Kamchatkan and
INFORMATION RELEASE 11-05
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) received the following release via
e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions
Response Team). Kamchatkan
Standard Time (KST) is 21 hours ahead of Alaska Standard Time. All time
and
dates are UTC, if not marked specifically.
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:
KLYUCHEVSKOY, SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY:
BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY
and GORELY: GREEN
EBEKO: YELLOW, ALAID: GREEN
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56o03'N, 160o 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
High seismic activity into the volcano's edifice continues. The
strombolian activity into the
terminal crater, a movement of lava flow
and phreatic bursts into
Krestovsky channel and ash and gas-steam
plumes were observed at the volcano. Klyuchevskoy
volcano is dangerous
for aviation.
KEMSD GS RAS doesn't have a correct method for Klyuchevskoy volcano to
detect ash plumes using seismic data.
Seismic activity was above background levels all week. A great number
of shallow earthquakes every day and 52
earthquakes of Ml=1.4-2.4 also
were registered this week. A continuous spasmodic
volcanic tremor was
about A/Tmax=22.3 and
28.7x10-6 mps in beginning and end of this week.
The tremor changed from 12.6x10-6 mps on February 06 to 39.3x10-6 mps
on February 08. According to video and visual
observations, ash plumes
rose up to 2,000 - 2,500 m above the crater (22,150
- 23,600 ft ASL)
and extended to the south-west on February 06,
about 50 km (or 31 mi)
to the north-west on February 08 and for 10 km
(or 6.2 mi) to the
east-northeast on February 09. The gas-steam
plumes rose about 600 -
3,000 m above the crater (17,600 - 25,400 ft ASL) on February 06-09,
and extended less about 50 km (or 31 mi) mainly to
the north-east.
There were ash deposits at the south-western flank of Ushkovsky
volcano on February 07, and ash falls
at Kluchi on February 09. A
cinder cone into the crater of the volcano was noted
on February 06.
The Strombolian activity in the terminal
crater of the volcano and the
movement of lava flow into Krestovsky
channel on the north-western
flank of the volcano were observed from January 31
till February 09.
The phreatic bursts into this channel (at a
contact a lava flow with
glaciers) were observed on February
06-09. Clouds obscured the volcano
at other times. According to satellite data from
the
2-36-pixel thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano all week.
Ash-gas plumes extended from volcano 37 km (or 13 mi) to the west on
February 05, about 150 km (or 93 mi) - to the west on February 06, for
110 km (or 68 mi) - to the north-west on February 07, for 206 km (or
128 mi) - to the north-east on February 08, and for 60 km (or 37.3 mi)
- to the north-east on February 09, about 70 km
(or 43.4 mi) - to the
north-east on February 10, were
observed.
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56 38'N, 161 19'E; Elevation 3,283 m, the dome
elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
Unrest at the volcano continues. At any time and with little warning,
explosions could produce ash plumes that
could rise as high as 8 km or
26,400 ft. ASL, as well as localized ash fall.
Seismic activity was above background levels this week. Weak shallow
earthquakes at a depth 0-5 km beneath the
active dome occurred.
Intermittent spasmodic volcanic tremor of 0.3-0.5 x10-6 mps was
registered all week. According to
seismic data, possible ash-gas
explosions up to 3,700 - 5,100 m or
12,100-16,700 ft. ASL occurred on
February 06-07 and 09. Possible weak ash-gas
explosions and hot
avalanches occurred all week. According
to visual data, ash-gas plumes
rose up to 1,000 - 2,400 m above the dome (or
11,500 - 16,100 ft ASL)
on February 06-07 and 09. Gas-steam plumes up to
the 500 - 1,200 m
above the dome (or 9,800 - 12,100 ft ASL) on February
06-10, and
extending for 10 km (6.2 mi) to the
east on February 07-09, were
observed. A pyroclastic flow moved
down on February 06. The run-out of
the flow was about 2 km (or 1.2 mi). Clouds
obscured the volcano at
other times. According to satellite data from the
1-15-pixel thermal anomaly was registered over the dome this week.
Gas-steam plume containing small amount of ash extending about 22 km
(or 13.7 mi) to the south-east on February 09,
was noted. Gas-steam
plumes extending 20-80 km from the volcano to the
south-west on
February 04, to the north-east on February 08 and to the
north-northeast on February 10 were noted. Ash
on the snow to the east
from the dome was observed on February 09.
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54 03'N, 159 27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
Volcanic activity probably continues. The danger of a sudden explosion
or series of explosions up to 4 km (or 16,500
ft.) ASL remains. A
local ash fall within a few tens of km around the
volcano is also
possible. There is no seismic data
from January 26 till the present.
According to satellite data from the
thermal anomaly was registered over
the volcano on February 08. Ash
deposits on the snow extended for
about 10 km (or 6.2 mi) from the
volcano to the south on February 08,
and to the south-east on February
09, were noted.
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55 58'N, 160 36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.
Strong volcanic tremor at Klyuchevskoy volcano obscures seismic data for
Bezymianny. According to volcanologists'
experience, a lava flow is
probably now effusing at the dome of
the volcano.
According to visual observations, gas-steam plumes rose up to the 100
- 300 m above the dome (9,800 - 10,500 ft ASL) on February 06-08 and
up to 1,000 m above the dome (12,800 ft. ASL) on
February 09, and
extended from the volcano for 15 km
(or 9.3 mi) to the west on
February 06, to the east on February 07 and for 15 km (or 9.3 mi) to
the north on February 09 were observed. Clouds
obscured the volcano at
other times. According to satellite data from the
thermal anomaly was registered over
the dome on February 06-08.
EBEKO VOLCANO,
Elevation 1,156 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.
Activity of the volcano continues. A sudden ash explosion up to 3 km
(9,840 ft.) ASL, are possible.
According to visual data by observers from Severo-Kurilsk,
Paramushir
Island, a grey-white gas-steam plume possibly
with small amount of ash
rose up to 1,000 m above the crater of the volcano
(2,156 m or 7,100
07. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 500-600 m above the crater and
extended 3 km (or 1.9 mi) to the
south-west and north-east on February
08 and 09, respectively. There are thin ash
deposits was noted on
February 08-09 at Severo-Kurilsk. Clouds obscured the
volcano at other
times.
PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
Olga Girina
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team
IVS FED RAS,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006 RUSSIA
E-mail: girina@kcs.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627
Svetlana Droznina
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team
KEMSD GS RAS,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006 RUSSIA
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523
Tom Murray
Scientist-in-Charge,
E-mail: tlmurray@usgs.gov
Tel. 907-786-7497
The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team is a cooperative program
of
the
Seismology FED RAS and the Kamchatkan Experimental and Methodical
Seismological Department GS RAS (