Mudpots, small geysers, and vigorous, noisy fumaroles

Part of the EVS report follows. "During our observations at 1100 on 9 July intense and noisy gas emissions (like a jet engine) occurred near the low NW part of the inner wall of the crater. These gas emissions generated a gray-white plume. This area of the crater was covered by many yellow sulfur deposits. A strong smell of hydrogen sulfide was also noted. An important solfatara zone surrounded the NW, N, NE, and E sides of the green, ~40,000 m³, acidic crater lake. Two small geysers, the one in the N and the other in the NW, were very active (2-3 m height). Several boiling basins and mud pots were active around the lake. It was not possible to get down into the crater without rock climbing equipment, because the crater walls were very steep." EVS observers also proposed that a low part of the S wall had collapsed.

Information Contacts: H. Gaudru, C. Pittet, M. Auber, C. Bopp, and O. Saudan, EVS, Switzerland.

Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)

April 1987 (SEAN 12:04) Cite this Report

Tectonic earthquakes, plume, elevated lake temperature

Beginning on 17 April, a white plume was observed ~100 m above Mahawu crater. The plume persisted into early May. Between 1 and 22 April, tectonic earthquakes occurred at a rate of 1/day, with no shallow volcanic earthquakes. During the last week of April, tectonic earthquakes occurred at a rate of ~9/day and shallow volcanic events at ~5/day.

Mahawu contains a crater lake with a volume of ~40,000 m³ of greenish-yellow water. On 21 April the temperature of the lake water was 45°C, compared to a normal 20°C measured in September 1986. A strong odor of H₂S was also noted by the VSI observer during his 21 April visit. VSI recommended that a circular area extending ~3.5 km from the crater be temporarily closed to public access. In January 1978, the temperature of the lake water reached 70°C without an eruption [but see 12:7 & 8].

Information Contacts: T. Casadevall, USGS & VSI.

June 1987 (SEAN 12:06) Cite this Report

Lake volume and temperature increase, seismicity rises

A 100-m white plume was first seen emerging from the summit crater on 17 April (12:04). A similar whitish plume was continuously present above the summit in May and June. Both tectonic and volcanic earthquakes had increased at the end of April and continued to be recorded in May and June. By 30 June, the crater lake volume had increased to 45,000 m³ and water temperature had increased to 48°C.

Information Contacts: VSI.

July 1987 (SEAN 12:07) Cite this Report

White plume present, 1977 activity reviewed

White fume was continuously present above the crater rim to 100 m heights. Fewer than five volcanic earthquakes were recorded/day. Some tectonic earthquakes were also recorded.

In 12:4 we reported that the temperature of the crater lake rose to 70°C in January 1978 without an eruption. However, Nairn and Bachri (1978) report that on 16 November 1977, the crater lake, 800 m in diameter and 10 m deep, was gray colored and turbid with strong central upwelling and had a temperature of 85.5°C [but see 12:8]. Moderately loud explosions were heard every 5-10 minutes followed by 2-3-m-high spearhead projections of water and lake-floor debris. Along the NE shore fine gray mud was deposited to 20 m above the lake. A strong H₂S odor was present.

Reference. Nairn, I. and Bachri, S., 1978, Several annotations about Mahawu's crater activities in recent times: Berita Direktorat Geologi, v. 10, no. 5, p. 55.

Information Contacts: VSI.

August 1987 (SEAN 12:08) Cite this Report

1977 lake data corrected

During the November 1977 visit by Nairn and Bachri, the crater lake was 80 m in diameter and its temperature was 65.5°C (correcting the values reported in 12:07). Lake depth was estimated at 10 m by a guide, based on his earlier observation of the crater floor at a time when the lake was dry. The explosions from the lake were quite small.

Information Contacts: I. Nairn, NZGS Rotorua, New Zealand.

November 1991 (BGVN 16:11) Cite this Report

Increased thermal activity

Mahawu began to show signs of renewed activity in mid-Nov, about a month after the eruption of Lokon-Empung, 7 km WNW. Temperatures increased at the solfataras and fumaroles in and around the crater lake, and a vapor column rose 50-200 m above the crater. Although no magmatic eruption was observed, mud boiling from the base of the crater lake generated tremor with 1-2 mm amplitude. No volcanic tremor was detected. As of mid-Dec, degassing episodes were decreasing in number and intensity.

Information Contacts: VSI.

August 1994 (BGVN 19:08) Cite this Report

Mudpots, small geysers, and vigorous, noisy fumaroles

Part of the EVS report follows. "During our observations at 1100 on 9 July intense and noisy gas emissions (like a jet engine) occurred near the low NW part of the inner wall of the crater. These gas emissions generated a gray-white plume. This area of the crater was covered by many yellow sulfur deposits. A strong smell of hydrogen sulfide was also noted. An important solfatara zone surrounded the NW, N, NE, and E sides of the green, ~40,000 m³, acidic crater lake. Two small geysers, the one in the N and the other in the NW, were very active (2-3 m height). Several boiling basins and mud pots were active around the lake. It was not possible to get down into the crater without rock climbing equipment, because the crater walls were very steep." EVS observers also proposed that a low part of the S wall had collapsed.

Information Contacts: H. Gaudru, C. Pittet, M. Auber, C. Bopp, and O. Saudan, EVS, Switzerland.