Gallery: Friday Photos for April 26, 2013: Updates on Eruptions From Around the World
01paluweh-indonesia-2
I've been negligent with news of volcanic activity over the last few weeks, so I thought I'd briefly update us on some notable events -- you can see the details over on the [Smithsonian/USGS Global Volcanism Program's Weekly Volcanic Activity Report](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?content=archive). Enjoy! Paluweh, Indonesia ================== Over much of the last few months, Paluweh has been [producing small to moderate ash plumes](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20130417#paluweh) that reach 2-4 km above the Indonesian island. As I've mentioned before, many of these explosions are due to the collapse of a lava dome that forms in the crater area. As it collapses, the pressure is released and an explosion occurs, sending both a plume skyward and a pyroclastic flow downward as the dome crumbles. The [NASA Earth Observatory image](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=80987) taken April 19 (above) shows the paths some of these flows have taken (grey valleys in the green landscape). One pathway, at the bottom of the image, has moved so much material that a small volcanic delta has formed from dome debris being moved downslope. *Image: [NASA Earth Observatory](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=80987), taken April 19, 2013.*
02tambora-indonesia-2
Tambora, Indonesia ================== This news came from a few weeks ago, but one of the most famous volcanoes on Earth is rumbling. For the second time in the last three years, the CVGHM (Indonesia's volcano monitoring agency) [raised the alert at Tambora](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20130403#tambora) to level 2 after an increase was noted in earthquakes occurring under the caldera. Now, this doesn't mean an eruption is likely to happen any time soon -- as we saw the last time they raised the alert status, no eruption followed. However, it does remind us that Tambora is an active volcano in a densely populated country. *Image: [Paul Hessels / Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulzpicz/2597591934/), taken on June 14, 2008.*
03etna-italy-3
Etna, Italy =========== Every week seems to bring a new eruption from Sicily's Etna. [Last weekend saw some more lava fountaining](http://www.ct.ingv.it/en/11-notizie/news/883-etna-20130420-english-intro.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page=) from the New Southeast Crater -- the 12th time this has happened in the last two months! This time, the eruption was quite sudden and generated a 1000 meter lava fountain and accompanying ash plume (see above). This new eruption also generated a lava flow that interacted with snow on the slopes of the volcano to produce small lahars (mudflows) as well. The volcano looks [startlingly bimodal in color in this recent NASA Earth Observatory image](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=80955), with the eastern slopes dominated by new lava flows and the western slopes still covered in snows. *Image: [Dr. Boris Behncke / Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/etnaboris/8665406333/in/photostream), taken on April 20, 2013*
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Rabaul, Papua New Guinea ======================== Over in Papua New Guinea, the [Rabaul](http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0502-14=) caldera actually had a quieter week than most. The active crater at Tavurvur still produced small plumes, but the "roaring and rumbling noises" were less intense. However, on April 18, there was a larger ash plume from the caldera that reached ~4.6 km (15,000 feet) but quickly dispersed. This is life as usual for the people who live near (and within) this very restless caldera volcano (see above). *Image: [World's Landscape / Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldslandscape/5610131038/), taken on September 9, 2010.*
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Shiveluch, Russia ================= Speaking of busy volcanoes, Shiveluch had a noisy week. The crater dome continued to grow (see above), producing pyroclastic flows as the dome collapses periodically. However, the volcano did also produce a [few larger ash plumes](http://indrus.in/news/2013/04/24/volcano_in_kamchatka_spews_ash_to_7_km_height_24115.html), including ones that reached 3.5 km (11,400 feet) and 7 km (36,000 feet). Much of this activity was only noticeable from satellites as the Kamchatka Peninsula was been rather cloudy over the last few days. Thanks to Shiveluch's almost constant activity, [KVERT](http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php) keeps its aviation alert status at Orange, hopefully keeping the airspace above the volcano open. *Image: [NASA Earth Observatory](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=80890), taken April 9, 2013.*
Lusika3306tolbachik-russia-2
Tolbachik, Russia ================= To the south of Shiveluch is Tobalchik, still erupting rivers of basalt lava. It has now been over 5 months of almost constant effusive of lavas from Tolbachik, meaning that the lava flows have developed remarkable channels from the active vent, which is still home to a small lava lake and a growing cinder cone on the southern fissure. Be sure to check out [some of the images of these lava flows and volcanic features at Tolbachik](http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/04/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-an-incredible-glimpse-inside-an-active-volcano/) captured by [two photographers from Kyrgyzstan](http://lusika33.livejournal.com). If this eruption of [Tolbachik](http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1000-24=) is anything like the previous one in 1976 (and so far it seems to be very similar), we could be looking at a year's worth of lava flow from this Kamchatkan volcano. *Image: [Lusika](http://lusika33.livejournal.com/34702.html), taken March 2013.*
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Yasur, Vanuatu ============== A few weeks back, it might have been [quite a spectacle (and a dangerous one)](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20130403#yasur) if you were a tourist visiting the active volcano Yasur in Vanuatu. Eruptive activity there threw volcanic bombs onto tourist walkways and the parking lot near the volcano's crater. This was an increase in the explosivity of the volcano, but to give you a sense of how active it is, the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory actually ended up lowering the alert status (to level 2) for the volcano. *Image: [Charmaine Tam / Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mt_Yasur,_active_volcano_(420607153).jpg), taken December 31, 2006.*
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Galeras, Colombia ================= Between April 10 to 16, the [series of small earthquakes shook Galeras in Colombia](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20130417#galeras). These earthquakes weren't very deep, only as far down as 14 km, which might suggest that a new batch of magma is rising underneath Galeras. Just yesterday, the volcano produced a small ash from the main dome in the crater (see above) - a recurring event at the volcano, but one that could portend more activity if the earthquakes were caused by magma moving under the volcano. We'll have to wait and see if the activity begins to increase, but for now, the volcano is on [yellow-III alert status](http://www.ingeominas.gov.co/Pasto/Publicaciones/Reportes-de-actividad/Reportes-semanales/2013/Abril/Boletin-semanal-de-actividad-volcan-Galeras---23-d.aspx) (for this continued unrest). *Image: [Webcam capture / INGEOMINAS](http://www.ingeominas.gov.co/Pasto/Volcanes/Volcan-Galeras/Galeria-de-fotos/Generales/2013/Emision-cenizas-25-de-abril.aspx), taken April 26, 2013.*
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Sangay, Ecuador =============== We finish off with [Sangay](http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1502-09=) in Ecuador. The picturesque volcano (see above) produces small ash plumes fairly regularly and [last week was no exception](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm?wvarweek=20130417#sangay). In fact, you have to [go back to 1934](http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1502-09=&volpage=erupt) to reach the last major eruption from Sangay -- in this case, a VEI 3 explosive eruption. However, since then, a constant stream of small eruptions have occurred at the volcano, making it one of the most active (albeit in a fairly subdued sense) in all of South America. *Image: [Albert Backer / Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sangay1.jpg), taken January 1, 2006.*
