Jul 7 1996, 10:00 am - Ruapehu Volcano

Yesterday morning minor to moderate ash eruptions continued from Mt. Ruapehu. Due to the calm and clear weather conditions the eruption columns from the volcano grew to high elevations above the volcano before being blown away by the wind. During the day the tempo of activity fluctuated, being strongest around midday-early afternoon. Light ashfalls have occurred downwind of the volcano. The seismicity accompanying the activity was at levels higher than those recorded earlier in the week, but less than those during the much bigger eruptions of June 17 - 18.

Overnight a similar level of activity has continued, with stronger activity from 04:45 to 06:00, and again from 07:20 to 08:30. This morning ash columns have again reached to high elevations and ashfall is occurring. No single eruption is particularly large, but the cumulative effects and size of the activity over the last 24 hours is such that the alert level is more appropriate at 3, "Significant eruptive activity", than 2 "Minor eruptive activity".

Hence we advise the return of the alert level to level 3, and we are increasing our monitoring efforts accordingly.

Brad Scott (for Colin Wilson)
Volcanology Programme Leader