Rare alert issued for activity on island volcanoes in the Caribbean

#Volcanoes that have been silent for decades are coming to life in the eastern #Caribbean, prompting officials to issue alerts in #Martinique and #Saint #Vincent and the #Grenadines as scientists scramble to study activity they say is not being observed. years ago.

The most recent warning was issued #Tuesday for the #La #Soufriere volcano in #Saint #Vincent and the #Grenadines, a row of islands that are home to more than 100,000 people. #Officials reported tremors, strong gas emissions, the formation of a new volcanic dome and changes in its crater.

The #Caribbean #Disaster and #Emergency #Management #Agency said #Tuesday that scientists observed “an effusive eruption into the crater with visible gas and steam.”

The government warned that those living near the volcano should prepare to evacuate if necessary, thus declaring an orange alert. #This means that the eruption could occur less than 24 hours in advance.

#La #Soufriere is located on the northern tip of the main island of #San #Vicente, and the last time it erupted was in 1979 and 192, when it killed 1,600 people.

#This would have happened just after the #Mt. #Pelee volcano in #Martinique erupted and left more than 30,000 people dead.

#Mt. #Pelee is also now active once again. #In early #December, officials from the #French #Caribbean territory issued a yellow alert due to seismic activity under the mountain. #It was the first such alert issued since the volcano last erupted in 1932, #Fabrice #Fontaine of the #Martinique #Volcanic and #Seismological #Observatory told The #Associated #Press.

#While the eastern #Caribbean is a long chain of active and extinct volcanoes, volcanologist #Erik #Klemetti of #Denison #University in #Ohio said the activity at #Mount #Pelee and #La #Soufriere are unrelated.

#While the eastern #Caribbean is a long chain of active and extinct volcanoes, volcanologist #Erik #Klemetti of #Denison #University in #Ohio said that the activity at #Mount #Pelee and #La #Soufriere are unrelated.

“#It is not as if one volcano starts to erupt that others will,” he said. “#It falls into the category of coincidence.”

#He said the activity is evidence that magma is lurking underground and trickling to the surface, though he added that scientists still don’t have a very good understanding of what controls how fast it happens.

“The answers are not entirely satisfactory,” he said. “#It is the science that is still being investigated.”

#Klemetti said the most active volcano in recent years in the eastern #Caribbean has been #Soufriere #Hills in #Montserrat, which has erupted continuously since 1995, destroying the capital of #Plymouth and killing at least 19 people in 1997.

#Seventeen of the 19 living volcanoes in the eastern #Caribbean are located on 11 islands, and the remaining two are underwater near the island of #Grenada, including one called #Kick ’em #Jenny that has been active in recent years.