Wednesday, June 28, 2006

by Karen ‘Lioness’ Allen
Caribbean Net News Montserrat Correspondent
Email: karen@caribbeannetnews.com

BRADES, Montserrat: Scientists at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) have reported that there is an ongoing swarm of volcanic earthquakes at shallow depths, “the likes of which have not been seen at the MVO for years.”

On Monday, June 26, 2006, the Governor’s Office released a press statement stating that Montserrat’s authorities have increased the volcanic alert to level 4.

According to the statement, “This comes in the wake of increased seismic activity this past weekend, which is still ongoing.” This reported seismic activity increases the possibility of serious eruptive activity that could affect some inhabited areas.

This reported ongoing swarm of volcanic earthquakes could possibly lead to a dome collapse or explosive events. It is because of this exact reason that the volcanic alert level on Montserrat has been increased.

Due to this recent increase in the volcanic alert level, St. George’s Hill, located in the Day Time Entry Zone, is closed until further notice. After a meeting at the Governor’s Office on June 26, 2006, the Emergency Policy Group decided to close St. George’s Hill.

As detailed by the Governor’s Office, “This means that there should be no entry to this area at all until further notice.” The office went on to advise, “Anyone entering points south of the Belham Valley, other than Iles Bay Hill, should, for their own safety and as a precaution, register at the Salem Police Station before crossing the Belham Valley.”

Residents of Iles Bay Hill were further reminded that they should not attempt to cross the Belham Valley during heavy rain or increased volcanic activity.

For those residents of Salem, a highly populated village living close to the boundaries of the exclusion zone, there is no change in risk levels. The level of risk associated with this area is currently categorized as low on the Chief Medical Officer’s Scale.

Director of the MVO, Dr. Sue Loughlin, says that as usual it is hard to predict exactly what will be the outcome of this current increase in volcanic activity. As a result, the MVO is monitoring this increased activity closely.

Residents of Montserrat are paying keen attention to the Soufriére Hills Mountain to find out what will come of this ongoing swarm of shallow volcano tectonic earthquakes.

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