Eruption of Nabro Volcano in Eritrea

[TXWXCHX]

It's definitely a mislabled pic of Cordon Caulle in Chile. Ever popular for tornadoes and hurricanes, now it's volcanoes.

http://in.reuters.co...E7532H320110605

Parts of western Eritrea may be verdant, but the eastern Eritrea is a hellish moonscape.

I would venture to say your probably right! Now my faith in the Spanish Speaking Judiac Media is forever crushed... wow, I wish we had a real photograph of this eruption

[wxmx]

FWIW, here's the original link - they claim this is a photo of the eruption in Eritrea... it's from Iton Gadol News: El Judio Mundo - in espanol!!

http://www.itongadol...ar-a-eilat.html

In addition, here are photos of Eritrea:

http://www.eritrea.b...trea-keren3.htm

Trees, cattle AND power transmission lines all included!

That first link is google translate quality

[Derecho!]

I would venture to say your probably right! Now my faith in the Spanish Speaking Judiac Media is forever crushed... wow, I wish we had a real photograph of this eruption

Well, at least it isn't as bad as that tornado at night with the lightning bolt pic that has been associated with every major tornado for a decade, I think.

The worst was the photoshopped pic of a supertanker approaching a midwestern supercell that was supposedly "Hurricane Isabel" - that thing went around the Internet about a billion times.

[forkyfork]

Well, at least it isn't as bad as that tornado at night with the lightning bolt pic that has been associated with every major tornado for a decade, I think.

The worst was the photoshopped pic of a supertanker approaching a midwestern supercell that was supposedly "Hurricane Isabel" - that thing went around the Internet about a billion times.

i think the tornado picture is actually a waterspout

[TXWXCHX]

That first link is google translate quality

Science Fusion meets Kosher Tex-Mex!!! NOM

[OHSnow]

The key is what the ejecta is composed of and whether it gets into the stratosphere. So far, it looks like the eruption is "only" up to 45kft, which won't get it there in the tropics.

Good point. I was looking back through old AMS Journals and I came across an Article from July 1937 regarding the summer of 1783. It mentioned that in spring of 1783, the Skaptar Jokull volcano erupted in Iceland with thick ash and smoke spreading over Europe. The predominant thinking in 18th Century Europe was that this would lead to a cold summer, but in fact summer 1783 was very hot. The 1937 article discusses a theory that the dust was really coarse and that it's emissivity made it more effective at blocking outgoing radiation than incoming solar radiation. This caused a local greenhouse effect warming over Europe of 1-2C. I don't know whether this is still good science, but it's interesting that last summer we saw Eyjafjallafjokull explode and went on to have one of the hottest summers on record in northern Europe and Russia, just like in 1783.

The article then mentions that the winter of 1783-84 was very cold, and it attributes that to the eruption of Asama in Japan in late summer (which it said had finer dust that extended far higher in the atmosphere). The moral of the article was

"And it comes to this: Volcanoes, like the man in the fable, can blow hot and blow cold with the same breath, but that shall not provoke us to wrath."

Here's the article (entitled The Greenhouse Effect of Volcanic Gases): http://docs.lib.noaa...065-07-0261.pdf

[shaggy]

If this eruption continues on through the heart of the hurricane season in what ways could the ash cloud influence tropical waves moving across Africa? could it weaken them by causing them to "rain out" earlier because of the extra dust or could it make them stronger somehow?

I'm not familiar with how any of this works and have only recently become interested in volcanic influences on the climate.

[NaoPos]

If this eruption continues on through the heart of the hurricane season in what ways could the ash cloud influence tropical waves moving across Africa? could it weaken them by causing them to "rain out" earlier because of the extra dust or could it make them stronger somehow?

I'm not familiar with how any of this works and have only recently become interested in volcanic influences on the climate.

Just going to state the obvious here on short term on impacts. Dry air/ Saharan dust has been known to choke off the driver behind tropical systems. However, with this volcano, which I still haven't learned exacty what we're dealing with here as far as size/ volume. So we would need substantial amounts of ash to invade the air around the

Storms/ potential formation areas.

[Amped]

Just going to state the obvious here on short term on impacts. Dry air/ Saharan dust has been known to choke off the driver behind tropical systems. However, with this volcano, which I still haven't learned exacty what we're dealing with here as far as size/ volume. So we would need substantial amounts of ash to invade the air around the

Storms/ potential formation areas.

Cape Verde season doesn't start until August, so it's ruining tropical waves.

[Bozart]

i think the tornado picture is actually a waterspout

http://www.museumofh...ou_want_to_see/

"Amateur photographer Fred Smith photographed the waterspout and lightning on June 15, 1991 from his backyard overlooking Lake Okeechobee, Florida."

