Kingstown – The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has sought to assure residents that despite heavy steaming coming from the La Soufriere volcano, no eruption is taking place.
NEMO said in a statement on Saturday that, according to Professor Richard Robertson, lead scientist from the Seismic Research Centre, University of the West Indies, there is no increased activity at the volcano.
“The heavy steaming that is coming from the volcano is as a result of the heavy rainfall interacting with the very hot rocks and gases, thus creating steam plumes rising from the crater,” it said.
“Professor Robertson stated that this is normal as whenever rain falls and the valleys steam, this is part of what is expected in terms of residual activity at the La Soufriere volcano in the current hurricane season in the context of hot deposits and mudflows.”
Robertson further stated that this kind of activity is not indicative of an increase in activity levels at the volcano and does not indicate the presence of new magma at or reaching the surface or that explosive activity is about to or will occur.
La Soufriere erupted effusively in December 2020 before explosive eruptions began in April this year.
The last explosion while the volcano was in its latest eruptive phase was on April 22.
(CMC)
