Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 16-05
Friday, March 04, 2005, 11:25 KST (23:25 UTC on March 03)

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:

KAMCHATKA:
KLYUCHEVSKOY, SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY:
GREEN

NORTHERN KURILE:
EBEKO: YELLOW
ALAID: GREEN

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 ORANGE.

Unrest at the volcano continues. A large eruption occurred from 6:25 to
13:00 UTC on February 27. Danger of occasional explosions from the volcano
remains.

Beginning at 11:30 UTC on February 27, the seismic station SVL (8 km from
the lava dome) was not operating. According to data by Yu. Demyanchuk, the
general thickness of ash (together with snow) deposits at Klyuchi was about
2-3 centimeters on March 01. According to data from AMC Yelizovo, ash fall
was observed at Ust'-Hairyuzovo village from 21:40 UTC on February 27
untill 19:40 on February 28. A thin layer of a brown-red ash (like dust)
covered the snow. According to the data from Ust'-Hairyuzovo village, ash
fall was noted on March 02 and was significant enough to be injested and
abrasive to teeth. Explosive activity at the volcano likely continues.
According to visual and video data, part of a large pyroclastic flow was
observed on the south-western flank of the volcano on March 02. According
to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a 2-23-pixel thermal anomaly was
registered at the dome on March 01-03. Clouds obscured the volcano at other
times.

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56o03'N, 160o 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE.

High seismic activity continues. Strombolian activity into the terminal
crater, lava flowing into Krestovsky channel, and ash and gas steam plumes
from the volcano are likely occurring. Klyuchevskoy volcanic activity poses
a hazard to aviation.

KEMSD GS RAS are not able to detect (using seismic data) ash plumes from
Klyuchevskoy volcano at this time.

Seismic activity was above background levels all week. Numerous shallow
earthquakes and 33 earthquakes of Ml=1.5-2.2 were registered. Continuous
spasmodic volcanic tremor decreased to A/Tmax=9.0 x10-6 mps on February 26,
gradually increased to 23.42 x10-6 mps on February 28 and decreased again
to 15.98 x10-6 mps on March 02. Shallow earthquakes on the north-west slope
of the volcano were first registered at Ml=1.25-1.75 on March 01 and of
Ml>2 on March 02. According to visual observations, gas-steam plumes up to
1,500 - 2,500 m above the crater (or 20,500 - 23,800 ft ASL) and extending
for 40 km (or 25 mi) to the north on February 24 and extending 10 km (6.2
mi) to the west on February 25. Strombolian activity up to 1,000 m (or
18,900 ft ASL) within the crater and movement of a lava flow into
Krestovsky channel, on the north-western flank of the volcano, were
continuing on February 24. The gas-steam activity into Krestovsky channel
was noted on February 25. There was ash fall at Icha village on February 26
and at Kozyrevsk on March 01. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times.
According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a 1-43-pixel thermal
anomaly was registered at the volcano all week. Ash-gas plumes extending to
the north-west on February 25, about 70 km (or 43.5 mi) to the north-west
on February 25 and for 40 km (or 24.9 mi) to the east-northeast on March
01, were observed.

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54 03'N, 159 27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE.

Moderate seismic activity 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.

Seismic activity was above background levels all week. The number of local
shallow events was about 120-170 per day. According to seismic data,
possible ash-gas explosion up to 2,000 m above the crater (or 11,500 ft
ASL) occurred on February 27. Weak ash-gas explosions likely occured.
According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a 2-4-pixel thermal
anomaly was registered at the volcano on February 24-25. Possibly weak
gas-steam plume extending to the south-east was noted on February 25.

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 obscured seismic data for
Bezymianny. According to volcanologists' experience, the lava dome growth
probably continues.

According to visual observations, gas-steam plumes rose up to 100 m above
the dome (9,800 ft ASL) and extended to the south-west on February 24.
Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data
from the Russia, a 2-pixel thermal anomaly was registered at the dome on
February 24.

EBEKO VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50 41'N, 156 01'E
Elevation 1,156 m CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.

Moderate activity at the volcano continues. Sudden ash explosions up to 3
km (9,840 ft.) ASL are possible.

According to observers from Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir Island, Northern
Kurile, a white gas-steam plume rose to 450 m above the crater of the
volcano (5,300 ft ASL) on February 25. Other gas-steam plumes reached 1,000
m above the crater (7,100 ft. ASL) at 05:30 UTC on February 25, 1,200 m
(7,700 ft.ASL) at 06:00 UTC on March 01 and 600 m (or 5,900 m ASL) on March
02. No ash was observed. A strong smell of a hydrogen sulfide was noted at
Severo-Kurilsk on February 25 and March 02.

PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Olga Girina
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team
IVS FED RAS, Piip Blvd, 9
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006 RUSSIA
E-mail: girina@kcs.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627

Svetlana Droznina
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team
KEMSD GS RAS, Piip Blvd, 9
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006 RUSSIA
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523

Tom Murray
Scientist-in-Charge, Alaska Volcano Observatory
4200 University Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99508 USA
E-mail: tlmurray@usgs.gov
Tel. 907-786-7497

The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team is a cooperative program of
the Alaska Volcano Observatory (USA), the Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology FED RAS and the Kamchatkan Experimental and Methodical
Seismological Department GS RAS (Russia).