Volcanic activity on Mount Michael December-January

Satellite images from the period of December 2020-January 2021 showed that volcanic activity was displayed on Mount Michael of Saunders Island. Below are a collection of images from that time showing a thermal anomaly inside the summit crater, or a gas emission. (All images are from Sentinel Hub)

Thermal anomaly inside the crater 11th December 2020.

Low level gas and steam plume 16th December 2020. 

White plume drifting direction northeast 21st December 2020.

Gas plume drifting northeast 28th December 2020.

White plume drifting northeast 7th January 2021.

Thermal anomaly inside the crater 10th January 2021.

Gas plume drifting northeast 25th January 2021.

Activity continues on Michael Volcano

A satellite image from 28th November 2020 showed a thermal anomaly present inside the crater of Mount Michael on Saunders Island. It remains known that Mount Michael is the most active volcano in the South Sandwich Islands and could be displaying strombolian activity or have a lava pool present.

Thermal anomaly inside the summit crater of Michael Volcano. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Anomaly is back on Mount Michael

Recent satellite images of Mount Michael on Saunders Island suggest that activity has resumed on the volcano. The image from the 6th November 2020 shows a thermal anomaly present inside the summit crater of Mount Michael but in the run up to that date, a couple of images (including one from the 24th October 2020 shown below) shows emissions of gas originating from Saunders Island. This suggests a presence of a lava pool or some low level strombolian activity.

Gas plume being emitted from Mount Michael on 24th October. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Thermal anomaly inside the crater of Mount Michael as of 6th November. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Gas emission on Mount Michael

Not much to report, but a satellite image from 9th September 2020 shows a gas emission being emitted from Michael Volcano on Saunders Island and drifting in a northeasterly direction.

Mount Michael gas emission as of 9th September. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

A scientific expedition to the South Sandwich Islands

Earlier this year, volcanologist Emma Liu and colleagues went on a scientific voyage to the South Sandwich Islands to conduct a field study of the volcanoes and measure the volcanic gas emissions from Zavodovski, Candlemas, Saunders, and Bellingshausen islands.

You can read more detail about the expedition in this link here: https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/gmpv/2020/03/04/five-hundred-miles-from-civilisation-exploring-active-volcanism-in-the-south-sandwich-islands/

Meanwhile, here is a small selection of pics (used with permission) she took during the expedition.

Summit crater of Mount Curry, Zavodovski Island.

Lucifer Hill and the lava fields on the north side of Candlemas Island.

Mount Michael emitting a gas plume, Saunders Island.

The crater rim of Basilisk Peak on Bellingshausen Island.

Recent activity on Saunders Island

Gas plumes have been present on Mount Michael in three recent images from 2nd February, 20th February, and 8th March 2020.

Gas plume drifting SW during 2nd February 2020. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Plume drifting from north-northwest to east during 20th February 2020. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub. 

Plume drifting west-northwest to north during 8th March 2020. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Two strong earthquakes hit the South Sandwich Islands

Two strong earthquakes have recently occurred in the South Sandwich Islands. The first one with a magnitude of 6.1 occurred on the 20th January 2020 at 06:51 UTC. The epicenter of the quake was reported to be about 25km south-southeast of Bristol Island with a depth of 93km. The second one with a magnitude of 6.0 occurred on the 8th February 2020 at 14:32 UTC. The epicenter of the quake was reported to be about 113km south-southeast of Bristol Island with a depth of 16km.

6.1 magnitude earthquake on 20th January 2020. SOURCE: USGS.

6.0 magnitude earthquake on 8th February 2020. SOURCE: USGS.