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By Wilfried Strauch
Yesterday,
April 23, 2001, at 02:26 PM local time (8:26 UT), an explosion
occurred in the crater Santiago of Masaya volcano. This
explosion formed a new vent in the bottom of Santiago. The
explosion first launched rocks with diameters up to 60 cm
which impacted at distances up to 500 m from the crater.
Vehicles
parked at the visitors platform were damaged and one person
was injured. In the moment of the explosion about 200 persons
were present at or near the visitors platform. In a second
and third phase of the explosion small quantities of lava
and volcanic ash were expulsed which caused bush fires near
the crater rim. The seismic recording at the seismic station
installed near the crater shows that the explosion lasted
about 2 minutes.
Degassing
continued stronger than in the last weeks and months. Episodic
ash fall was reported near Ticuantepe, Northwest of Masaya
volcano and people were affected by high concentrations
of volcanic gases. INETER volcanologists who continuously
monitored Santiago in the afternoon and during the night
reported several smaller explosions, gas outbreaks and minor
collapses of the crater wall.
Scientists
from Cambridge University/UK who carried out gas measurements
at Santiago crater and left just one hour before the explosion
had not noticed any unusual behavior of the volcano before
the event. Also, the seismic recordings, according to preliminary
inspection, does not indicate unusual activity.
The
authorities of the National Park of Masaya Volcan closed
public access to the visitors platform for the next days.
The
official report of INETER, additional information and photos
can be found in our Web page http://www.ineter.gob.ni/geofisica/vol/masaya/masaya.html
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