Monday, 23rd December 2024

Kick 'em Jenny: Underwater volcano goes quiet

Yellow alert still in place

Tuesday, 9th May 2017

Kick ‘em Jenny appears to have gone quiet after an episode of unrest at the underwater volcano.

Activity was taking place below the sea since the end of April but now Grenada’s National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) has said “this episode appears to be over”.

“However, as noted in previous updates, the pattern of behaviour at the volcano has been changing and another episode of activity in the short-term should not be ruled out,” it added.

The organisation is continuing to monitor Kick ‘em Jenny in collaboration with the Seismic Research Centre (SRC) at the University of the West Indies’ St Augustine Campus

As a precautionary measure NaDMA has maintained the alert level at yellow, which means that vessels should observe a 1.5 km exclusion zone.

“The marine community is advised to continue observing the secondary exclusion zone of 5 km/3.1 miles. The SRC has advised that heightened alert is necessary for the exclusion zone,” NaDMA said.

The first eruption at the region’s only submarine volcano – which is located about five miles north of Grenada – occurred last Saturday evening, with reports of it being felt in St Patrick’s, Grenada.

On 3 May, WIC News reported that at least 43 “mostly low magnitudes volcanic earthquakes” – in the magnitude range of 1.5 to 2.3 – had occurred between that first tremor and 10.41am on 2 May.