The Chaparrastique Volcano in El Salvador erupted on December 29, Sunday, with ashes which prompted the authorities to start the evacuation of residents living near the volcano. However, the volcano threatens to erupt again, this time with lava.
The volcano has been dormant for decades and its renewed activity was an unexpected phenomenon. The 2,130-meter high volcano spewed out huge amounts of gasses and ash. According to Salvadorian officials, the volcano might erupt again anytime soon. If this will happen, the volcano is expected to spew out rivers of lava.
Volcanologist Francisco Barahona from the University of El Salvador is monitoring the amounts of sulphur dioxide being emitted by the volcano. He told BBC News that the increased levels of sulphur dioxide could be a sign that the Chaparrastiquethe volcano will erupt once again.
Families living along the slope of the volcano have already sought refuge in safer areas. On Sunday, approximately 2,000 people were evacuated. However, Civil Protection Director Jorge Melendez told BBC that many of them started going back to their homes when the volcano stopped emitting ash and gases.
Melendez maintained that the people were warned against going back to their homes since officials are still monitoring the volcano’s activity. They will be forced to use coercion if the officials will deem it unsafe for the people to stay in their homes while the volcano is threatening to make another violent eruption.
Meanwhile, the LiveScience.com was able to show satellite images showing the extent of the volcanic eruption. The volcano’s eruption has been captured in space, recording a 5,000-meter-high ash cloud emerging from its crater. The images were captured by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has also captured Chaparrastique’s eruption. MODIS is aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite.
The Chaparrastique volcano’s last eruption was in 1976. In 2010, the volcano also produced strong tremors but it did not erupt.
