USGS/SI Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for May 5-11, 2010

Ah yes, a reminder that there are other volcanoes erupting around the world than Eyjafjallajökull – but yes, it is true! Here is the latest USGS/Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program Weekly Volcanic Activity Report!

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Highlights (not including Iceland) include:

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• Another volcano in the Kuril Islands of Russia is showing signs of, well, something. Ketoi was noticed to be experiencing increased fumarolic activity according to satellite images. Ketoi hosts a Pleistocene caldera but has had three historic eruptions over the last few centuries, most recently in 1960, and all of which were explosive events around VEI 2.

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• It has been a busy spring at El Reventador in Ecuador, where ash plumes up to 5.2 km (17,000 feet) and small lahars were noted.

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• Another new entry into the report was Aoba in Vanuatu. Increased activity and a possible plume were noted, along with over 3,000 ton of sulfur dioxide being emitted per day. Aoba is actually a basaltic shield volcano with a summit lake filling the collapse caldera. Most recently, an eruption from Lake Voui in 2005 produced pyroclastic flows and evacuations of the local villagers.

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• Also in Vanuatu, Yasur continues to produce steam-and-ash plumes from three vents. It appears that strombolian activity has been common as well, with bombs in the crater area and explosions heard by the locals. Yasur has been erupting almost constantly since at least the 1770s.

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