Sunday, June 25, 2006

Bulusan Volcano (Philippines)

About 100 residents of a village near Bulusan volcano fled from a mudflow late yesterday. Ash and boulders were emitted from recent eruptions of the volcano and were washed down the mountain after heavy rains. Nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated to school buildings in Irosin and the nearby towns of Casiguran and Juban since Bulusan volcano began showing signs of activity in March this year.
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Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Bulusan Volcano (Philippines)

Eruptions of Bulusan Volcano has forced the evacuation of 900 residents. A major eruption could affect the towns of Bulusan, Barcelona, Casiguran, Juban, Irosin, and Gubat and endanger up to 80,000 people. Currently there is a lack of volcanic earthquakes and low levels of sulphur dioxide being emitted, which indicates a lack of magma intrusion into shallow depths under the volcano. Bulusan volcano is at level 2 alert (maximun 5) and there is a 4 km danger zone around the volcano.
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Thursday, June 15, 2006

Merapi Volcano (Indonesia)

Two emergency workers have been trapped in an underground bunker after an eruption from Merapi volcano on Wednesday. The bunkers are usually equipped with water and food and emergency supplies of oxygen. There workers were initially speaking to rescuers via mobile phone, but contact has been lost possibly due to lack of battery power. Soldiers in heat resistant suits dug through debris today trying to free the workers, but had to flee further eruptions from the volcano. Heat melted the troops' shovels and the tires on a mechanical digger brought into plow through more than two meters of volcanic debris covering the bunker.
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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Merapi Volcano (Indonesia)

Merapi volcano has been placed on level 4 alert less than a day after the level was reduced to level 3. This follows an eruption today which caused 1000 people to flee from the volcano. Most of those who fled three villages on the mountain's southern slopes had returned home earlier Wednesday after spending several weeks in camps. Tuesday's decision to lower the alert level meant that several thousand villagers who had been living in camps were allowed to return home, but they were told to be alert and evacuation trucks remained on standby. A pyroclastic flow traveled 5 km down the mountain and almost reached a village.
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Saturday, June 10, 2006

Bulusan Volcano (Philippines)

Bulusan Volcano erupted ash to a height of 1km above the crater today. Monitoring of the volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) indicates magma is rising to the surface. Casiguran town, on Bulusan's northern slopes, was declared under a state of calamity on Friday after ash damaged houses, crops and forced schools to close. The number of people affected by the eruption has risen to 7700. One person has died from an asthma attack caused by exposure to volcanic emissions. Scientists recorded zero visibility in several places in Casiguran on Wednesday caused by thick volcanic ash from the series of explosions.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Merapi Volcano (Indonesia)

Continuous pyroclastic flows lasting as long as 12 minutes were observed at Merapi volcano today. Maximum runout distances were 5km. After the large event, further pyroclastic flows were occurring every 5 minutes, but the runout distances were less. This is an increase in activity at Merapi. Over the past two days 18,000 people have been evacuated from the volcano slopes. Merapi volcano remains at maximum level 4 alert.
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Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Ngauruhoe Volcano (New Zealand)

Ngauruhoe volcano in New Zealand has been raised from zero to level 1 alert (on a scale of 0-5) after a series of earthquakes have been recorded under the mountain. The low frequency earthquakes are at a shallow depth of 4km and may indicate magma is moving under the volcano. Climbing to the crater has been banned due to the possibility of hazardous gas release. The last eruption at Ngauruhoe was in 1975. There was minor seismic activity in 1983, 1991, 1994 and 1995.
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Thursday, June 01, 2006

Mt St Helens Volcano (USA)

A large rockfall occurred at Mt St Helens Volcano on Monday 29th May. The rockfall coincided with a magnitude 3.1 earthquake shortly after 9 a.m, local time, and sent ash and steam to an elevation of 16,000 ft. The rockfall originated on the north side of the growing lava dome and damaged monitoring instruments. The volcano remains at alert level 2 (3 is highest level).
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