Volcano Blog: Reventador, Ecuador

QUITO, Ecuador: A volcano in eastern Ecuador has begun spewing lava and has shot a column of ash high into the air.

Experts at Ecuador's Geophysics Institute say the Reventador volcano's activity Monday does not pose a threat to surrounding villages or oil pipelines in the area.

The 11,500-foot (3,485-meter) volcano last erupted in November 2002, showering the capital, Quito, with volcanic ash.

The story notes that in addition to Reventador, the nearby volcano Tungurahua is also erupting. This is something I note again and again with volcanic eruptions; my theory is that magma levels are regionally higher when such activity occurs, or perhaps the individual volcanoes are fed by the same magma chamber.