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.

Possible lava lake on Michael Volcano?

Satellite image from 30th January 2020 shows a cresent shape-like thermal anomaly inside the summit crater of Michael Volcano which looks possibly partially obscured by a gas plume suggesting that a possible lava lake or pool could be present.

Thermal anomaly inside the crater of Mount Michael on 30th January. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Three thermal anomalies inside the crater of Michael Volcano

Satellite image from 24th December 2019 shows three anomalies present inside the summit crater of Mount Michael, Saunders Island. It is an indicator that the volcano is pretty much active and that there maybe currently 3 active vents present on the crater floor. Images from 29th November and 2nd December 2019 also show similar anomalies suggesting that the volcano became active sometime in November.

Thermal anomaly present inside the crater of Mount Michael on 24th December. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Thermal anomaly present inside the crater of Mount Michael on 2nd December. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Thermal anomaly present inside the crater of Mount Michael on 29th November. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Extensive gas plume from Saunders Island

Satellite image from the 10th October 2019 shows an extensive white plume being emitted from Michael Volcano on Saunders Island and being blown in an east-southeasterly direction. There is no thermal anomaly present in the summit crater area which brings me to the opinion that it is just a gas plume.

Further images of Saunders Island from the 13th and 15th October 2019 show nothing more than degassing activity on Michael Volcano.

Extensive gas plume drifting ESE on 10th October 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Degassing activity on 13th October 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Degassing activity on 15th October 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Few more photos of the South Sandwich Islands volcanoes

Some of you may or may not recall a post I done earlier this year showing photos of the South Sandwich Islands volcanoes taken by a scientist on board the Discovery Expedition 99 voyage to South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands.

Well this is a kind of belated post but another scientist, Chris Darby who was also aboard the same expedition that time had also gave me kind permission to share his pics.

All photos taken by Chris Darby, late February to early March 2019.

ZAVODOVSKI ISLAND

SAUNDERS ISLAND

THULE ISLAND

Quick Mt. Michael September satellite image updates

This is just a quick post so I'm able to catch up quicker, but below are some satellite images of activity on Mount Michael during September taken from the Sentinel-hub website. It's mostly about the plumes but one image shows a weak thermal anomaly inside the summit crater.

3rd September 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

8th September 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

15th September 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

28th September 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

Strong earthquake hits South Sandwich Islands during late August

A strong magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the South Sandwich Islands on the 27th August 2019 at 23:55 UTC. The epicenter of the quake was reported to be about 131km south of Bristol Island with a depth of 16km.

6.6 magnitude earthquake on 27th August 2019. SOURCE: USGS.

Gas and ash plume on Mount Michael caught on satellite in August

Satellite image from 5th August 2019 shows a clear view of Saunders Island with what appears to be steam and gas emissions occupying the summit crater area of Mount Michael. Meanwhile, in an image from the 14th August 2019 a light greyish plume originating from the summit crater is seen drifting for a very short distance north-northeast suggesting a small eruption on Mount Michael.

What appears to be a small scale steam and gas emission on Mt. Michael, 5th August. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

What appears to be a small eruption on Mt. Michael as of 14th August. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

New scientific paper on Mount Michael

A new scientific paper about Mount Michael on Saunders Island has recently been released by Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. The article is about evidence of a lava lake which has been present inside the summit crater of Mount Michael volcano using satellite imagery and data and is titled "Evidence for a lava lake Mt. Michael volcano, Saunders Island (South Sandwich Islands) from Landsat, Sentinel-2, and ASTER satellite imagery".

If you would like to have a good read here is the link where you can download the paper from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377027318305742

New photos of the South Sandwich Islands volcanoes

Earlier this year, a team of scientists went on the Discovery Expedition 99 voyage to South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands to monitor the biodiversity there, the survey was part of the UK Blue Belt Programme with the aim to explore the deep sea communities of the South Sandwich Islands.

With kind permission, Marta Soeffker who was aboard the expedition ship has let me share the pics she taken of the South Sandwich volcanoes.

All photos taken by Marta Soeffker, late February to early March 2019.

ZAVODOVSKI ISLAND

SAUNDERS ISLAND

MONTAGU ISLAND

BRISTOL ISLAND

Quick Mt. Michael plume updates

This is just a quick post about satellite pics of plumes originating from Mount Michael on Saunders Island from April until mid May. No clear indicators of an eruption, just what appears to be likely degassing or aerosol plumes being blown in various directions by winds.

8th April 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

11th April 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

13th April 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

1st May 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.

13th May 2019. SOURCE: Sentinel-2/Sentinel Hub.