Last year I had occasion to prevent my university from using that shot in a publication without attributing or compensating Mr. Smith. Weather-geek editor FTW.

[Windspeed]

I want to say this is a false image or remote sensing error, but OMI SO2 5km is showing a second very large SO2 discharge from northwestern Iran. I checked VIS and IR and this does not appear to be volcanic.

http://satepsanone.n...up_drag_ME.html

Again, I know there are glitches sometimes. I am trying to imagine if the plume from Nabro is somehow being duplicated in the scans, but I cannot be sure. Any suggestions? If the image is legitimate, that is an enormous SO2 plume to NOT be volcanic in nature.

Edit: There is one more plausible cause that would explain the SO2 plume from northwestern Iran and it WOULD be volcanic. In my perplexed stare of this image earlier, I didn't even consider it. Yet, a large basaltic fissure eruption that is not producing a significant ash column could be the culprit. What are the odds? I dare think this could be man-related though, if ruling out a false image. Again, any suggestions?

[Ian]

Edit: There is one more plausible cause that would explain the SO2 plume from northwestern Iran and it WOULD be volcanic. In my perplexed stare of this image earlier, I didn't even consider it. Yet, a large basaltic fissure eruption that is not producing a significant ash column could be the culprit. What are the odds? I dare think this could be man-related though, if ruling out a false image. Again, any suggestions?

shiite bomb?

[Derecho!]

I want to say this is a false image or remote sensing error, but OMI SO2 5km is showing a second very large SO2 discharge from northwestern Iran. I checked VIS and IR and this does not appear to be volcanic.

Edit: There is one more plausible cause that would explain the SO2 plume from northwestern Iran and it WOULD be volcanic. In my perplexed stare of this image earlier, I didn't even consider it. Yet, a large basaltic fissure eruption that is not producing a significant ash column could be the culprit. What are the odds? I dare think this could be man-related though, if ruling out a false image. Again, any suggestions?

I'm fairly sure it's a data processing artifact;

1) It's too similar in size and shape, if you rotate it, to the Nabro plume, and

2) Upper level winds over Northwest Iran certainly aren't blowing out of the northeast.

Looks like the Nabro eruption is getting going a bit more again on satellite, though (but nothing like the beginning).

[Roger Smith]

The map above can be explained by no data from Egypt or Israel in an otherwise continuous plume of SO2 from source.

Media reports ash fell earlier today at Eilat in far south of Israel and upper level winds at 500 mb are WSW then SW in the vicinity of part two of the plume.

A somewhat unusual dip in the jet stream around the eastern Mediterranean is causing the plume to shift north and then enter the westerlies, so that much of it has failed to move west of Sudan at all, so far.

[wxmx]

The map above can be explained by no data from Egypt or Israel in an otherwise continuous plume of SO2 from source.

Media reports ash fell earlier today at Eilat in far south of Israel and upper level winds at 500 mb are WSW then SW in the vicinity of part two of the plume.

A somewhat unusual dip in the jet stream around the eastern Mediterranean is causing the plume to shift north and then enter the westerlies, so that much of it has failed to move west of Sudan at all, so far.

But the map data is taken from a satellite, which respects no boundaries.

[Msalgado]

But the map data is taken from a satellite, which respects no boundaries.

Depending on the orbit it may not have scanned those areas on its last pass.

[TXWXCHX]

I want to say this is a false image or remote sensing error, but OMI SO2 5km is showing a second very large SO2 discharge from northwestern Iran. I checked VIS and IR and this does not appear to be volcanic.

http://satepsanone.n...up_drag_ME.html

Again, I know there are glitches sometimes. I am trying to imagine if the plume from Nabro is somehow being duplicated in the scans, but I cannot be sure. Any suggestions? If the image is legitimate, that is an enormous SO2 plume to NOT be volcanic in nature.

Edit: There is one more plausible cause that would explain the SO2 plume from northwestern Iran and it WOULD be volcanic. In my perplexed stare of this image earlier, I didn't even consider it. Yet, a large basaltic fissure eruption that is not producing a significant ash column could be the culprit. What are the odds? I dare think this could be man-related though, if ruling out a false image. Again, any suggestions?

It would be quite exciting were it a true image, since that is the approximate site of the Sahand stratovolcano...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahand

The words " massive, heavily eroded stratovolcano" certainly gave me a ilttle thrill when I read it...

However, were it erupting, we should have confirmation from some other source. Further discussion here ( http://bigthink.com/.../38858#comments ) on Eric Klemetti's blog...

EDIT: since current prevailing winds seem to be moving SW to NE, it would seem unlikely that a plume would travel NE to SW...

http://www.sat24.com/zoomloop.aspx?ir=true&region=af&lat=38&lon=46

[Windspeed]

Yes, the prevailing winds are SW to NE. A data or scan pass error just gave it the look of a second plume. Either way, this satellite image reveals the source being particulates and SO2 from the Nabro plume:

[ineedsnow]

im guessing this volcano wasnt a big deal

[Roger Smith]

Overall impact on climate so far would be negligible but it has been a big deal locally or even regionally with some flights cancelled or rerouted. Further impacts would depend on whether this cluster of volcanic vents becomes active at irregular intervals over a few months or years, or goes back to the long sleep mode. Basically I think it's fair to say, nobody really knows what to expect.

We are due or overdue for a large-scale volcanic eruption, if you consider 1815 and 1883 to be in the major leagues, you can see both a periodicity suggested (vaguely) and more to the point, a correlation with weak peaks of solar activity embedded in longer quiet sun intervals. Hmm. 2012-13 appear similar for solar activity.

[icebreaker5221]

Overall impact on climate so far would be negligible but it has been a big deal locally or even regionally with some flights cancelled or rerouted. Further impacts would depend on whether this cluster of volcanic vents becomes active at irregular intervals over a few months or years, or goes back to the long sleep mode. Basically I think it's fair to say, nobody really knows what to expect.

We are due or overdue for a large-scale volcanic eruption, if you consider 1815 and 1883 to be in the major leagues, you can see both a periodicity suggested (vaguely) and more to the point, a correlation with weak peaks of solar activity embedded in longer quiet sun intervals. Hmm. 2012-13 appear similar for solar activity.

I would respectfully disagree, actually. Tambora (1815) had a VEI of 7, which is thought to occur every ~1000 yrs. Krakatoa (1883) had a VEI of 6, which occurs every ~100 yrs, but we've since had 3 VEI 6's occur: Santa Maria (1902), Novarupta (1912), and Pinatubo (1991). It's possible (and quite likely) that the historical data is missing or underestimates the explosivity of many volcanoes before modern times, so perhaps the frequency of a VEI 6 is more like 50 yrs, but even then we're not due.

That said, just because we're not due doesn't mean it won't occur, especially if there is indeed a solar connection. I just wouldn't use history to say we're due or we're safe.

[Derecho!]

im guessing this volcano wasnt a big deal

Well, it's not necessarily over yet. For all we know, it's done, or this was just a throat-clearing for a VEI 6 Caldera blast (unlikely, of course.)

If it was in fact VEI 4, there are only on average maybe one of those a year; though with Cordon Caulle this would be two so far this year, and there were two (Eyfa-whatever and Merapi) last year.

[Amped]

We mention Pinatubo in every volcano thread. Now there are several hundred volcanos for every one that's as big as Pinatubo are we going to discuss this in every thread?

[/rant]

[Derecho!]

It tooted a bit again just now, based on satellite.

It's rather amazing in this day and age that there's nothing remotely resembling a ground-level image of Nabro since the eruption. There are a couple of pics from Ethiopia and whatnot of hazy skies, and that's about it.

There's no indication of seismicity (USGS network is only going to show M4.0 earthquakes, there could be swarms of thousands of smaller quakes we have no idea about), no measurement of gases or lack thereof, no tiltmeters or GPS measuring any inflation/deflation, etc. We really know jack squat.

So in that sense it's nothing like Pinatubo.

[weatherdude]

Latest from VAAC Toulouse/Meteo France:

"Eruption Seems Increasing" June 15th 2300z:

http://www.meteo.fr/vaac/evaa.html

[Msalgado]

We mention Pinatubo in every volcano thread. Now there are several hundred volcanos for every one that's as big as Pinatubo are we going to discuss this in every thread?

[/rant]

I'm not sure what you're upset about. Pinatubo is a modern benchmark so of course it will be mentioned in most volcano threads. Whether or not there are a lot of eruptions the vast majority aren't benchmarks for climate effects.

[weatherdude]

New ERUPTION! Excellent article...lots of cool pics...

http://www.irishweatheronline.com/news/earthquakesvolcanos/nabro-volcano-erupts-again-thursday/20220.html

[Windspeed]

Nabro is still releasing copious amounts of SO2, though the ash plumes have become intermittent. There are shallow quakes still occurring near the caldera though we still do not have any visual confirmation of effusive activity. A lot of vulcanologists are watching Nabro with great interest. There could still be more large eruptions coming.

[Derecho!]

Another fairly ssubstantial quake just SW of the caldera (M 5.6) this morning.

For all we know there could be lava flows at the moment.

Pretty clearly not done, though.

[Derecho!]

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=51074&src=iotdrss

"Until last weekend, the Nabro volcano in northeast Africa looked like it does in the image above. Then, on the night of June 12, 2011, the stratovolcano erupted for the first time in recorded history. It spewed ash and large amounts of sulfur dioxide gas—the highest levels ever detected from space, according to preliminary estimates from researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center."