Residents and Agencies Warned of Imminent Ashfall
Two very large explosions at Guatemala’s Santiaguito Volcano have caused the government agencies to issue warnings in southwestern Guatemala.
The latest, occurring this morning at 5:12 local time, threw ballistic bombs for over a mile, an ash cloud over 16,000 feet high and caused pyroclastic flows to rumble down the mountainsides.
(INSIVUMEH photo)
A Pyroclastic flow is a collapsing, high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas. They move at very high speed down volcanic slopes, at up to 450 miles an hour. One such event buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
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Friday, a similar, somewhat smaller explosion rocked the mountain.
Volcano Warnings for Ash and More Explosions.
INSIVUMEH, the government scientific agency charged with monitoring volcanic activity throughout the country, issued a warning for significant ashfall for 20-25 miles south and west of the mountain, with the advisory that fine ash could drift much farther. They also noted that additional explosions and activity are likely with a possibility of explosions much greater is size. Aircraft have been warned away from the area.
Friday explosion at Santiaguito
Volcanic ash can range from fine dust particles to gravel and poses significant health risks when inhaled. Volcanic ash is heavy, and significant ashfall can cause roof and structural collapse. When wet, such as from Guatemala’s recent heavy rains, it has the consistency and weight of wet concrete and can cause massive landslides.
Several of these volcanic landslides, called Lahars, have occurred in Guatemala over the last week, both at Santiaguito and Volcán Fuego another of the country’s three erupting volcanos.
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The warnings include the villages of San Marcos and Loma Linda, Palajunoj, Finca El Faro, Patzulin, El Patrocinio, and the populations of El Palmar, San Felipe, Las Marías and others in this area. It is likely to drop Ash on Mazatenango and its municipalities.
Two very large explosions at Guatemala’s Santiaguito Volcano have caused the government agencies to issue warnings in southwestern Guatemala.
The latest, occurring this morning at 5:12 local time, threw ballistic bombs for over a mile, an ash cloud over 16,000 feet high and caused pyroclastic flows to rumble down the mountainsides.
(INSIVUMEH photo)
A Pyroclastic flow is a collapsing, high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas. They move at very high speed down volcanic slopes, at up to 450 miles an hour. One such event buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
.
Friday, a similar, somewhat smaller explosion rocked the mountain.
INSIVUMEH, the government scientific agency charged with monitoring volcanic activity throughout the country, issued a warning for significant ashfall for 20-25 miles south and west of the mountain, with the advisory that fine ash could drift much farther. They also noted that additional explosions and activity are likely with a possibility of explosions much greater is size. Aircraft have been warned away from the area.
Friday explosion at Santiaguito
Volcanic ash can range from fine dust particles to gravel and poses significant health risks when inhaled. Volcanic ash is heavy, and significant ashfall can cause roof and structural collapse. When wet, such as from Guatemala’s recent heavy rains, it has the consistency and weight of wet concrete and can cause massive landslides.
Several of these volcanic landslides, called Lahars, have occurred in Guatemala over the last week, both at Santiaguito and Volcán Fuego another of the country’s three erupting volcanos.
.
The warnings include the villages of San Marcos and Loma Linda, Palajunoj, Finca El Faro, Patzulin, El Patrocinio, and the populations of El Palmar, San Felipe, Las Marías and others in this area. It is likely to drop Ash on Mazatenango and its municipalities.
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