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| EARTH AND SUN DIGEST 2005/03/03 The Vancouver Swarm |
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The Past Week Ticker YEAR: 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 Global Earthquakes of 5.0 to 5.9M thru Wednesday--25(Japan-1, SoPacific-2); two quakes of 6M or greater: 3/02 7.1M BANDA SEA, 2/26 6.8M SIMEULUE, INDONESIA. California and Nevada earthquakes in past week-321; two quakes 4M or greater: 2/25 4.1M OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2/24 4.3M OFF COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Interactive map Earthquake data . Volcanic ash near Jet Stream (at 5 mi/8 km)--none, but Kamchatka, Russia, data suggestive http://Ash data Sunspot No. high and low--27 on 6 February to 11 from 28 Feb thru 2 March Largest and smallest daily area of sunspots--70 on 26 February to 0 on 28 February (100=Earth-size) X-Class Solar Flares: none; last M-Class flares (5+/day): six on 15 January (See updating site at www.sel.noaa.gov/today.html ) Planetary Geomagnetic A Indices: high of 12 on 28 February and 2 March; five or more Kp's of 4 (or more) per 24 hours: five on 18 February; high no. of Kp's of 3 per 24 hours this week: six on 2 March (Data is upgraded at the source as needed without notice.) Northern Ash and Gas Eruptions north of latitude 23°N. ATKA Aluetian Islands, United States 52.381°N, 174.154°W; summit elev. 1,533 m (2.4 km) ash and steam emitted from Korovin on 24 February around 0400, the initial ash bursting to a height of ~ 2.4 km and drifting E, followed by several smaller ash-and-steam bursts SHIVELUCH Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia 56.653°N, 161.360°E; summit elev. 3,283 m (6.3 km) based on seismic data, a large eruption from 1825 on 27 February to 0100 on 28 February, a large thermal anomaly visible near the lava dome on satellite imagery at 1656 on 27 February probably the signal from a large pyroclastic flow on the volcano's SW, at this time a 45-km-long ash cloud visible on satellite imagery trending NW of the volcano. At 2100 on the 27th ash deposits in the town of Klyuchi, ~46 km from the volcano, satellite imagery from 0005 on 28 February showing ash deposits W of Shiveluch covering an area of 24,800 square kilometers, later an ash cloud extending more than 360 km western, during 18-26 February ash-and-gas plumes on video rising to ~6.3 km above the lava dome ST. HELENS Washington, USA 46.20°N, 122.18°W; summit elev. 2,549 m (2.6 km) during 23 February to 1 March growth of the new lava dome continuing, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash, parts of the growing lava dome continuing to crumble, forming rockfalls and generating small ash clouds that drifted out of the crater, photographs on 28 February showing the W and E margins of the new lava dome crumbling and the smooth whaleback form disintegrating VENIAMINOF Alaska Peninsula, USA 56.17°N, 159.38°W; summit elev. 2,507 m (0) seismic activity substantially decreased during 18-25 February in comparison to previous weeks, only minor steam emissions seen and the most recent episode of Strombolian eruptive activity at an end Equatorial Ash and Gas Eruptions at less than 23°N or S ANATAHAN Mariana Islands, central Pacific Ocean 16.35°N, 145.67°E; summit elev. 788 m (low) during 17-28 February a very low level of activity continued at the volcano, on 28 February showed a faint plume of vog (fog composed of volcanic gas) and steam trending W of Anatahan, the 2003 crater floor almost entirely covered by fresh lava to a diameter of about one kilometer COLIMA western México 19.514°N,103.62°W; summit elev. ~3,850 m (low) during 23-28 February several small explosions producing ash plumes to low levels, plumes drifting predominately W EGON Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia 8.67°S, 122.45°E; 1,703 m (low) during 25-27 February ash plumes from Egon rose to low levels KARANGETANG [Api Siau] Siau Island, Indonesia 2.47°N, 125.29°E; summit elev. 1,784 m (0) lava avalanches continuing during 25-27 February, traveling 500-1,200 m down four drainages KILAUEA Hawaii, USA 19.43°N, 155.29°W; summit elev. 1,222 m (0) during 23-26 February lava entering the sea at three ocean entries along 4.7 km of the island's SE coast, lava possibly stopping its flow into the sea at the westernmost entry, West Highcastle, on the 26th, with the number of surface lava flows diminishing in comparison to the previous MANAM offshore New Guinea, Papua New Guinea 4.10°S, 145.06°E; summit elev. 1,807 m (low) during 22-24 February clouds impeding observations, seismicity low without volcanic tremor PITON DE LA FOURNAISE Réunion Island, Indian Ocean 21.23°S, 55.71°E; summit elev. 2,631 m (low) eruption continuing through at least 25 February, two eruption sites active: the principal vent at 1,600-m elevation above the Plaine des Osmondes, and a vent at about 1,200-m elevation in the Plaine des Osmondes; the principal vent with a volcanic plume and several pahoehoe lava flows, but no lava fountains visible, the second vent also releasing a very fluid pahoehoe lava flow, the lava flows covering a large area within the Plaine des Osmondes, with smaller lava flows traveling to about 600-m elevation in the Grand Brûlé; on 24 February shallow seismicity beneath Dolomieu crater, on the evening of 25 February, a lava flow from Plaine des Osmondes cutting the national road on its way to the sea, covering a distance of ~5 km in about 2 hours, a new vent opened within the "Trou de Sable" on the northern border of the "enclose" at 450-m elevation, stopping about 100 m from the national road RABAUL New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea 4.271°S, 152.203°E; summit elev. 688 m (low) active vent at Tavurvur cone erupting during 22-24 February, with ash clouds rising several hundred meters before drifting SE, fine ash reaching Tokua airport, ~45 km SW of Rabual Town, based on past eruptive episodes between 1995 and 2004 the current episode likely to continue indefinitely SOUFRIERE ST. VINCENT St. Vincent 13.33°N, 61.18°W; summit elev. 1,220 m (0) smell of sulfur in towns as far S as Kingstown, a visit to the volcano showing no increase in volcanic activity according to monitoring-station data and observations and smell attributed to a southward shift in wind direction towards the towns, rather than the usual E direction TUNGURAHUA Ecuador 1.47°S, 78.44°W; summit elev. 5,023 m (low) Volcanic activity at relatively low levels during 23-28 February with low-energy gas, steam, and ash plumes emitted, on 23 February the daily sulfur-dioxide flux was 1,200 All ash elevations are in km above sea level (a.s.l.) and times are converted to UTC. EARTH The FIVE Index has the last column giving the eight daily Solar data from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ SPECIAL NOTE Quakes from Alaska, or the Picture of Quakes in Western Canada Thanks to Leslie on Pinpoint (now Google) for this URL: http://www.pgc.nrcan.gc.ca/seismo/recent/wc.5yr.html This elegant map of quakes for the past five years gives a visual picture of how seismic energy from Alaska triggers quakes from Alaska to >Seattle, Washington. Stars denote quakes 5M and greater. Comments or questions are welcome. Donald J. Boon, editor. |
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