Montserrat Volcano Observatory


Daily Report
Report for the period 16:00 22 May
to 16:00 23 May 1996


Volcanic activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano during this period continued at about the same level as yesterday. Seismicity continues to be dominated by small- to moderate-sized rockfall signals. The largest were at 22:40 on 22 May and 05:09, 06:33 and 13:38 on 23 May. The first of these may have been associated with the light ashfall reported in the Old Towne and other places west of the volcano last night. There were 9 long-period events and no VT earthquakes recorded by the seismic network today. Intermittent low-amplitude broadband tremor was recorded on the Gages seismograph station up until 20:00 on 22 May. Near continuous low-amplitude tremor was then recorded up until about 03:00 on 23 May. Tremor was again intermittent for the rest of the reporting period.

Visibility was very poor, and the dome was covered in low cloud all day.

No EDM measurements were made due to the poor visibility. GPS measurements were made at the Reid's Hill, Long Ground, Harris Lookout and St George's Hill stations in the MVO network. This data is still being processed.

No gas measurements were made today using COSPEC. FTIR gas measurements were again made today between St Georges Hill and Amersham. The results of these measurements are still being processed.

Eliza Calder, from Bristol University, arrived in Montserrat on Tuesday. She will be helping with mapping the dome and estimating it's growth rate.

The present level of activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano continues to cause concern to the scientists. The MVO urges that visits to the evacuated zone are kept to a minimum. The Tar River, Long Ground and Whites areas are extremely dangerous and should not be entered under any circumstances.


Montserrat Volcano Observatory