Increased activity reported at volcanoes in Ecuador, Italy, and Guatemala

 

March 4, 2013 – ECUADOR – Seismicity has increased dramatically at Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador. Given the open-vent state of the volcano, there are emissions of gases and ashes according to the Ecuadorian Geophysics Institute.  The last eruptive episode took place on the 14 and 30 of last December and then went to a scale of moderate and low.  On the 25 and 27 of February, over five tremors were reported associated to lava inside the volcano.  On the first of March the tremors reach a total of 80 with several minutes of duration. From December 12, 2012 a progressive increase of seismicity was recorded, mainly in the number of earthquakes associated with fluid motion and some fracture earthquakes. A slight increase in gas emissions was recorded.  During the following days the population should continue monitoring the volcano activity because is located only 80 kilometers from Quito the capital city. –Prensa Latina 

Increased activity at Fuego volcano in Guatemala: During the last hours, the lava effusion has significantly increased and the active lava flow towards the canyon Trinidad has reached 1,000 meters in length. At the summit, strombolian-type explosions are continuous and produce constant degassing sounds. INSIVUMEH warns in its special bulletin of the possibility of another larger eruption, which could include stronger explosions and pyroclastic flows generated by explosions and collapse of parts of the lava flow on the steep slope, in a similar way as during the strong eruption in mid February, only about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Ash plumes are most likely to affect areas to the S and SW. Civil aviation should take precautions with air traffic as ash columns could be expelled more than 1500 meters above the crater and move upwind at greater distances in the course such activity. -VD

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