Volcano Journal Entry
Ambrym Volcano Erupts in Pacific (October 12, 2004)
Satellite view of recent eruption of Ambrym volcano in Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC.
The Ambrym volcano in the nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific erupted again this week with a thick cloud of ash. The volcano's activity level has been high since the early part of the year. Residents on the western side of the island say acid rain from ash is an ongoing problem.
Ambrym is one of the most active of an arc of volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean called the New Hebrides Arc. It lies in the region where the Pacific plate meets the Indo-Australian plate, about 1,400 miles (2,200 kilometers) northeast of Australia. The volcano is famous for the lava lakes that frequently appear in its summit craters. It's a large shield volcano with a caldera that first formed about 2,000 years ago.
About a thousand years ago, the volcano erupted with violent force and kicked up a cloud of dust that changed Earth's climate for the next three years. The volcano has had 48 eruptions since 1774, many of which have included lava flows. In 1913, twenty-one people were killed when Ambrym exploded violently.
