Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 21-05
Friday, March 25, 2005, 10:45 KST (22:45 UTC on March 24)

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

NORTHERN KURILE:
CHIKURACHKI: ORANGE
ALAID, EBEKO: GREEN


CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50°19'N, 155°28'E
Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE.
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW

According to satellite data from Russia, a weak ash plume extending about 70 km (or 43.5 mi) to the east was noted on March 23. The height of the plume was unknown. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times.

Eruptive activity of the volcano was first noted on March 12. Sudden explosions of ash as high as 6 km (19,700 ft.) ASL remain possible. Chikurachki volcano is not monitored with seismic instruments. KVERT has
satellite monitoring and occasional visual messages about this volcano.

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56°03'N, 160° 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS RED.

Eruptive activity remains high. Ash-gas plumes rose up to 8,500 m (or 27,900 ft) ASL and extended to the north-west on March 24. Continuous explosions from the summit crater could produce ash plumes that reach as high as 10 km or 32,800 ft. ASL and travel many tens or hundreds of kilometers downwind. The current activity of the volcano is very dangerous to aviation. The network of seismometers maintained by KEMSD does not allow calibration of ash plume height from the seismic signal.

Seismic activity was above background levels all week. A great number of shallow earthquakes and 47 earthquakes of Ml=1.6-2.1 were recorded. Ash-gas plumes rising up to 2,800 m above the crater (or 24,800 ft ASL) and extended north on March 18, and up to 500-1,800 m above the crater (or 17,200 - 21,500 ft ASL) to the north-west and then to the south-west on March 22, were observed. There were ash falls at Klyuchi on March 18 and 23-24. Strombolian bursts rising about 500 m above the summit crater (or 17,200 ft ASL) was noted on March 23. A few lava flows were observed on the north-western slope of the volcano on March 20. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a large thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano all week. Ash-gas plumes extending for about 300 km (or 186.4 mi) to the east-southeast on March 17, and 560 km (or 347 mi) to the north-northwest and 120 km (or 74 mi) to the east from the volcano on March 24, were noted. Gas-steam plumes extending about 100 km (or 62 mi) to the north-east on March 18, for 219 km (or 136 mi) to the north-west on March 19, for 40 km (or 24.9 mi) to the north-west on March 23, 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 ORANGE.

The growth of the Sheveluch lava dome continues. A new lava flow is effusing at the lava dome. At any time and with little warning, explosions could produce ash plumes that rise as high as 6 km or 20,000 ft. ASL, as
well as localized ash fall and hot avalanches. The nearest seismic station from the volcano was destroyed by eruption February 28, 2005.

Strong volcanic tremor at nearby Klyuchevskoy volcano makes it difficult to determine seismicity at Sheveluch from a seismic station at Klyuchi (45 km from the volcano). According to field visual observation by volcanologists and seismologists, seismic station SVL (8 km from the lava dome) was covered by pyroclastic flow deposits on February 28, 2005. New lava flow is effusing at the place of a part of the lava dome which was destroyed on February 28, 2005. The run-out of pyroclastic flow is about 30 km or 18.6 mi. Gas-steam activity with small amount of ash was observed continuously. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 100 - 200 m above the dome (8,500 - 8,900 ft ASL) on March 18 and 22, and up to 1,000 m above the dome (11,500 ft ASL) on March 23, and extended to the north-west on March 22-23. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a thermal anomaly at the dome and large thermal anomaly over the pyroclastic flow were noted all weak except March 19 and 20. On March 21, a gas-steam plume, possibly containing some amount of ash, extended to the north about 40 km (or 25 mi), and possible ash deposits were observed on snow. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times.

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

Seismic activity continues. The danger of a sudden explosion or series of explosions of ash 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 increased up to 400 per day to March 21, decreased to 120 on March 22, and to 60 on March 23. Possible ash-gas explosions up to the 1,000 m above the crater (or 8,200 ft ASL) occurred all week except March 20. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a weak thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano on March 20 and 21. A possible 40 km-long (or 25 mile) ash plume extended to the north-east on March 21. Ash deposits for 20 km (or 12.4 mi) with extension on the western and eastern sectors of Karymsky volcano were noted on March 17 and 24.

BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55° 58'N, 160° 36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.

Unrest at the volcano continues. Strong volcanic tremor at nearby Klyuchevskoy volcano makes it difficult to determine seismicity at Bezymianny, and KEMSD GS RAS is unable to accurately determine the state of the volcano. However, based on the persistent thermal anomaly, visual observations from Kozyrevsk, and many years’ worth of volcanologists' experience at this volcano, we infer that lava dome growth continues.

Weak gas-steam plumes were observed on March 19 and 21-24. One of them extended to the north-west on March 21. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the Russia, a weak thermal anomaly was registered at the dome all week except March 19.

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

No seismic activity this week. Clouds obscured the volcano all time.

PLEASE CONTACT AVO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS, 
E-mail: girina@kcs.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627

Svetlana Droznina, KVERT, KEMSD GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523

Tom Murray, Scientist-in-Charge, AVO
E-mail: tlmurray@usgs.gov
Tel. 907-786-7497

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