Whats happening

Well not a lot really, June is where it is happening. Currently doing lots of cycling and will start running twice a week as well as doing some weights on my lower back and shoulders. Why? This is because I want to do a triathlon this year, maybe doing a sprint tri in June but more likely going to try and find a full distance one to do in August.
First up in June is the Malta tenpin open, I'm hoping to do very well in this and the target is top ten, but I want a top 3. My bowling is good now, just some more concentration and more improvement on my speed control is needed.
Following that trip I will be doing the Pathfinder march with Huntingdon Rugby club, I'm going to set a fierce pace and show them what marching really is.
By the time the march comes Alex will be over from Oz, should be fun, but maybe a bit cramped at home, oh well more excuse to get out and exercise.

Volcanic activity worldwide 14 May 2013

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Explosive activity has picked up again at the volcano. Today alone, several explosions have occurred, two of which of moderately large size with ash plumes reaching 10,000 and 12,000 ft (3 and 3.7 km) altitude. (VAAC Tokyo)

Pavlov (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Seismic activity has decreased today, but remains elevated. MODIS data confirm a hot spot at the summit, which could suggest a small lava flow there.
...13 May:
A new eruption has probably started. AVO raised the alert level to orange, following an increase in seismic activity this morning along with the presence of an intense thermal anomaly at the summit observed in latest satellite imagery.
Similar patterns of seismicity and elevated surface temperatures have previously signalled the onset of eruptive activity at Pavlof. Although not yet visually confirmed, a low-level eruption of lava has likely begun from a summit vent. No ash clouds have been detected.
... [read more]

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity has been lower today with lesser earthquakes and intermittent emissions.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has been generally low recently, with infrequent small explosions and occasional small avalanches produced from the weakly active lava flows on the dome's flanks.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Activity seems to have decreased. INSIVUMEH no longer reports and strombolian activity visible or audible.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has remained stable and at relatively low levels over the past days. The volcano has few weak to moderate strombolian-type explosions every now and then (5-10 per day), which produce small ash plumes rising up to 5-700 m above the crater.

Reventador (Ecuador): IG reported continued moderate activity with occasional (mostly unobserved) small explosions.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): IGPEN reports ongoing strombolian activity with lava ejected to 200 m above the crater, continuing emissions of steam and ash and occasional strong explosions with roaring sounds that produce ash columns up to 3 km high. Ashfall was reported overnight 12-13 May in the sector of Manzano.

Sabancaya (Peru): The possible ash emissions on 9 May have not been confirmed, but unrest in the form of increased earthquake activity and ground deformation has increased since early May, the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reported in its press release on 10 May.
So-called "hybrid" earthquakes (related to both the fracturing of rock and fluid movements) have increased since 2 May, while purely volcanic-tectonic quakes have remained stable.
... [show less]
Satellite-born InSAR radar measurements showed that the area of the current seismicity (north-east of the volcano, just above the village of Hornillo), has shown subsidence of about 7 cm, which is possibly related to magma draining from there into different reservoirs.

Post winter bike care.

Cleaning the winter sprockets.

There she blows

Popocatepetl finally goes ballistic.

Volcano Activity Summary for 6 May 2013:

Currently erupting:

Ambrym (Vanuatu): active lava lakes in several craters (updated 2 May 2013)
Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): ash explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Bas Dong Nai (Vietnam)
Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): strombolian explosions, ash plumes up to 500 m, extrusion of a small lava dome with rockfalls (updated 6 May 2013)
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): continuous small eruptions (updated 6 May 2013)
Colima (Western Mexico): frequent explosions from growing lava dome, glowing rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows (updated 25 Apr 2013)
Dukono (Halmahera): thermal anomaly, probably small explosive activity in summit crater (updated 2 May 2013)
Erebus (Antarctica): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 21 Jan 2012)
Erta Ale (Ethiopia): active lava lake in northern pit crater, active hornito with intermittend flow in southern crater (updated 11 Jan 2013)
Etna (Sicily, Italy): ash emissions and strombolian activity at New SE crater (updated 27 Apr 2013)
Fuego (Guatemala): weak to moderate strombolian activity (updated 6 May 2013)
Gamalama (Halmahera): ash eruptions since 17 Sep (updated 17 Sep 2012)
Grozny (Iturup Island): fumarolic activity (updated 3 Apr 2013)
Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): possible lava lake in summit crater (updated 2 May 2013)
Karkar (Northeast of New Guinea): possible ash eruption on 1 February (updated 15 Mar 2013)
Kilauea (Hawai'i): lava lakes in Halemau'uma'u and Pu'u 'O'o, lava flows on coastal flat and weakly active ocean entries (updated 20 Apr 2013)
Kizimen (Kamchatka): growing lava dome, lava flow on eastern flank, avalanches (updated 25 Apr 2013)
Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): frequent small to moderate ash explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Manam (Papua New Guinea): strombolian explosions, lava flow on southern flank (updated 16 Apr 2013)
Nyiragongo (DRCongo): active lava lake in summit crater (updated 20 Apr 2013)
Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tanzania): spattering and lava flows of natrocarbonatite lava inside the summit crater (updated 9 Dec 2012)
Paluweh (off Flores Island, Indonesia): active growing lava dome (updated 6 May 2013)
Rabaul (Tavurvur) (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): ash emissions, small explosions (updated 14 Mar 2013)
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): 0-3 weak to moderate vulcanian-style explosions per day, ash clouds up to 2-3 km altitude (updated 3 May 2013)
Sangay (Ecuador): no recent explosions reported (updated 27 Apr 2013)
Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): advancing viscous active lava flows, weak occasional explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): growing lava dome, ash venting and small to moderate explosions (updated 25 Jul 2012)
Shiveluch (Kamchatka): slow dome growth, occasional explosions and pyroclastic flows (updated 22 Apr 2013)
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): continuing lava overflows (updated 2 May 2013)
Tinakula (Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands): increased activity at the volcano (updated 8 Feb 2013)
Tolbachik (Kamchatka): effusion of fluid lava flows (updated 1 May 2013)
Tungurahua (Ecuador): ash emissions, explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Yasur (Tanna Island, Vanuatu): strong strombolian activity (level 3), crater currently closed (updated 8 Apr 2013)

Eruption warning / minor activity:

Bezymianny (Central Kamchatka Depression): slow lava flow extrusion from dome (updated 10 Mar 2013)
Chirpoi (Kurile Islands, Russia): thermal anomaly at summit crater, steaming (updated 9 Jan 2013)
Dieng (Central Java): increased degassing (updated 28 Mar 2013)
Gaua (Vanuatu): possible ash eruption on 29 april (updated 29 Apr 2013)
Gorely (Southern Kamchatka): strong steaming (updated 10 Mar 2013)
Ibu (Halmahera, Indonesia): Thermal anomalies indicate continuing eruption, possible lava dome growth (updated 18 Oct 2012)
Karangetang (Siau Island, Sangihe Islands, Indonesia): hot spot visible at the summit (updated 9 Apr 2013)
Karymsky (Kamchatka): occasional small explosions, thermal anomaly (updated 4 Apr 2013)
Kirishima (Kyushu): degassing, slightly increased seismic activity (updated 30 Jul 2012)
Krakatau (Sunda Strait, Indonesia): occasional explosions (updated 1 Oct 2012)
Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): occasional ash explosions (updated 11 Feb 2013)
Marapi (Western Sumatra, Indonesia): intermittent mild ash explosions (updated 17 Mar 2013)
Medvezhia (Kurile Islands, Russia): strong steaming, thermal anomaly (updated 17 Jan 2013)
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): earthquake swarm, strong steaming and ash venting (updated 6 May 2013)
Nyamuragira (DRCongo): Fort dégazage du cratère sommital (updated 27 Apr 2012)
Pacaya (Guatemala): weak strombolian activity from Mackenney crater (updated 6 May 2013)
Pagan (Mariana Islands): steaming, thermal anomaly (updated 12 Dec 2012)
Papandayan (West Java): strong hydrothermal activity, increased seismicity (updated 6 May 2013)
Poas (Costa Rica): Small phreatic explosions on 29 October (updated 1 May 2013)
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): steam and ash emissions (updated 6 May 2013)
Rasshua (Central Kuriles)
Reventador (Ecuador): growing lava dome, lava flows on upper flank, frequent explosions (updated 6 May 2013)
Rincón de la Vieja (Costa Rica): small phreatic eruption on 11 April (updated 6 Oct 2012)
Sacabaya (Northern Chile, Bolivia and Argentina)
Soputan (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): new eruption on 18 (updated 22 Apr 2013)
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): steaming, occasional weak eruptions, elevated seismicity (updated 23 Feb 2013)
Turrialba (Costa Rica): vigorous steaming, occasional phreatic explosions (updated 17 Mar 2013)
Ulawun (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): ash emissions and rumblings heard (updated 23 Mar 2013)
Villarrica (Central Chile): weak deep-seated explosive activity, steaming (updated 20 Jan 2013)

