On 11 May the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory reported that, following an assessment of Yasur during 26-27 April, activity from the volcano remained high. Strong degassing and ash emissions from all three active vents were noted. Ash fell on the E and W parts of the island. New bombs were deposited around the crater rim and in areas near the vents. Explosions were heard and seen from surrounding villages. Satellite imagery and seismic data confirmed strong degassing and explosive activity. The Vanuatu Volcano Alert Level (VVAL) remained at 2 (on a scale of 0-4).

Geological Summary. Yasur has exhibited essentially continuous Strombolian and Vulcanian activity at least since Captain Cook observed ash eruptions in 1774. This style of activity may have continued for the past 800 years. Located at the SE tip of Tanna Island in Vanuatu, this pyroclastic cone has a nearly circular, 400-m-wide summit crater. The active cone is largely contained within the small Yenkahe caldera, and is the youngest of a group of Holocene volcanic centers constructed over the down-dropped NE flank of the Pleistocene Tukosmeru volcano. The Yenkahe horst is located within the Siwi ring fracture, a 4-km-wide open feature associated with eruption of the andesitic Siwi pyroclastic sequence. Active tectonism along the Yenkahe horst accompanying eruptions has raised Port Resolution harbor more than 20 m during the past century.

Source: Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD)