Growing unrest: volcanoes rumble and are shaken by earthquakes from Mexico to the Philippines

July 2015 – GEOLOGY – Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Centre said in its daily report that the volcano registered a total of 80 low intensity exhalations and six explosions yesterday, releasing plumes of smoke between 1.5 and two kilometers high. Authorities are urging people not to get close to the volcano and particularly to its crater. Popocatepetl is the second tallest volcano in Mexico and is in the centre of the country. –TVNZ

Quake near Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck in Alaska, some 42 miles southwest of the active Redoubt Volcano, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said. Notably, the earthquake also struck near Mt. Katmai, the site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. The epicenter was 9 miles south of Mt. Iliamna, another volcano in the area, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. According to the USGS, the quake hit about 141 miles southwest of Anchorage. The agency is forecasting “very light damage.” The earthquake was originally reported as having a magnitude of 6.2, but was later revised up slightly. USGS reported two minor tremors prior to the 6.3 magnitude one. Although the quake did not strike far from the Redoubt Volcano, there’s nothing to suggest activity has been triggered by the quake. There have been four confirmed eruptions at the volcano since the 20th century began, in 1902, 1966, 1989 and 2009. –RT News

Philippines Mt. Bulusan shaken by quakes: At least eight volcanic earthquakes rocked Mount Bulusan volcano in Sorosgon, signifying that the volcano continues to show signs of restiveness, the Philippine Institute of Volcanolgy and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday. Phivolcs-Bicol resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said the quakes and the swelling of the volcano’s edifice are signs that pressure is building up in the volcano’s vent. Aside from eight volcanic quakes, Phivolcs instruments recorded for the past 24-hour observation period slight inflationary trend at the volcano’s edifice during the precise leveling surveys. Alert Level 1 (abnormal) remains hoisted over the volcano.

Laguerta warned the public to keep off the four-kilometer permanent danger zone due to the possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions. The Phivolcs also advised pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be dangerous to aircraft. It also warned residents living within valleys and along river channels around the volcano of possible flooding and lahar flows in the event of heavy and prolonged rains. –Sun Star

Magma intrusion in Peruvian volcano: Only last week, scientists recorded the largest explosion at Peru’s most active volcano, Ubinas, in the Moquegua region of Peru. Now, scientists have recorded an ascent of magma within the volcano, reports El Comercio. The explosion last week resulted in the emission of large rocks (some the size of small cars) which frightened the local communities. Ash and small rocks up to two centimeters in diameter made their way to the communities of Querapi, Ubinas, Sacohaya, Tonohaya, Anascapa, Escacha and San Miguel, according to the mayor of Ubinas, Luis Concha.

Following this explosion, the volcano emitted pulverized magma according to Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) scientist, Orlando Macedo. In other words, very fine sand and fragmented magma, or small rocks. “Villagers report that they saw incandescent rocks coming out of the crater. We will make a visit to the area to determine the size of the projectiles and the scope they had,” said Macedo, according to El Comercio. –Peru this week