Copahue Moved to Red Alert Status

Webcam capture of the small plume at Copahue seen on May 24, 2013. Image: SERNAGEOMIN webcam via Volcano Discovery. It might be a holiday in many parts of the world, but Chile's Copahue isn't taking a day off. The Chilean Geological Survey (SERNAGEOMIN) and civil authority (ONEMI) have moved the volcano to red alert status, which means an eruption is imminent or in progress. So far, from the details I can find, it is the former -- an eruption is likely in the works in the hours to days timescale. The latest update from the SERNAGEOMIN says that over 250 small earthquakes related to magma movement are being recorded per hour at Copahue (although so far continuous volcanic tremor -- an almost sure sign of eruption -- has not been recorded). No plume has been spotted in the last day in satellite imagery and only a modest, ~400 meter steam-and-ash ...