La Soufriere is NOT erupting – NEMO

The National Emergency Management Organisation is advising the public that the La Soufriere volcano  is NOT erupting. According to Professor Richard Robertson, Lead Scientist from the Seismic Research  Centre, University of the West Indies, the La Soufriere Volcano is not erupting and 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. 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. 

Professor Robertson further stated that this kind of activity is not indicative of an increase in activity  levels at the volcano and they do not indicate the presence of new magma at or reaching the surface or  that explosive activity is about to or will occur. According to Professor Robertson, they are simply what  may be expected at the volcano given what has happened thus far and the fact St. Vincent is a tropical  island.