FVXX21 KWBC 182015 . VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT-WATCH ISSUED 2015 UTC 18 OCTOBER 1999 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . TUNGURAHUA 99-03 ECUADOR 1.47S 78.44W . BACKGROUND: TUNGURAHUA ECUADOR (1502-08) SUMMIT HEIGHT 16480 FT (5023 M) . THE GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE IN ECUADOR CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE INCREASED ACTIVITY OF THE TUNGURAHUA VOLCANO. THE VOLCANO IS RESTLESS WITH A POTENTIAL ERUPTION POSSIBLE WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. THE GUAYAQUIL METEOROLOGICAL WATCH OFFICE IS ISSUING SIGMETS INDICATING THAT STATIONS NEAR THE VOLCANO HAVE OBSERVED VOLCANIC ASH AT ABOUT FL170. SATELLITE IMAGERY FROM EARLIER TODAY SUGGESTED THAT THIS ASH WAS CONFINED TO THE AREA NEAR THE VOLCANO SUMMIT. . WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE AREA AND IF MORE ASH IS OBSERVED OR REPORTED A VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. REAL TIME SATELLITE IMAGERY OF ECUADOR CAN BE ACCESSED VIA INTERNET AT: HTTP://WWW.SSD.NOAA.GOV/VAAC/GUAG-IMG.HTML (ALL LOWER CASE EXCEPT VAAC) . THE WATCH VAAS IS ISSUED ONLY FOR SEISMICALLY MONITORED VOLCANOES AND BASED ON INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE GEOLOGICAL COMMUNITY. A WATCH VAAS WILL BE ISSUED DAILY WHEN INFORMATION IS RECEIVED TO INDICATE THAT A VOLCANO IS RESTLESS AND HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. NON-EXPLOSIVE LOW LEVEL AND NEAR SUMMIT ACTIVITY MAY BE OCCURRING AT PRESENT. . SEE NOAA-ARL HOMEPAGE FOR HYPOTHETICAL ERUPTIONS-VAFTAD AT: HTTP://WWW.ARL.NOAA.GOV/VAFTAD.HTML (ALL LOWER CASE) . THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AT 19/2045 UTC UNLESS CONDITIONS CHANGE. . NNNN