Jul 26 1996, 4:00 pm - Ruapehu Volcano

Seismic activity was at low intensity overnight and this morning, indicating that no significant ash eruptions had occurred. A ground observation made at about 09:00 this morning was of an apparently ash-free gas column rising from the crater. No plume reports from aircraft were received.

This period of quiescence was ended by a moderate eruption at 12:53 which sent an ash column to 20,000 feet (from aircraft reports), accompanied by a very emergent volcanic earthquake. Ashfalls were observed near the volcano. Since this eruption (to 15:54), the background seismicity has increased slightly, to be a little more active than before the eruption.

No distal ashfall reports have been received today.

The Alert Level remains at 3.

Ian Nairn
for Volcano Surveillance Manager