Holocene cinder cones of the Barkhatnaya Sopka volcanic field overlie a plateau 14 km north of Viliuchik volcano. The cinder cones are sitting on an uplifted block of eroded Miocene-Pliocene rocks. Mt. Barkhatnaya ("Velvet Mountain"), which formed 3000-4000 years ago, is at the left, and the reddish hill at the right is an early Holocene cinder cone. The white hill in the center between Barkhatnaya and the early Holocene cinder cone is a part of an eroded rhyolitic sub-volcanic body. Coyrighted photo by Oleg Dirksen (Holocene Kamchataka volcanoes; http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/volcanoes/holocene/main/main.htm).
During 27 January-2 February, the MODIS sensor continued to frequently detect thermal anomalies from Nyiragongo, likely from lava lake activity. The Toulouse VAAC reported that during 30-31 January a diffuse plume drifted 240 km W.
On 29 January, the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory reported significant changes in Gaua's activity over the previous two weeks. They noted that since 16 January more gas was emitted and multiple explosions produced denser and darker ash plumes. On 24 January nearby villagers reported seeing ejected material from Strombolian activity.
The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program seeks better understanding of all volcanoes through documenting their eruptions — small as well as large — during the past 10,000 years.
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