(Kingstown – St Vincent) – There was an increase in seismic activity at St Vincent’s La Soufriere volcano over the weekend of June 18 – 20.
Lead scientist Lloyd Lynch speaking on NBC Radio, said the uptick could have been attributed to heavy precipitation.
“There were 40 earthquakes recorded. This was on two consecutive days, with less rainfall they have settled back down”.
“There is no need for worrying. This is a usual occurrence during heavy rainfalls. Gas measurements from Friday showed 472 tonnes per day, well within the ballpark figures reported, no lahar signals were recorded over the weekend”.
Work is underway to restore capacity lost during the explosive phase of the eruption; this will continue until the end of June.
The UWI SRC says the volcano continues to be in a state of unrest.
The SRC also noted that while volcanic activity has been on a decline, the continued presence of near-surface hot spots, daily seismic activity, and substantial degassing proves that the system is still in unrest. Escalation in activity can still take place with little or no warning.
The volcano is at alert level ORANGE.
