Volcano On The Caribbean Island Of St Vincent and the Grenadines Continue To Erupt

(By Ernesto Cooke) – Lead scientist monitoring La Soufriere volcano Richard Robertson on Tuesday, 20 April, said another explosive eruption could occur within the next seven days.

Robertson speaking on NBC Radio said he says seismic activity has continued after the explosive action on 18 April.

The scientist stated that one of the most critical things recorded was a signal from a lahar (mudflow) at 4 am on Tuesday, which lasted for about 30 minutes and may have flown along a valley on the southeastern side the volcano.

“If the current pattern continues in this kind of vein, if it persists, we can expect at some point within the next seven days, or so, we should have another explosion”.

Robertson said the patterns suggest that the volcano is trying to grow a dome. However, it doesn’t succeed due to an explosion that destroys that formation.

“We expect at some point it would grow a dome, it can happen this week, but if it does not, we are going to have another explosion”.

Small long-period and hybrid earthquakes continued to be recorded.

Two rockfalls were also recorded; however, no volcano-tectonic earthquakes or tremors were recorded in the last 12 hours.

The UWI SRC explosions with accompanying ashfall of similar or larger magnitude can occur with little or no warning, and persons are advised to stay out of the red zone.

The volcano remains at alert level RED.