Eruption Update for October 16, 2012: Heard Island, Kliuchevskoi and Iceland

Sometimes satellite images can help in identifying remote eruptions - if the conditions are good. Unfortunately, it is very unclear what might be happening at Heard Island in this image taken October 13. Earlier images when the sky was clearer did not show indications of an eruption. Image: NASA / R. Simmon I've got a little time (and a working computer, briefly), so onward to an update about some new and ongoing volcanic activity worldwide: Heard Island We often say that Australia lacks any active volcanoes - which is true if you consider the continent of Australia. There are some potentially active areas, but the only volcano listed in the Global Volcanism Program database is the Newer Volcanic Field, whose most recent eruption was likely over 4900 years ago. However, if you expand your search to all lands claimed by Australia, you will eventually reach Heard Island in the Southern Indian Ocean, part of the remote and little-known Kerguelen hotspot track. Heard Island is a relatively active volcano, with its last confirmed eruption back in 2008, producing most small lava flows and subglacial eruptions. John Seach recently mentioned on Twitter that an eruption may be occurring on Heard Island based on thermal anomalies spotted via satellite. However, on a quick search by Rob Simmon (NASA Earth Observatory) found that clouds make it difficult to see what, if anything, is going on (see above). It wouldn't be surprisingly if Heard Island was seeing new eruptions, but the proof is circumstantial at this point. Kamchatka It also appears that Kliuchevskoi is making rumbling yet again. Reports from Russia suggest a new dome has formed at the summit - and any time a lava dome forms on a steep edifice like Kliuchevskoi, you can expect dome collapses that produce explosive eruptions. I was amused to see some of the misinformation provided in some of the Russian news source - for example, Pravda proclaimed that an eruption might send ash six feet into the air! Likely, this was meant to reflect the 6-12 km plume that could be produced in the event of a new explosive eruption. This new dome, along with slowly increasing activity and strombolian activity confirmed to the crater, has prompted KVERT to place the volcano on Yellow Alert status. Iceland In two bits of volcano monitoring news from Iceland. First, discussion has started about improvement that might need to be made to levees that protect people from jokulhlaups produced by Katla. There is no imminent threat of an eruption, but studies of prior eruptions suggest that the levees to the east of Vík need to be heightened to prevent damage to property and the Ring Road. Second, scientists from Iceland, lead by Freysteinn Sigmundsson, were awarded a 6 million Euro grant for FutureVolc, a project that will "establish a coordinated European volcano supervision system by developing new ways to evaluate eruption risk and predict ash distribution". N.B., Donorchoose 2012 is in full effect until November 1 - thanks to everyone who has donated already! We made it halfway to the goal in less than a day. Keep it up!