Tungurahua

Tungurahua
Elevation	5,023 m
Latitude	1° 28′ 1″ S
Longitude	78° 26′ 30″ W

Tungurahua is an active volcano in Ecuador.

IASI SO₂ monthly mean over Ecuador for the period July_December 2007. Retrieval with hight constrain at 600mb altitude. Credit: Dr Elisa Carboni

Eruptions

16 December 2012

Sources:
Smithsonian/USGS Volcanic Activity Report ,
Instituto Geofísico-Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IG) ,
Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) ,
ABC News
BBC news

On 16 December the ash plume, generated by a large explosion, rose to a maximum height of 7 km and contained lightning. Other explosions generated ash plumes up to 2 km high. Satellite imagery showed ash plumes drifting 140 km NW, and 110 km NE at an altitude of 7.9 km a.s.l. The larger explosions during the morning were followed by pyroclastic flows that descended the SW and NW flanks.

On 17 December satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 50-130 km NE, and a dense ash plume drifting over 200 km NE at an altitude of 7 km a.s.l. IG noted that explosions continued to generate ash plumes, but with progressively decreasing ash content. Ash plumes drifted NNE and NE, causing ashfall in communities downwind.

On 17 Dec. people living on the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano were evacuated