SPECIAL NOTICE:
From May 06, AVO will no longer relay email information releases
from KVERT. Information regarding Kamchatkan volcano activity is sent
directly from KVERT staff in Petropavlovsk.
___________________________________________________________

Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 29-05
Friday, May 13, 2005, 10:30 KDT (21:30 UTC on May 12)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILE:
CHIKURACHKI, ALAID, EBEKO : 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.

Growth of the Sheveluch lava dome continues. 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 data a gas-steam plume rose up to 400 m above the dome (9,500 ft ASL) on May 06. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a large thermal anomaly at the dome was registered all week.

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

High seismic activity continues. A possibility of ash explosions up to 4 km (or 16,500 ft.) ASL exists. 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 150-500 per day during the week. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas plumes rose up to the 1,000 m above the crater (or 8,200 ft ASL) on May 05, 08-09. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano on May 06 and 08. Gas-steam plume containing some ash extending about 40 km (or 25 mi) to the east on May 06 and about 30 km (or 18.6 mi) to the south on May 09. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times.

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

Seismic activity of the volcano decreased to background levels on May 07. Ash explosions from the summit crater are possible and may rise up to 6 km or 19,700 ft above sea level.

Seismic activity was slightly above background levels till May 07 and at background levels on May 08-09. A great number of shallow earthquakes and 70 earthquakes of Ml=0.8-1.6 were recorded. According to visual data, weak gas-steam plumes rose up to the 100 m above the crater (or 15,900 ft ASL)and extended to the east on May 06 and for 5 km (or 3.1 mi) to the south-east on May 07. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a weak thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano on May 06-09.

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

Based on the persistent thermal anomaly at the dome, we suggest that unrest at the volcano continues.

According to visual data, weak gas-steam plumes were observed on May 06-07. Clouds obscured the volcano at the other days. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a thermal anomaly was registered at the dome on May 06-08 and 10, 12.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Sergey Ushakov, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: ushakov@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627

Sergey Senyukov, 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 non-commercial 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). KVERT is not staffed 24 hours per day, however KVERT staff are available by phone during the evenings. KVERT uses daily satellite imagery, information from remote scientific observation stations, real-time seismic data for 10 volcanoes, and other information to monitor activity at Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanoes.