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Eruption at Reventador (Ecuador)

By eklemetti on July 28, 2008.

Ecuador's Geophysical Institute is reporting that Reventador is currently erupting ash. Apparently, there is no threat to nearby Quito or any pipelines near the volcano. The volcano last erupted in 2007 (although the article incorrectly reports 2002) with small VEI 2 explosions and lava flows. The last major eruption was in 2002, a VEI 4 that spread ash over Quito and caused a number of fatalities. The 2002 eruption was an impressive one (see picture above), producing numerous lahars and a 17-km tall (~55,000 feet) ash column. This also makes two currently erupting volcanoes in Ecuador with the ongoing activity at Tungurahua.

Tags
Ash fall
Ecuador
explosive eruption
historic eruption
Reventador
Stratovolcano
Tungurahua
volcanic hazards
volcano monitoring

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You mean *three* currently erupting volcanoes in Ecuador. People tend to forget about Sangay because it's so isolated and has been erupting for so long (some say the longest eruption to date, but data is lacking on remote volcanoes like that and Erta Ale).

As for Reventador, it seems to be like those Alaskan volcanoes you mentioned in a recent post, switching from periods of ash and larger ejecta eruption to blocky lava flows, since the massive 2002 eruption, possibly as gassy pulses of andesite hit the surface. Definitely one to watch considering its proximity to Quito and the lahar-vulnerable oil pipelines that run along its flanks.

Hi Erik,

Just a correction: Ecuador has 3 ongoing erupting volcanoes. The other one is Sangay and it erupts on a regular basis, but it's way in the jungle so you will only get to hear about it if you travel towards it.

Best,

Leonardo

Sorry, I didn't see that someone already corrected the issue of the 3 volcanoes ... Anyway, I saw the cloud of ash from Reventador's 2002 eruption, and we were left in the utter dark by 4 PM. 3 days no electricity, and over a week of ash on the ground. It cost the city of Quito 3 million dollars to clean up the ash from the city, where about a million tons of ash (we calculate) fell on streets and houses. I also have pictures of the 1999 Guagua Pichincha eruption, with that bombastic mushroom ash cloud ... even filmed some of it from my house's porch. And we did get some ash from Reventador's last eruption a few weeks ago. Good for the garden. :-)