Location: 16.2S, 168.1E
Elevation: 1,184 feet (361 m)
Last update: April 8, 2004
Yasur and natives. Photograph courtesy of Mike Lyvers.
Yasur is an active stratovolcano. It began erupting some time before 1774 (Captain Cook made the first report) and has be going every since. It has had, at times, a lava lake at a central vent. Some phreatic explosive eruptions have occurred. Eruptions tend to be Strombolian, tossing out bombs, or mild Vulcanian explosions. Ash clouds have reached elevations of 6,500 feet (2,000 m). Yasur has caused damage and been associated with a tsunami. There have been at least three deaths at Yasur in recent years. Yasur is 245 miles (390 km) south-southeast of Ambrym.
Yasur from Sulphur Bay. John Frum village is in the foreground. Some
bombs are thrown as far as the forested slopes to the left Yasur's
summit. Photograph courtesy of Mike Lyvers.
Night photos of a small pyroclastic eruption of Yasur. Trails of light
show the path of bombs thrown from the volcano. Photograph courtesy of
Mike Lyvers.
Space Shuttle photo of Tanna Island on October 4, 1994. Note gas plume from Yasur.
Eruptive activity reamin at normal levels throughout March. An average
of 500 explosions per day were detected.
This information was summarized from the GVP/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
On August 29th, at 15:00 (local time) a magnitude 6 volcanic earthquake
occurred. This was the largest earthquake recorded at Yasur since seismic
stations were installed in October 1992.
This information was summarized from the GVP/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
Mike Lyvers: Volcano ListServ, personal communication
Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.
Volcano Images by Regions To VolcanoWorld