The island of St. Vincent was preparing for an explosive eruption by the La Soufrière volcano. With the possibility of the disaster, officials are evacuating only residents that have been vaccinated with COVID to neighboring islands.
Volcanologists have warned that an eruption of La Soufrière, a volcano on the Caribbean island of St Vincent, is “imminent,” prompting officials to arrange an evacuation of only the residents who have been vaccinated against cholera.
An emergency evacuation is underway as La Soufrière on St. Vincent threatens to erupt, officials say. The current eruption began with a powerful explosion and has since slowed, but scientists fear it may resume at any moment. Eruptions such as these often cause more than just minor harm to neighboring islands due to the pyroclastic flow that accompanies such an event.
Thousands of miles away an island is the source of a new geological phenomenon. Earlier this week lava flows sparked to life, creating an entirely new volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
While volcano experts warn that many other volcanoes are active and pose a significant threat, people around the world continue to underestimate the hazards of living near a live volcano.
A seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and a geochemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) took a close look at the thermal radiation data from NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites to examine temperatures of different parts of the volcano. Their results showed that in some cases, having more information about the thermal signature of a volcano is the key to predicting an eruption.
Volcanologists don’t think we’re in the middle of a massive global eruption, however; they believe we’re still in a phase of frequent smaller eruptions and it’s unlikely that our planet will undergo a major one in our lifetimes.
“If you look at the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest,” he adds, “that’s a chain of active volcanoes right now. We’ve had a lot of activity, and we don’t know why some volcanoes go dormant and others do not.”
New eruptions are expected in Indonesia, North America, South America, Australia, China, Japan and the countries of Central America.
It’s no secret, volcanologists and seismologists have been keeping a close eye on six active volcanoes in Indonesia. They say there’s a strong possibility the volcano will erupt, but we haven’t heard anything yet. For now, we’re keeping our distance and we’ll let you know if or when it happens. Stay tuned!
Indonesia, the most active volcanic region in the world, is leading the pack with six volcanoes active and ready to blow. The Caribbean is a new territory to watch out for; we expect an eruption on the island of St. Vincent soon. The West Indies, Nicaragua, Grenada and Costa Rica are also on our friendly watch list.
Volcanoes That Could Erupt Soon:
Bagana
Bagana is one of the most active volcanoes on Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island. Since it first erupted over 150 years ago, Bagana has been erupting almost constantly. As of early December of 2018, Bagana was releasing ash and gas into the air. Bagana is one of seven active volcanoes on Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island, and it’s been erupting almost constantly since 1972.
Bagana volcano makes for a striking sight on the eastern flank of the island of Papua New Guinea. The gentle slope of Bagana’s symmetrical cone is broken by ledges along its rim, and the floor of the crater features dark sand deposits.
Karangetang
Volcano scientists recently warned about an active volcano in Indonesia, situated along the Pacific Ocean’s so-called Ring of Fire. In December 2018, they raised the alert status from its November level 3 to 4, after a sustained uptick in earthquake activity.
A modest volcanic island in Indonesia on the Pacific coast, Karangetang is a place that regularly spews ash into the air on sadly predictable occasions.
Kilauea
Hawaii’s continuously erupting volcano, a shield volcano that produces most of the world’s lava, is taking a break according to Science News.
Kīlauea, the most active volcano in Hawaii that erupted more than 200 times in 2018, has temporarily paused its past three months after the collapse of its crater. Science News says this will allow scientists to evaluate what made Kīlauea so explosive.
Mayon
The Mayon volcano in the Philippines erupted twice on the morning of December 27, 2018, spewing ash and steam plumes even as, according to Rappler, it continued to bulge with magma around its midsection. Although already at a low alert level 2 by the time of writing, scientists warned that this could suddenly change.
This volcano has a permanent danger zone of 3.7 miles and an extended danger zone of 4.3 miles; if you want to stay safe, avoid viewing this lively volcano from less than five miles away.
Great Sitkin
Great Sitkin, the largest of the eastern Aleutian Islands, has been in “a state of volcanic unrest” since September 3, 2018. Although there have been no reported seismic events during January 2019, it remains under very close watch due to a small phreatic eruption that occurred last August.
Although the Great Sitkin has remained rather quiet over the past few months, its potential to become more active cannot be overlooked.
Mount Agung
Agung is a mountain towering over the city of Bali, where temples are scattered everywhere. The volcano has eruptions that go on for days, causing tourists to leave the area. It also sends ash clouds toward the sky. Agung is a highly active volcano in Bali, Indonesia. It last erupted on the evening of January 21—it sent ash spewing and caused authorities to issue a Level 3 alert.
Mount Cleveland
A map of the Alaska Peninsula shows a whole string of active volcanoes. Mount Cleveland is currently at Level 3, active-watch status.
It has strongly elevated surface temperatures, a lava dome inside its crater, and periodic explosions that occur without warning. Mount Cleveland is one of the most active volcanoes in North America, yet it remains a popular tourist attraction.
If you know any other volcano that could erupt soon, please let us know in the comment box.
