Tonga on March 18, 2009

World's Volcanoes Erupt
For days, an undersea volcano about 6 miles off the coast of Tonga has been shooting smoke, steam and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the Pacific Ocean. Coastal residents said the steam and ash first appeared Monday. The eruption does not currently pose any threat to islanders, according to The Associated Press. So far, there have been no reports of fish or other animals being affected. About 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered in the area, geologists said. In this photo, smoke is seen after an underwater volcano erupted in Hunga Ha'apai, Tonga on March 18, 2009.



For days, an undersea volcano about 6 miles off the coast of Tonga has been shooting smoke, steam and ash thousands of feet into the sky above the Pacific Ocean. Coastal residents said the steam and ash first appeared Monday. The eruption does not currently pose any threat to islanders, according to The Associated Press. So far, there have been no reports of fish or other animals being affected. About 36 undersea volcanoes are clustered in the area, geologists said. In this photo, smoke is seen after an underwater volcano erupted in Hunga Ha'apai, Tonga on March 18, 2009.

Steam rises from the Rio Blanco River after a volcano spewed ash in Chaiten, Chile, Feb. 19, 2009. The Chaiten volcano, in Patagonia, which erupted spectacularly last year, spewed a vast cloud of ash, gas and molten rock Thursday as its cone partially collapsed, prompting immediate evacuation of the surrounding area.


The Chaiten volcano spews a cloud of ash in Chaiten, some 1,220 km (760 miles) south of Santiago February 19, 2009. Chile's Chaiten volcano, which erupted spectacularly last year, spewed a vast cloud of ash as well as gas and molten rock on Thursday in a partial collapse of its cone, prompting a fresh evacuation.

Smoke rises from Mount Soputan on the outskirts of Manado, in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province early Oct. 7. Indonesia raised the alert level for the volcano after it began spewing hot clouds and lava, a vulcanology official said Tuesday.

The Llaima volcano spews lava in Cherquenco, Chile, July 2, 2008. Llaima, one of South America's most active volcanoes, spewed lava for a second day, prompting fears of landslides, officials said.

Smoke rises from the volcano at Chaiten, located about 760 miles south of Santiago, May 4, 2008. Covered in thick ash, the Patagonian community of Chaiten was a ghost town May 3, 2008, as a volcano spewed ashes the day after its first eruption in thousands of years, forcing nearly 4,500 people to flee.

A plume of ashes spewed by the Chaiten volcano as seen from the city of Chaiten. The volcano has forced nearly 4,500 residents to evacuate to nearby towns and cities, where they face an uncertain future.

Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano rumbled and exploded for a second day on Thursday, blanketing two villages with thick ash and forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, authorities reported. The 16,500-foot Tungurahua, which means "throat of fire" in the native Quechua language, first exploded on Feb. 6 after lying dormant for two years. That explosion forced 1,450 people to abandon their homes.
Tungurahua volcano, seen from Palitahua, Ecuador, 84 miles south of Quito, erupts on Feb. 7, 2008.

The Galeras volcano in Pasto, southern Colombia, erupted Jan. 17, 2008. The volcano spread ashes for miles, prompting an evacuation order for thousands. It was the most serious eruption of the Galeras since its reactivation in 1989.




------------------

Slide Show: