Located in the Andes, Ubinas is considered the most active volcano in Peru, with intermittent small to moderate eruptions recorded since 1550. It had been showing signs of an impending eruption since mid-2013, highlighted by the appearance of a fresh lava dome in March 2014. Explosive activity began in mid-April, sending an ash cloud at least 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) into the air. Smaller explosions persisted through the end of April.
The recent eruption lead Peruvian officials to declare a state of emergency and to evacuate thousands of people and livestock (mostly llamas and alpacas). Ubinas’s frequent ash emissions are irritating the eyes and throats of thousands of local residents, especially children, according to El Economista, Peru.
Click here to view a time-lapse video of the initial eruption at Ubinas.
References
- El Economista Unos 2500 afectados por el volcan Ubinas en la ciudad de Puno. Accessed May 1, 2014.
- Eruptions Blog, Wired (2014, April 15) Tungurahua, Momotombo, Ubinas, and Nyamuragira. Accessed May 1, 2014.
- Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (2014) Ubinas. Accessed May 1, 2014.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2011, February 6) Ubinas Volcano, Peru.
- Peru This Week (2014, April 21) Peru orders evacuation of 28 thousand camelids after Ubinas Volcano’s eruption. Accessed May 1, 2014.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Robert Simmon.
- Instrument(s):
- Terra - ASTER - NASA