Restless / uncertain activity:

Aoba (Vanuatu): minor phreatic activity from Lake Vui (updated 8 Feb 2013)
Askja (Central Iceland): increased seismicity (updated 27 Mar 2013)
Bárdarbunga (Iceland): earthquake swarm (updated 26 Jan 2013)
Barren Island (Indian Ocean)
Bromo (East Java, Indonesia): seismic unrest, steaming (updated 3 Oct 2012)
Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields) (Italy): swarm of small earthquakes related to bradyseismus (updated 6 Feb 2013)
Chaitén (Southern Chile and Argentina)
Changbaishan (China / North Korea border): increased seismic and degassing activity, deformation (updated 29 Sep 2012)
Concepción (Nicaragua): seismic unrest (updated 14 Apr 2013)
Cumbal (Colombia): continuing seismic swarms (updated 2 May 2013)
El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain): strong seismic swarm west of the island, inflation (updated 5 Apr 2013)
Galeras (Colombia): ash emissions, small explosions (updated 2 May 2013)
Gamkonora (Halmahera): alert level lowered to yellow (updated 14 Sep 2012)
Guntur (West Java)
Hakone (Honshu)
Hekla (Iceland): strong inflation (updated 30 Apr 2013)
Ijen (East Java, Indonesia): increased steaming and seismicity, alert level raised on 24 July (updated 3 Apr 2013)
Irazu (Costa Rica)
Iwo-jima (Volcano Islands): weak degassing, occasional volcanic tremors (updated 22 Jan 2013)
Katla (Southern Iceland): occasional seismic swarms (updated 17 Aug 2012)
Kerinci (Sumatra)
Ketoi (Kurile Islands, Russia)
Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka): weak seismic activity (updated 19 Mar 2013)
Kuchinoerabu-jima (Ryukyu Islands)
Kverkfjöll (Eastern Iceland): occasional small earthquake swarms (updated 21 Oct 2012)
Laguna del Maule (Central Chile): seismic unrest, deformation (updated 20 Apr 2013)
Lascar (Northern Chile): steam plumes with slight ash content (updated 14 Apr 2013)
Lewotobi (Flores): steaming and seismic activity decreased, alert lowered back to 1 (out of 4) (updated 5 Apr 2012)
Loihi (United States, Hawaiian Islands): Magnitude 4.2 earthquake at Loihi (updated 26 Nov 2012)
Machin (Colombia): elevated seismic activity (updated 14 Apr 2013)
Masaya (Nicaragua): elevated seismic activity (updated 23 Apr 2013)
Mauna Loa (Big Island, Hawai'i)
Mayon (Luzon Island): steaming, increased earthquakes, slight inflation (updated 11 Nov 2012)
Merapi (Central Java): Dome collapse sometime in October (updated 21 Oct 2012)
Miyake-shima (Izu Islands)
Mt Fuji (Honshu): earthquakes at the end of January and in February 2012, new craters reported, increasing fumarolic activity (updated 4 Feb 2013)
Nevado del Huila (Colombia): degassing (updated 31 Jan 2013)
Raung (East Java): mild strombolian eruption inside the crater (updated 6 Apr 2013)
Reclus (Southern Chile and Argentina): increased number of earthquakes (updated 31 Aug 2012)
Rinjani (Lombok)
Ruapehu (North Island): seismic unrest (updated 13 Apr 2013)
Sabancaya (Peru): degassing, earthquake swarm (updated 7 Apr 2013)
San Cristobal (Nicaragua): seismic unrest (updated 25 Apr 2013)
San Miguel (El Salvador): seismic unrest (updated 6 Apr 2013)
Sangeang Api (Indonesia): occasional weak steaming (updated 3 Jan 2013)
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia)
Siple (Marie Byrd Land, Western Antarctica): possible steaming detected on 20 June (updated 28 Jun 2012)
Sirung (Pantar Island, Indonesia ): steaming and elevated seismicity (updated 27 May 2012)
Slamet (Central Java): degassing, strong fumaroles (updated 9 Aug 2012)
Sotará (Colombia): weak seismic unrest (updated 31 Jan 2013)
Soufriere Hills (Montserrat, West Indies (UK)): seismic unrest, occasional light ash venting (updated 21 Mar 2013)
Taal (Luzon, Philippines): degassing, elevated seismic activity (updated 6 Apr 2013)
Tahalra Volcanic Field (Algeria): 2 km deep volcanic earthquake on 14 february (updated 17 Feb 2013)
Talang (Sumatra)
Tambora (Sumbawa): aucune activité ces derniers mois, l'alerte est revenue à la normale (updated 6 Apr 2013)
Telica (Nicaragua): ongoing seismic swarm (updated 1 May 2013)
Tiatia (Kunashir Island): weak thermal anomaly (updated 6 Sep 2012)
Tjörnes Fracture Zone (North of Iceland): continuing earthquake swarm (updated 8 Apr 2013)
To-shima (Izu Islands): seismic swarm (updated 10 Mar 2013)
Tongariro (North Island, New Zealand): strong steaming from Te Maari craters, slightly elevated seismic activity (updated 19 Feb 2013)
Torfajökull (Iceland): earthquake swarm (updated 17 Feb 2013)

