Seismicity has remained at an elevated level today with hybrid earthquakes being recorded at least one every few minutes for most of the last 24 hours. Ash venting has continued and there was a large rockfall or small pyroclastic flow early this morning.
The hybrid swarm which started yesterday changed to tremor at about 11:30 last night. This tremor remained at relatively high amplitude until 3:08 this morning, when a large rockfall or small pyroclastic flow signal was recorded. The event which caused this signal was not observed and we do not know where on the volcano it occurred. Straight after the rockfall signal hybrids started again and have been continuing ever since. In the 24 hours before 4 o'clock this afternoon 737 hybrid earthquakes, 8 long period earthquakes and 5 rockfall signals triggered the seismic network.
With the seismic activity at its current high level more pyroclastic flows can be expected soon. There is no guarantee that such flows will go down the White River again, they could easily come down Farrells plain instead, in which case there is a danger of pyroclastic flows moving down the Belham valley. There is also a chance that the volcano will start exploding again. Stay tuned to Radio Montserrat for further information.