Montserrat Volcano Observatory


Morning Update
Report for the period 16:00 25 October
to 07:00 26 October 1996


The level of seismic activity at the volcano has been at about the same as yesterday, with another swarm of volcano-tectonic earthquakes being recorded in the early hours. There were about 30 earthquakes between 03:10 and 07:00 this morning. These are still to be examined in detail, but are similar to previous swarms that were located at shallow depths beneath the crater. Several moderate rockfall signals and a regional earthquake were recorded prior to the start of the earthquake swarm. Low-amplitude tremor on the Gages seismic station has been nearly continuous during the period.

The volcano is very cloudy this morning, and so no views of the crater have been possible.

The volcano remains in a highly dangerous condition. The October 1 dome continues to grow at a high rate, and further pyroclastic flows are likely. All residents of Montserrat are urged to exercise caution while visiting the evacuated zone and to become familiar with the new alert system and evacuation procedures. The Tar River and Long Ground areas are extremely dangerous, and people entering these areas face a high risk of death.


Montserrat Volcano Observatory