28 November 2012

Increased activity at Santiaguito

Posted by Jessica Ball

A quick note for today: It appears that activity at the Santiaguito lava dome complex in Guatemala has increased significantly, with collapses occurring at the lava flow on the southeastern flank of the Caliente dome. Plumes are visible on GOES satellite images and are reaching 5 km in height (for comparison, plumes from the regular ash-and-gas eruptions of Caliente are usually less than 1 km high).

Plume from lava flow-front collapses at Santiaguito (outlined in red). GOES satellite image from http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/volcano.html

The notice from INSIVUMEH: http://www.insivumeh.gob.gt/geofisica/vulcanologia/especial.htm

The satellite images (from the “Volcano Watch” page of the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin – Madison): http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/volcano/pacaya.html