Via The Watchers
Santiaguito knows the most important phase of explosive eruptions in recent years.
Begun in February with 6 events and relaunched in late March with 31 eruptions, she continued in April.
Violent explosions accompanied ash plumes rising to 4500-5000 meters asl. before moving over 60 km., and projections of volcanic bombs from 2 to 3 meters in diameter up to 3 kilometers away.
Pyroclastic flows are going down over 3 kilometers in the direction of the rivers Cabello del Angel and San Isidro, east and west. They are accompanied by rumbling and shock waves.
Ash fallout are reported on Quetzaltenango, Retalhuleu and Mazatenango.
via La Prensa Libre
The last Plinian eruption of Santa Maria in 1902 devastated the southwest of Guatemala; it occurred consecutively for a long period of rest that followed the construction of the basalto-andesitic stratovolcano.
The vast complex of dacite domes of Santiaguito has established since 1922, at the base of the crater said of 1902, from four vents aligned to the east, the most recent being the Caliente dome.