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY UPDATE

Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): The small lava flow issuing from the breached NE crater continues, but has not progressed much. Frequent glowing rockfalls descend the Sciara del Fuoco.

Miyake-shima (Izu Islands): The earthquake swarm that started on 17 April and included a magnitude 5.6 quake has been decreasing and remained at the same depths at around 10-15 km just west off the island.
This suggests that no magmatic intrusions have formed at shallower depths (so far) and the scenario of a (submarine) eruption is less likely.

Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): A stronger strombolian explosion produced an ash plume rising to 5,000 ft / 1.5 km this morning, which drifted 15 nautical miles to the NW (VAAC Darwin).

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity continues with no significant changes: weak emissions of steam/gas/ash occur at rates of approx. once per hour, and glow at night shows that magma continues to arrive slowly in the summit crater.

Telica (Nicaragua): Numerous small volcanic earthquakes continue at high frequency at the volcano, accompanied by continuous tremor.

San Cristobal (Nicaragua): Numerous small volcanic earthquakes have merged into weak continuous volcanic tremor.

Masaya (Nicaragua): Seismic activity has generally remained low and near normal levels at the volcano over the past weeks.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): The frequency and size of earthquakes has diminished, but is still above normal levels, and suggests that the intrusion of fresh magma is not yet over. A volcanic-tectonic earthquake of magnitude 2.9 occurred this morning at a depth of 7.24 km NW of the Arenas crater.
The other Colombian volcanoes have not shown significant variations in activity: Weak seismic unrest continues at Machin, Cumbal and Sotara volcanoes with no surface activity. Nevado del Huila has remained in a degassing state with average low seismicity during the past weeks, while Galeras volcano produces occasional steam and ash emissions. 

There is also some earthquake activity in and around Katla at an interesting depth.

Volcanic update

Etna (Sicily, Italy): Following yesterday's paroxysm, it seems that a new effusive vent has opened at the SE base of the New SE crater.

Ruapehu (North Island): GNS reported that "the temperature of Crater Lake has started to rise and has now reached 30°C. It has been accompanied by some minor volcanic tremor. The chemistry data from our last sampling trip confirms the decline of temperature in the deep geothermal system.
Volcanologist Brad Scott said these data indicate the Crater Lake is returning to a more typical state, where heat and gas flow from depth is entering the lake. The anomaly of higher heat at depth and cooler temperatures in the lake appears to have passed. However the volcano remains in unrest and eruptions could still occur with no warning."

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): A phase of stronger, continuous emissions has started short time ago, accompanied by strong tremor. Over the past days, the volcano had been relatively calm, with 1-2 weak gas-steam-ash explosions per hour.

Galeras (Colombia): Small ash explosions continue to occur almost each day.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): A (probably shallow) seismic swarm is in progress at the volcano. As INGEOMINAS mentioned in its latest report yesterday, a weak continuous tremor signal continues to be recorded, associated with elevated steaming and light ash venting, creating a plume rising about 1600 m above the volcano. 

Comet Panstarrs and The Andromeda Galaxy