Vincentians on watch as volcanic activity continues

Photo from UWI's Seismic Research Centre Facebook page. Photo credit: Kemron Alexander, Soufriere Monitoring Unit -
Photo from UWI's Seismic Research Centre Facebook page. Photo credit: Kemron Alexander, Soufriere Monitoring Unit -

An effusive eruption at the La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent has resulted in the island's being put on an orange volcano alert level.

The UWI Seismic Research Centre at St Augustine, Trinidad, said while there were no evacuation orders in effect, those living near the crater of the volcano should be on alert.

An orange alert means there is a highly elevated level of seismic (earthquake) and/or fumarolic (hot smoke and gases) activity or other unusual activity, and an eruption may begin within less than 24 hours.

But residents said there seemed to be no sense of urgency about the situation.

Effusive eruptions occur when molten rock (lava) reaches the earth’s surface and erupts passively. The products of these eruptions are lava flows and lava domes. They generally occur when there is low gas content in the magma (the hot fluid from which lava is formed).

The SRC said the eruption took place on Tuesday, and the mass of newly formed rock remains confined to the crater of La Soufrière. However, sulphur-rich gas is coming out of the rock, which can make it difficult to breathe.

It said although the magma has already made its way to the surface, changes in the magma composition below the ground can cause seismic events, some of which may be felt over the next several weeks to months.

The volcano is near the northern tip of the island. The capital, Kingstown, is close to the southern end.

St Vincent and the Grenadines journalist at The News newspaper Desmarie Greenaway said no one was evacuating, as there was no need at the time.

“You will hear a lot of crazy things, rumours, but it’s not at the state where there’s an explosion or eruption where you’re actively seeing activities. People who would have known of the major eruption in 1979 know it’s not like that: there’s activity, but only inside the volcano itself. There’s a dome being formed within the previous crater.”

She said some people are clueless about what is happening, except those who were born before the major eruption in 1979.

“So most of those people are taking it seriously. In 1971 and 1972 we had what we’re having now, the same kind of atmosphere, and nothing happened, because the effusive eruptions are different from the explosive ones.

"So we don’t know if it might change from one to the other, so people are being prepared because of what happened in 1979, especially those in the orange zone closest to the volcano, and they’re on their toes and taking precautions.

"With all that’s happened in 2020, everyone’s very itchy with regard to what the future holds right now. We’re kind of being held hostage right now, not knowing what may happen.”

Greenaway said people had to be wary of the circulating of incorrect information.

"We're getting a lot of that, where people are saying the volcano is erupting. Even without the panic, what is being said is not what is happening. Some people are choosing not to listen to the Prime Minister and come up with their own thing as to what is happening. We're just out of an election so we're very much still in an election mode."

Patrina Williams, who lives in Georgetown, one of the areas which could be potentially affected by an eruption, said she didn’t see any of her neighbours doing anything out of the ordinary.

“I’m not studying anything but to pray. I can’t tell you exactly what’s going on, because I stopped listening to the radio, because when you listen you a panic. So all I’m doing is praying that nothing happens.

"I’m not putting anything in place. If anything the PM could put things in place so I have place to go in town.”

In a release, the country's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said people living in areas close to the volcano, which include all the communities from Fancy in Georgetown and from Belle Isle to Richmond, are asked to remain alert and listen to advisories from the organisation. The public has also been reminded that the volcano is off limits and closed to the general public owing to the dangerous emissions and the serious threat posed by possible rapid change at the crater.

A three-member team from the UWI SRC was given approval on Tuesday to go to St Vincent to help monitor the situation.

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