SEPTEMBER FIRST 1995

THE TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY OF TIMANFAYA

Birthday: Sept. 1, 1740.

Lava flowed over a period of six years in the eastern part of Lanzarote Island in the Canary Islands, Spain. It was described by the local priest in nearby Yaiza, Andres Lorenzo Curbelo (Krafft p. 144).

Reference

Krafft, Maurice, Volcanoes, Fire from the earth, Harry N. Abrams, New York,1993 .

SEPTEMBER EIGTH 1995

THE EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY OF THE NÁMAFJELL ERUPTION, ICELAND

Birthday: Sept. 8, 1977. Died 15 to 25 minutes later

Witnessed by at least 10 people according to Larsen and others. The authors thank and list the names of ten people for their contribution to the description of the eruption. The unnamed volcano at N&aaqcute;mafjell erupted at 22.40 h The eruption lasted between 15 and 25 minutes. About 3 tons of basaltic scoria and cinders were erupted..

The event took place during a 1977 rifting episode in the fault swarm at Krafla. An explosion in the borehole field caused by drilling when a fracture broke the well casing.was heard followed by an incandescent column 15-25 m in height lasting no longer than a minute. This was followed by 10-20 minutes of little or no activity and this was followed by several very rapid shots or explosions of scoria lasting for about one minute..There is no surface expression of the event

This is the only known case of a volcanic eruption caused by drilling. Decker and Decker include a photo on p. 48)

References

Larsen, Gúdrun; Gröaut;nwold, Karl; Thorarinsson, Sigurdur, Eruption through a geothermal borehole at Námafjell, Iceland. .Nature, 8, 1977
Decker, Robert and Decker, Barbara; Volcanoes, W.H.Freeman, New York, 1989.

SEPTEMBER SIXTEEN,1995

THE FORTY-THIRD BIRTHDAY OF MYOJIN VOLCANO, JAPAN

Born Sept. 16, 1952 in the Bernnaise rocks area of the Izu Islands, Japan. summit elev 10 m Lat and Long Of MYOJIN SHO 31.92 N, 139.92 E

References

Dietz, Robert A., The Explosive birth of Myojin Island, Nat Geog. 105 p.117 Jan 1954 OK

SEPTEMBER TWENTY-SEVENTH 1995

THE THIRY-SEVENTH BIRTHDAY OF ILHA NOVO, FAYAL, AZORES,

born Sept 27, 1957. The volcano was on a fracture related to nearby Fayal volcano. It persisted until it was washed away by the sea. Eventually an island subsequently formed in this place was tied to the mainland. It is now called Capelinhos.

References

Scofield, John and Sisson, Robert F., A new Volcano bursts from the Atlantic, Natl. Geog. vol. 113, No. 6 p. 735, June 1958
Fisher, R.V. and Scnminke, H.U., Jour. Geophysical Research, Base surges and their deposits, v.76,, p.5595-5614

SEPTEMBER TWENTY-NINTH 1995

THE FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVENTH BIRTHDAY OF MONTE NUOVO,ITALY

Born Sept 29, 1538 in the Phlegrean Fields, a volcanic field on the Bay of Naples Earthquakes preceeded the eruption. On the day of the eruption the ground was depressed then swelled and opened forming a fissure from which ejecta issued. Accounts of the eruption include those by Marco Antonio delli Franconi,Pietro di Giacomo de Toledo and Fransecsco del Nero, The first two were obtained by Hamilton who included these descriptions of the eruption in his book Volcanoes References:

Bullard, Volcaoes of the Earth, Univ.Texas Press, Austin, TX, 1984 in which are reprinted old eye-witness accounts.
Phillips, J., Vesuvius, Clarendon Press , Oxford, 1869. p.355
Stefani C. de, Die phlegreichen Felder bei Neapel,Petermann's Mitt.Erganzungsheft No. 156, 1907
Hamilton, Sir William,Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and Other Volcano's: in a series of letters addressed to the Royal Society from the Honorable Sir William Hamilton, London, T. Cadell, 1774
Krafft, Maurice, Volcanoes, Fire from the earth, Harry N. Abrams, New York,1993
Parícutin, Luhr,James F. and Simkin, Tom, editors. Geoscience Press, Phoenix, Arizona, 1993 364 -371.

SEPTEMBER TWENTY-NINTH 1995

THE TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-SIXTH BIRTHDAY OF JORULLO VOLCANO, MEXICO

Born Septeber 29, 1759, Jorullo is now 350 meters above the surroundings The lavas have a volume of half a cubic kilometer

. There are no recorded eruptions since the period of activity 1759-1774

. The early stages of the eruption were phreatic but by October 14 the activity was dominently magmatic. 1764 was the year of greatest activity and probably most activity had ceased by 1774

.. Twelve days previous to the eruption there had been a cannon-like noise in the earth. Just before the eruption there were 3 or 4 sharp tremors and again a loud noise soon after the appearance of the cloud. Six flows have been identified as well as ash fall layers. The account by Sáyago published by Orosco y Berra are excerpted by Luhr and Simkin

. References:

Parícutin, Luhr,James F. and Simkin, Tom, editors. Geoscience Press, Phoenix, Arizona, 1993 364 -371.see also pp. 264-271
Orozco y Berra !854 Jorullo(Volcá:n de) Diccionario de Historio y Geografí:a Tomo IV p. 453.
Humboldt, Alexander von, Cosmos vol. 1 1851 p.240 brief mention

Last revision Aug. 8, 1995