Tag Archives: Volcano

Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Sunday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna spewed volcanic ash onto its runways, airport authorities said. The 3,330 meters (10,925 ft) high volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year, firing lava and ash high over …

Two newly discovered skeletons found at the doomed Roman town of Pompeii show that the most famous volcanic eruption of the ancient world also posed a less well-known threat: earthquakes. The Italian Cultural Ministry on Tuesday unveiled the bodies of two men, both probably in their 50s, who died in …

Indonesia’s Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted Friday, belching a tower of smoke and ash almost a kilometer into the sky and prompting authorities to impose a no-go zone in the area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the eruption, which sent up a tower of volcanic smoke …

An eruption began in the summit caldera of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, on Sunday night, the U.S. Geological Service’s (USGS) volcanic activity service said. “At this time, lava flows are contained within the summit area and are not threatening downslope communities,” the notification said. However, the …

The massive ash cloud covering the island nation prevented surveillance flights from New Zealand from assessing the damage. The tsunami threat around the Pacific from a huge undersea volcanic eruption receded on Sunday, but a massive ash cloud covering the tiny island nation of Tonga prevented surveillance flights from New …

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 …

Buildings near the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma were engulfed by rivers of lava early on Saturday, with the drama of the red-hot eruption intensified by the spectacle of flashes of lightning. The magma destroyed at least four buildings in the village of Callejon de la Gata, …

A buildup of ash and dust from the erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano on the runway forced authorities in Spain’s La Palma to close the island’s airport on Thursday, air traffic operator AENA said. Other airports in the Canary Islands’ archipelago off North Africa remained open, however, and an AENA spokesperson …

The rise of dinosaurs coincided with environmental changes driven by major volcanic eruptions over 230 million years ago, a new study reveals. The Late Triassic Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) saw an increase in global temperature and humidity – creating a major impact on the development of animal and plant life, …

Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted on Wednesday, spewing a massive column of smoke and ash into the sky. The eruption of the volcano in North Sumatra province lasted about 12 minutes, a local geological agency said. “The volcanic material reached 4,500 meters into the air and lasted for quite a long …

Authorities in the Philippines started evacuating thousands of people on Thursday after the alert status was raised on a restive volcano that spewed a one-kilometre (0.62 miles) high plume of gas and steam. The alert for the Taal volcano, about 70 km (45 miles) south of central Manila, moved to …

DR Congo’s government said Saturday that the eruption of the second volcano in the country’s east that been announced hours earlier was a “false alarm” after a plane did not spot any activity. “False alarm on Nyamuragira. A plane has just flown over the entire area on the sides of …

The eastern DR Congo city of Goma was eerily deserted on Friday after nearly 400,000 of its inhabitants fled following warnings that nearby Mount Nyiragongo volcano may erupt again. The authorities geared for a major humanitarian effort, centered on Sake, around 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the city, where …

Authorities order an evacuation as the risk of new eruptions from Mount Nyiragongo looms, people flee the city of 1.5 million. Tens of thousands of people have fled the Congolese city of Goma after officials ordered the evacuation of parts of the city due to the risk of further eruptions …

More than 20,000 people are homeless and 40 still missing in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in eastern Congo that killed dozens and continues to cause strong earthquakes in the nearby city of Goma, the United Nations said on Wednesday. Saturday’s eruption sent rivers of lava streaming down the …

The Democratic Republic of Congo has initiated evacuation measures in the eastern city of Goma, which sits dangerously close to the erupting Mount Nyiragongo. The flowing lava has been destroying roads and houses on its path. “The evacuation plan for the city of Goma has been activated,” Communications Minister Patrick …

Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted again Thursday with a string of blasts that sent plumes of ash two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky, triggering a flight warning and fears of lava flows. The activity marked at least the eighth time that the rumbling volcano on Sumatra island has erupted in …

Indonesia’s rumbling Mount Sinabung erupted Monday, sending a column of volcanic materials as high as 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky and depositing ash on villages. Falling grit and ash accumulated up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) in already abandoned villages on the volcano’s slopes, said Armen Putra, an …

A large earthquake swarm that has so far seen over 4,500 quakes recorded has hit Iceland. The swarm began on 19 June, with thousands of small earthquakes striking near the village of Siglufjördur, in the northeast of the country. Officials at the Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO) said three of the …

Indonesia’s most volatile volcano on Sunday spewed ash and hot gas in a massive column as high as 6km (3.7 miles) into the sky. Mount Merapi’s clouds of ash, accompanied by a rumbling sound heard kilometres (miles) away, blanketed several villages on the main island of Java. Indonesia’s Center for …