Activity at Tungurahua Volcano Near Baños Ramps Up

I'm glad I just moved my family to the coast. I doubt anything terrible will happen with the volcanic activity, but it gives me a bit of piece of mind. Last year I visited Tungurahua. There was dense fog and I couldn't see more than 30 meters, but I could hear the volcano growling and spitting. It was nerve racking and cool.

Chalk up three new explosions at the Tungurahua volcano.

Ecuador's Geophysical Institute, as related in today's Comercio newspaper, reports that all three explosions were of moderate intensity.

Ash was blown into several area towns.

Baños, the tourist Mecca that sits at the foot of Tungarahua, was not among the towns afflicted by ash, according to the Institute.

cccmedia in Quito

Tungurahua volcanic activity ramped up this week. 

Yesterday -- Thursday, Nov. 20, 2015 -- ashfall from the volcano got so bad in Ambato that schools and the technical university sent students home.

Parents were covering their children with scarves, sunglasses and caps to avoid inhaling the white ash.

The ash covered rooftops and other exposed areas.

The yellow alert has been upgraded to the more serious orange alert in parts of Tungurahua and Chimborazo provinces.

source:  www.volcanodiscovery.com

  -- cccmedia in Quito

Heavy volcanic ashfall to the west of Tungurahua remains a major concern. 

Farmers say the ash has coated forage, threatening livestock, and has already cost millions in crop losses.

The ashfall that coated Ambato two days ago accumulated to as much as three inches.

cccmedia in Quito

The threat to Baños.

The tourist city of Baños sits at the foot of Tungurahua.

Geologists say that Baños would probably be destroyed in the case of a major eruption.

Tungurahua began its current eruptive cycle in 1999.  The city was ordered evacuated that year, but residents forced their way back into Baños.  The government has not attempted an evacuation since.

Baños is built on hardened lava flows from previous eruptions.

Baños has 25,000 residents.


Source: www.cuencahighlife.com

  -- cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

The threat to Baños.

The tourist city of Baños sits at the foot of Tungurahua.

Geologists say that Baños would probably be destroyed in the case of a major eruption.

Tungurahua began its current eruptive cycle in 1999.  The city was ordered evacuated that year, but residents forced their way back into Baños.  The government has not attempted an evacuation since.

Baños is built on hardened lava flows from previous eruptions.

Baños has 25,000 residents.


Source: www.cuencahighlife.com

  -- cccmedia in Quito

Built on hardened lava flows may give a peek into the future.

There was reduced activity and emissions at Tungurahua this weekend after a phase of nearly continuous degassing and ash venting on November 18th and 19th that produced ash columns up to 3 kilometers in height (about two miles high).

Ashfall was reported this week in eight towns northwest of the volcano.  This caused "significant damage to vegetation and some infrastructure."


Source: www.volcanodiscovery.com

cccmedia in Quito

since we live north and east of the volcano we have had none of the ill effects that you speak of. Banos had a couple of days of dust in the air but it cleared up quickly in a couple of hours. Lets us not scare off the people who want to come visit by merely saying that "the sky is falling" Actually the volcano is awesome to watch. It is merely a part of the ambiance of Banos. If it explodes and kills us all, so be it. I'm not scared.

DonCarlos wrote:

since we live north and east of the volcano we have had none of the ill effects that you speak of.  Banos had a couple of days of dust in the air but it cleared up quickly in a couple of hours. Let us not scare off the people who want to come visit by merely saying that "the sky is falling" Actually the volcano is awesome to watch. It is merely a part of the ambiance of Banos. If it explodes and kills us all, so be it. I'm not scared.

Public safety is more important than attracting visitors.  If the sky is falling, it will be reported.

Your individual experience outside the ashfall zone is not necessarily representative of the dangers that active volcanoes pose.

The posts about emissions and ashfall are from official sources.

I'm not even going to dignify the last two sentences in your post with a response.

cccmedia in Quito

Thank you cccmedia,  The information is factual & necessary for people that are going to Banos or are in Banos and do not agree they want to go up in smoke.  Again Thank you.  Keep it up, this is not a joking matter.

DonCarlos wrote:

since we live north and east of the volcano we have had none of the ill effects that you speak of. Banos had a couple of days of dust in the air but it cleared up quickly in a couple of hours. Lets us not scare off the people who want to come visit by merely saying that "the sky is falling" Actually the volcano is awesome to watch. It is merely a part of the ambiance of Banos. If it explodes and kills us all, so be it. I'm not scared.

Some should risk their lives so others can earn money?  You could work for the USA military industrial complex.  You know how to be brave with other people's lives.

  All I can say!  There is always one!