Tungurahua To Blow

Tungurahua

From Bloomberg:

The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador's central Andes has begun to erupt and may spread ash across six provinces, the country's geophysical institute said.

The intensity of the eruption matches that of the violent explosions registered on July 14, 2006, with the mountain spewing ash, volcanic gases and rocks, the institute reported today on its Web site.

The heaviest period of activity so far was recorded around 1 a.m. local time, the institute said. Heavy cloud cover is limiting visibility, it added.

Falling ash will likely affect six of Ecuador's 24 provinces, it said. The government has already declared a state of emergency in several of those areas following heavy rains and flooding that led to evacuations and crop damage.

It's amazing how much seismic activity there is in South America right now.

Tungurahua: Erupting?

Turgurahua in 2006

Is Tungurahua in Ecuador about to erupt? The Independent seems to think so:

Mount Tungurahua in Ecuador could erupt at any moment, spewing red hot lava down its slopes and hurling volcanic rocks on to the small town of Baños below. But, far from fearing for their lives, the town's inhabitants are angry about what they see as a media hype that is seriously damaging their livelihoods.

Tungurahua is a grumpy old soul. Lying about 100 miles south-east of Quito, the volcano normally blows smoke and ash into the sky several times an hour. Every now and then, a rumbling sound can be heard and the ground shakes a little. It sounds as if Mother Fire Throat, as the Incas called the volcano, is flexing her vocal cords.

Apparently, evacuations of people on the west side of the volcano and cattle are underway, but people in the 20,000 person town Banos who work in tourism are afraid that the threat of eruption will destroy their businesses for 6 months to a year. Already many tourists are avoiding the town.