Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 24-05
Friday, April 08, 2005, 10:50 KDT (21:50 UTC on April 07)

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) received the following release via e-mail from KVERT (Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team). Kamchatkan Daylight Saving Time (KDT) is 21 hours ahead of Alaska Daylight Savings 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:
CHIKURACHKI: ORANGE
ALAID, EBEKO: GREEN

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56o03'N, 160o39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE

Eruptive activity continues. Explosions from the summit crater could produce ash plumes that reach as high as 7-8 km or 23,000-26,200 ft above sea level and travel many tens or hundreds of kilometers downwind. The current activity of the volcano is 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 70 earthquakes of Ml=1.6-2.2 were recorded. According to visual and video data, ash-gas plumes rising up to 1,000 m above the crater (or 23,800 ft ASL) and extending > 20 km or > 12 mi to the north-east on April 02, were observed on April 02-03. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 1,500 m above the crater (or 20,500 ft ASL) on April 01-03 and extended to the east on April 01 and >20 km or >12 mi to the northeast on April 02. Eruptive and seismic activity of the volcano decreased significantly on April 07. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 100m above the crater (or 15,900 ft ASL) on April 07. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a big thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano all week with the exception of April 04. Ash-gas plumes extending for about 400 km (or 250 mi) to the north on March 31, and 50 km (or 31 mi) to the southeast on April 02 and to the southwest on April 06.

SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56o38'N, 161o19'E; Elevation 3,283 m, the dome
elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE.

Growth of the Sheveluch lava dome continues. A new extrusion has been noted at the active 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 the eruption of February 28, 2005.

According to visual and video data, intensive growth of the new extrusion at the western part of the lava dome continues. A height of eastern and western parts of the dome is roughly identical now. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 1,000 m above the dome (11,500 ft ASL) on April 02-03 and extended to the east on April 02. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a thermal anomaly at the dome was noted all week with the exception of April 04.

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: 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 decreased from 500 till 100 per day during the week. According to satellite data from Russia, a weak thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano on March 31 and April 04 and 07. Ash deposits extended to the southeast for 15 km (or 9.3 mi) on April 02.

CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50o19'N, 155o28'E
Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE.

Eruptive activity at 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.

According to the data by local observers, a weak fumarolic activity of the volcano was noted on April 04-05. Ash deposits covered the west-northwest slope of the volcano.

BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: 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 volcanologists' experience at this volcano, we infer that lava dome growth continues.

Clouds obscured the volcano all week. According to satellite data from Russia, a weak thermal anomaly was registered at the dome on March 31 and April 02-03.

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).