Despite a seeming of decline last week, the eruption of Fogo is not completed.
On January 12, at the end of afternoon, a series of loud explosions lasted approximately about two hours (15h30-17h10). A dense and dark plume is formed, amount to an altitude of 2,000 meters before moving eastward.
Between Monte Beco and Monte Saia, noises associated with underground progression of lava were collected; a small forked lava flow is formed along a small crack, at 2-3 meters from the lava tube at the base of the cone ... according to volcanologists from the University of Cape Verde, the lava flow has probably formed in relation to the explosive event of 12.01.
On January 13, the eruption was actively pursued, with rhythmic and continuous explosions, forming an ash plume of 1,500 meters.
Measures practiced by scientists at the University of Cape Verde, give a temperature of lava as the base of the cone than at the lava fronts of about 100 ° C (measures with the thermal camera). SO2 rate of 12 January is 1,200 tons per day. Lava fronts remain stagnant.
According to Sónia Silva, it was necessary to wait more than a week to see the behavior of the volcano ... no expected date for the end of the eruption.
Fogo - left, Gas and ash explosion on 13.01.2015 / 18.15 - Photo Volcanológico Observatorio de Cabo Verde. - Right, the time evolution of the average weekly value of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in the atmosphere by the recent volcanic eruption of Fogo, Cape Verde - a click to enlarge
Sources :
- Université du Cap-Vert - Informação sobre a atividade eruptiva da ilha do Fogo de 08 a 12 de janeiro de 2015 - link
- Fogo News / Facebook