During 23-28 May IG reported a high level of seismic activity including explosions, long-period earthquakes, harmonic tremor, and signals indicating emissions at Reventador. Steam, gas, and ash plumes rose 1.5 km above the crater rim and drifted NW on 23 May, and a plume of gas, water vapor, and ash rose 300 m on 26 May; cloudy weather prevented views of emissions on most days. A lava flow had advanced to 900 m on the NE flank. On 27 May incandescent blocks were observed rolling as far as 800 m down the flanks in multiple directions. An ash plume rose 3 km above the crater rim and quickly drifted W, causing ashfall in Papallacta (62 km SW), San Antonio de Pichincha (90 km W), Tabacundo (63 km WNW), Cayambe (57 km WNW), Puellaro (85 km WNW), and Puembo (80 km W).

Geological Summary. Volcán El Reventador is the most frequently active of a chain of Ecuadorian volcanoes in the Cordillera Real, well east of the principal volcanic axis. The forested, dominantly andesitic stratovolcano has 4-km-wide avalanche scarp open to the E formed by edifice collapse. A young, unvegetated, cone rises from the amphitheater floor to a height comparable to the rim. It has been the source of numerous lava flows as well as explosive eruptions visible from Quito, about 90 km ESE. Frequent lahars in this region of heavy rainfall have left extensive deposits on the scarp slope. The largest recorded eruption took place in 2002, producing a 17-km-high eruption column, pyroclastic flows that traveled up to 8 km, and lava flows from summit and flank vents.

Source: Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG-EPN)