NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga, Jan 15, 2022 (AFP) – Large waves crashed ashore in Tonga Saturday after a massive volcanic eruption that was heard in neighbouring countries triggered the area’s second tsunami in as many days. “A 1.2 metre tsunami wave has been observed at Nukualofa,” Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology tweeted. The maximum tsunami wave recorded following Friday’s explosion was 30 centimetres. The latest eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano came just a few hours after […]
Tag: volcano
Beneath La Palma volcano, scientists collect lava ‘to learn’
by Rosa Sulleiro Agence France-Presse EL PASO, Spain (AFP) – As soon as he heard that La Palma’s volcano had erupted, Australian geologist Matt Pankhurst loaded his microscope into his car and raced to catch a ferry to the Spanish island. Like other scientists around the world, he was eager to get a first-hand look at the rare and valuable data spilling out of the Cumbre Vieja volcano off Africa’s northwest coast. “It’s a huge […]
Indonesian volcano erupts again, spewing ash cloud
Indonesia’s mount Semeru erupted twice Thursday, belching a massive column of ash into the sky followed by a flow of lava that sent hundreds of rescuers fleeing in panic. The highest mountain on the island of Java erupted earlier this month, killing at least 48 and leaving a dozen people missing. Rescuers were digging through the mud and volcanic debris when ash — which reached 4.5 kilometres from the peak — and lava flow from […]
‘Forgotten’ animals rescued after Indonesia volcano eruption
by Haeril HALIM LUMAJANG, Indonesia (AFP) — As rescuers comb the ash-covered landscape looking for people after Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted earlier this month, volunteers are searching for even more vulnerable survivors: cats, cows and other animals. The disaster killed 48 people, according to the latest toll, and rescuers are still seeking bodies in the mud and rubble. As deadly ash destroyed villages in East Java’s Lumajang district, at least 767 cows also died, while […]
Volcanic eruption on Spanish island shows signs of ending
Spain (AFP) — A volcanic eruption on the Spanish island of La Palma has shown its first sign it might be coming to an end after nearly three months, scientists said Wednesday, although they could not rule out a new flare up in activity. The eruption of the Cumbre Viejo volcano has ebbed and flowed since it first began spewing lava on September 19, forcing the evacuation of over 7,000 people and destroying nearly 3,000 […]
Indonesia volcano eruption death toll rises to 34
by Haeril Halim Agence France Presse CURAH KOBOKAN, Indonesia (AFP) — The death toll from the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano rose to 34 on Tuesday, the national disaster agency said, as aid was rushed to the affected region. The mountain on the island of Java had thundered to life on Saturday, ejecting volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud on villages as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. […]
Iceland raises alert level for its most active volcano
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AFP) — Iceland on Monday raised the alert level for a possible eruption of its most active volcano after several small earthquakes were registered earlier in the day. Located in an uninhabited and remote area of central Iceland, the Grimsvotn volcano is situated under a massive glacier. Experts have been monitoring Grimsvotn for several weeks after its glacier lake burst, an event that could trigger a volcanic eruption. In the latest eruption in […]
Indonesia volcano erupts again, rescue operations suspended
by Haeril Halim LUMAJANG, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, forcing rescuers to suspend the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption. The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. At least […]
Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 13
by Juni Kriswanto Agence France Presse LUMAJANG, Indonesia (AFP) — The death toll from a sudden, spectacular eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru has risen to 13, disaster officials said Sunday, as rescuers searched villages blanketed in molten ash for survivors. The eruption of Java’s biggest mountain caught locals by surprise on Saturday, sending thousands fleeing its path of destruction and forcing hundreds of families into makeshift shelters. It left at least 11 villages of […]
Thousands flee as Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Saturday, spewing out a tower of smoke and ash that plunged local communities into darkness and forced thousands of nearby residents to flee. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said. But rescuers moved to evacuate local residents as lava reached nearby villages and destroyed a bridge in Lumajang regency in East Java. “A number of areas went dark after being […]
Updated: Phreatic eruption at Pinatubo crater monitored by Phivolcs
(Eagle News) – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said a “phreatic eruption” or steam-driven explosion occured in Mt. Pinatubo’s crater on Tuesday, Nov. 30. In its 6 p.m. update on Tuesday, PHIVOLCS said that evidence of the phreatic eruption was the visual observation of an “eruption plume” as well as data from “seismic, infrasound and satellite monitoring.” It said that the phreatic eruption occured in between 12:09 and 12:13 p.m. on Tuesday. This […]
Volcano that wiped out town in Colombia is active again
BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — A volcano that destroyed an entire town in Colombia with the death of some 25,000 people spewed ash and gas this weekend on the 36th anniversary of that devastating eruption. The Nevado del Ruiz volcano showed “noticeable” activity starting Saturday, the Colombian Geological Service said. The Nevado del Ruiz in western Colombia is one of the many volcanoes on the Ring of Fire, a path around the Pacific basin characterized by […]
