February 15 , 2022.
New Zealand , White Island :
Whakaari/White Island: Volcanic unrest continues with some minor ash emission and geysering. Published: Tue Feb 15 2022 4:30 PM
Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2
Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow
Although the instrument network on Whakaari remains degraded, new equipment installed near Waihau Bay has improved the speed and continuity of data arriving from the island. More continuous seismic data and images give greater certainty that the state of moderate to heightened unrest continues. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2.
Last week GNS technicians undertook some work to improve the transmission of the seismic data and webcam images. Images can now be received more often and downloaded faster, and data arriving from the one working seismometer is nearly continuous. However, data transmission from Whakaari remains vulnerable because of power supply issues. We are continuing to work on restoration options.
Minor amounts of ash emission continue to be observed on the webcam. Further intermittent ash emission may continue to occur. The water level of the lake has increased in response to the recent wet weather and mud geysering has been observed in one of the main craters. Geysering has been quite common over the years when the lake level is high and water floods some of the gas vents.
A gas measuring flight was also made three weeks ago recording an increase in one of the volcanic gas outputs that was measured at the volcano in mid-January 2022. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) gas emission rate was similar to the one from the last survey but Carbon Dioxide (CO2) gas emission rate was slightly higher.
The current level of activity is consistent with moderate to heightened levels of unrest. As such the Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 and the Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow.
As noted previously, our on-island equipment has degraded over the past two years. However, this improvement of the transmission of data means that some of the data is more continuous and more complete than it has been recently.
The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of volcanic unrest or activity and is not a forecast of future activity. While Volcanic Alert Level 2 is mostly associated with volcanic unrest hazards (including discharge of steam and hot volcanic gases, earthquakes, landslides, and hydrothermal activity), potential for eruption hazards also exists and eruptions can still occur with little or no warning.
Source : Geonet / Agnès Mazot / Duty Volcanologist.
Photos : Geonet , David McClelland .
Iceland , Reykjanes Peninsula :
On February 14 , 2022 at 17:27 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,0 took place 2.5 km North of Grindavík town. This earthquake is in Reykjanes volcano, but might also be part of inflation related earthquakes that happen because of intrusion in Fagradalsfjall volcano. People felt the earthquake in Grindavík. A few aftershocks have been detected. On February 15th at 00:23 hrs an M2.9 earthquake was detected around 13 km SSW of Flatey in Skjálfanda, it was felt in Akureyri. Several aftershocks have been detected.
Week overview 31 January – 6 February
Around 790 earthquakes were located by IMO¿s seismic network this week, similar to last week. The largest earthquakes was M4.1 in Mýrdalsjökull ice cap on February 2nd at 19:10. Two earthquakes over magnitude M3.0 followed, and around 30 earthquakes were detected there this week. The earthquake swarm west of Ok is still ongoing. An earthquake of magnitude M3.7 was detected there at 00:05 on February 1st. An earthquake of magnitude M3.9 followed at 01:15. Four earthquakes were located at or by Hekla, around 10 earthquakes in Bárðarbunga and 30 in Askja.
Source : Vedur is , icelandgeology.net.
Photo : IMO
Peru , Sabancaya :
Analysis period: from February 07, 2022 to February 13, 2022, Arequipa, February 14, 2022.
Alert level: ORANGE
The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reports that the eruptive activity of the Sabancaya volcano remains at moderate levels, that is to say with the recording of an average of 15 daily explosions, with columns of ash and of gas up to 1.7 km altitude above the summit of the volcano and their subsequent dispersion. Therefore, for the following days, no significant change is expected in eruptive activity.
The IGP recorded and analyzed the occurrence of 122 earthquakes of volcanic origin, associated with the circulation of magmatic fluids inside the Sabancaya volcano. An average of 15 explosions was recorded daily. During this period, Volcano-Tectonic (VT) type earthquakes associated with rock fracturing were located mainly in the northwest and southwest of Sabancaya and presented magnitudes of M 2.7.
Monitoring the deformation of the volcanic structure using GNSS techniques (processed with fast orbits) does not show any significant anomalies. However, in general, an inflation process was observed in the northern sector (surroundings of the Hualca Hualca volcano). Visual surveillance identified columns of gas and ash up to 1.7 km above the summit of the volcano, which were dispersed to the northwest, west, south and southwest sectors of the volcano. Sabancaya. Satellite recordings have identified the presence of 8 thermal anomalies, with a maximum value of 26 MW, associated with the presence of a lava body on the surface of the volcano’s crater.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Keep the volcanic alert level orange.
• Do not approach within a radius of less than 12 km from the crater.
Source : CENVUL
Photo : IGP.
Hawaii , Mauna Loa :
19°28’30 » N 155°36’29 » W,
Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Activity Summary:
Mauna Loa Volcano is not erupting. Rates of seismicity are returning to background levels following a small increase in activity over the last week. Other Mauna Loa monitoring data streams—ground deformation, gas concentrations, visual appearance in webcams—show no significant changes.
Observations:
The region immediately northwest of Mauna Loa summit has seen a small increase in earthquake counts over the past week. However, the daily rate of seismicity has continued to decrease since its peak on February 5. In the last 24 hours, there have been only 2 M0 earthquakes immediately northwest of Mauna Loa summit.
Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements show very low rates of deformation in the summit region continuing through the past week.
Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures at the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.
Webcam views have shown no changes to the volcanic landscape on Mauna Loa over the past week.
Source : HVO.
Photo : Bruce Omori / Paradise Helicopters.
Costa Rica , Turrialba / Poas / Rincon de la Vieja :
Turrialba Volcano
No eruption reported.
Seismic activity is similar, compared to yesterday.
At the time of this report, the winds are blowing to the southwest.
Passive degassing is maintained without eruptive activity. Frequent earthquakes of short duration and low amplitude are observed, similar to the previous days. The gas ratios remain stable with CO2/SO2 ~20 and H2S/SO2 ~0.2. No significant deformation observed
Poas Volcano
No eruption reported.
Seismic activity is similar, compared to yesterday.
At the time of this report, the winds are blowing to the southwest.
Fumarolic degassing and thermal convection of the hot lagoon are maintained without eruptive activity. Frequent sediment-laden convective pulses are observed from mouth A with a frequency of 5 min to 10 min. Seismicity remains at low levels. No significant change in strain is observed. Gas concentrations around the crater remain very low, with SO2 concentrations at the visitor’s watchtower <0.2ppm during the morning.
Rincon de la Vieja Volcano
No eruption reported.
Seismic activity is similar, compared to yesterday.
At the time of this report, the winds are blowing to the southwest.
The last eruption was recorded on February 2. Seismicity is characterized by an almost continuous low frequency tremor. In recent days several tectonic earthquakes of very low magnitude have been recorded around the volcano. There were no visual sightings from the summit due to cloudy conditions.
Source : Ovsicori.
Photos : G. Avard / Ovsicori , Ovsicori , Waldo Taylor / ICE.