatkan Volcanic Activity INFORMATION RELEASE 00-49 Friday, November 3, 2000, 18:00 KST (0600 UTC) The following Release was received by the Alaska Volcano Observatory via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). All times are either in Kamchatkan Daylight Time, 21 hours ahead of Alaska Daylight Time or Kamchatkan Standard Time, also 21 hours ahead of Anchorage. KLYUCHEVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES; KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO 56o03'N, 160o39'E; Elevation 4,750 m. CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. During the past week (October 27-November 2), seismic activity was near background levels. On October 29-31, a gas-steam plume rose 400-700 m above the volcano and extended 5 km to the southwest and sourtheast on October30-31. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE WAS ORANGE. On October 27-29, the volcano was obscured by clouds. The number and energy of shallow earthquakes continues to increase. Seismic data indicate that (hot?) rock avalanches have rolled down from the dome. Beginning at 01:15 KDT on October 28, energy from B-type earthquakes increased. No ash plumes or drifting clouds was observed at 07:30 and 15:30 KST on October 30 satellite images. At 08:10 KST on October 30, a gas-steam plume rose 1 km above the volcano and extended to the northeast. Beginning at 23:00 KST on October 30, a significant increase in seismicity occurred. The most intense seismic activity was registered from 01:46 to 02:15 KST on October 31 (132:46 to 14:15 UTC on October30). The seismic record did not5 show a distinct explosive event. AVHRR satellite data from AVO showed an ash eruption at the volcano. The image from October 31 at 05:00 KST (Oct. 30 at 1700 UTC), showed an ash plume extending from the volcano to the southeast for 55 km. An image from Oct. 31 at 06:00 KST (Oct. 30 at 1800 UTC), showed the ash plume extending for about 80 km to the southeast. It was not possible to estimate the height of the ash plume. According to visual reports from Koziyrevsk at 07:30 KST on Oct. 31, a gas-steam plume rose 1500 m above the volcano and extended to the southeast. At 12:10 KST, an ash-poor plume rose 3 km above the volcano, at 13:30 a gas-steam plume rose 1 km, and at 15:15 KST, a gas-steam plume rose 2 km above the volcano. An image from Oct. 31 at 15:06 KST (0306, Oct. 31 UTC), showed an ash plume extended for about 40 km to the northeast that might have a minor amount of ash. A larger, diffuse cloud was seen off the east coast of Kamchatka that seemed to be continuous with the more distinct plume coming from the volcano. It extended for about 250 km to the southeast but did not appear to contain an ash component. The most intensive seismicity was registered from 03:20 to 04:00 KST and at 06:26 KST on Nov. 2. The satellite image at 06:26 KST on Nov. 2 showed an ash plume extended 50 km west of the volcano, then 130 km to the southwest. The height of the plume was ~ 6,500 m ASL. According to visual reports from Koziyrevsk at 08:00 KST on Nov. 2, a gas-steam plume rose 1000 m above the volcano and extended to the southwest; at 08:42 KST, an ash-gas plume rose 1500 m above the volcano and extended to the southwest. Beginning at 12:00 KST on Nov. 2, seismic activity began to decrease. A satellite image at 16:21 on Nov. 2 revealed a 231 km long ash plume approximately 270 km southwest of the Bezymianny summit, centered within the lower third of the Kamchatkan Peninsula. The satellite image at 16:50 revealed a 250 km long ash plume ~ 300 km southwest of the Bezymianny summit. An image from Nov. 3 at 06:18 KST (1818 UTC, Nov 2), showed the plume extending for ~ 30 km to the southeast. According to visual reports from Koziyrevsk at 13:55 KST on Nov. 3, a gas-steam plume rose 1000 m above the volcano. SHEVELUCH VOLCANO 56o38'N, 161o19'E; Elevation 2,447 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW. On October 29, a gas-steam plume rose 400 m above the dome. On Oct. 31, Nov. 1, a powerful gas-steam plume rose 700 m above the dome and extended 5 km to the northwest and east on October 30-31. On other days, clouds obscured the volcano. At 22:29 KDT on October 14(09:29 UTC) and at 15:20 KDT on October 27 (0220 UTC) and at 17:11 KDT on Oct. 28, seismic data indicated possible gas-ash explosions as shallow seismic events occurred. The height of the cloud was estimated on the basis of the seismicity at ~4,000-4,500 m ASL. KARYMSKY VOLCANO 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismic activity was at background levels. AVACHINSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES, 53o15'N, 158o51'E; CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN. Seismicity at Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes is at normal levels. MUTNOVSKAYA GROUP OF VOLCANOES: GORELY VOLCANO, 52o33'N, 158o02'E, Elevation 1,828M; MUTNOVSKY VOLCANO, 52o27'N,158o12'E, Elev. 2,324 M. CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE FOR BOTH VOLCANOES IS GREEN. Both volcanoes were quiet.

Monday, November 6, 2000 Two hikers found dead atlava flow The Volcanoes Park hikers had severe burns; cause of death is unknown By Rod Thompson Star-Bulletin HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK -- Two hikers were found dead of unknown causes about four miles from the end of Chain of Craters Road at midday yesterday, according to a park ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Their names were withheld pending notification of their next of kin. The two, a man and a woman, had apparently walked across a series of lava flows that had been deposited in the area in the last decade. They were found near where a current lava flow enters the ocean, said ranger Doug Lentz. Rangers were notified about the bodies by a cell phone call at about 1:30 p.m., Lentz said. The park used a private helicopter to fly rangers to the scene, and the bodies were retrieved by a Hawaii County helicopter. Hiking to the lava flow is permitted, but signs in the immediate area warn not to go farther, Lentz said. Officials at the park were not immediately clear on where the bodies were. The park advises anyone hiking in the area to have sturdy boots, lots of drinking water, protection from sun and rain, and flashlights. Park officials had no information on how the hikers were equipped. Lentz said the hikers had suffered severe burns but were fully clothed, so it was difficult to determine the extent of their burns. They also had cuts and bruises on their hands, knees and heads. They were found on high ground, not down on a "bench" of fresh lava at the water's edge, where signs prohibit hiking, Lentz said. "They were up where the general public is allowed to be." An autopsy will be done to determine cause of death, he said.

Strange, no obvious cause. Could it have beent he fumes or heat?

I've been where they were found and no reason for them to be so badly burnt. Scratches and abrasions are common if you fall out there on the sharp new flows, but not dangerous in that area. The police say it appears there was no foul play. However, how else do they explain these inconsistencies. I'll keep you posted!

Could they have been on the beach and then climbed higher on the flow?

How did they bet so badly burnt?? Surely they could not have moved from where that happened to the place they were found. There is more to this than meets the eye...there are no beaches along there...just unstable cliffs

A real mystery. It seems very strange.

********************************************** New GVP/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report ********************************************** From: Gari Mayberry The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazard Program have collaborated to create the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, an online summary of global volcanic activity on a weekly basis that can be accessed via the Global Volcanism Program�s website at http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp/ (under Preliminary Notices) or the USGS Volcano Hazard Program�s website at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report consists of: � Brief summaries of current volcanic activity with links to the information sources and to definitions for technical terms in the USGS photoglossary � Background information about the reported volcanoes compiled by Global Volcanism Program staff � Maps that highlight the location of the reported volcanoes in reference to geographical features and other volcanoes in the region � An archive of the weekly reports sorted by volcano and date � A link to a new USGS web page that provides current updates for US and Russian volcanoes � And links to more comprehensive reports that are published monthly in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network ******************************************************************* Gari Mayberry USGS/Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History E-421 Washington, DC 20560-0119 Phone: (202) 357-2618 Fax: (202) 357-2476 mayberry@volcano.si.edu *******************************************************************

Update on the two people found dead on the lava flow: Bodies not burned. Officials awaiting toxicology results.

**************** Kilauea Update **************** 0555 November 16, 2000 If rain washes air, we have the cleanest on the planet this morning. That allows the glow at Kamokuna to be particularly intense, and the skylight high on Pulama pali gleams like a jewel at 0505. The heavy rain obscures all views of the crater of Pu`u `O`o this Thursday morning. Volcanic tremor near Pu`u `O`o remains at a moderate level. Earthquake activity is low across the island. The tilt- meters at Kilauea's summit and along the east rift zone are now showing flat signals, except for several hours last night, when the giant earthquake in New Ireland caused slow, peak-to-peak oscillations at Kilauea's summit amounting to more than 12 microradians. Alarms at two tiltmeters were set off by the large and rapid tilts.

I've visited two volcanoes this year: Mount Teide on Tenerife in the Canary Islands this September and then Mount Fuji on Japan just last week. My friend and I drove up and over Tiede, about 2500m (about 8-9000 feet) in a tiny little 1.0 litre rental car...a most nerve-wracking experience! The view was fantastic, though. As close to a feeling of alien landscape as I've ever experienced. There were huge great lava fields that were just incredible. Maybe I'll buy a scanner, scan some photos and post them here. Last week on Mount Fuji was great. Went up in a coach tour this time, which was more relaxing. The top of Fuji is usually obscured by cloud, but once we'd reached the visitors centre we were above the cloud. The view was *incredible*. Absolutely no cloud except for a 'hat' of cloud that flew around the caldera at high-speed. I have never seen that before. I guess it must be due to convection currents of some kind coming out of the volcano (it's only dormant, not exctint). I took loads of photos of that, so I'm hoping they will come out. I like volcanoes :-)

Shame I can't spell extinct, though...