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-Kamchatsky.
___________________________________________________________

Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 37-05
Friday, July 01, 2005, 10:20 KDT (21:20 UTC on June 30)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY and 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 lava dome continues. At any time 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.

A persistent thermal anomaly and fumarolic activity up to the 4-5 km (or 13,100-16,400 ft) ASL were registered this week. According to information of field observers, ash-gas explosions rose up to 3-5 km (or 9,800-16,400 ft) ASL and extended to the north-west on June 30. Hot avalanches were registered too.

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

Seismic activity is above background levels. The danger of a sudden explosion or series of explosions of ash up to 4 km (or 16,500 ft.) ASL, as well as localized ash fall and hot avalanches, exists.

According to satellite data, narrow ash-gas plume up to 3,5 km (or 11,500 ft. ASL) was observed on June 30. This week there were possible ash-gas plumes with height up to 3 km (or 10,000 ft ASL) above the crater from seismic data interpretation. A thermal anomaly was registered on June 28-30.

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

Based on the weak volcanic tremor and thermal anomaly at the crater we suggest that possibility of ash explosions as high as 6 km (or 19,700 ft) ASL remains with little or no warning.

Gas-steam plumes from the summit crater were observed.

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.

Gas-steam plumes from the lava dome and thermal anomaly were registered.

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 staff is available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST or KDT) and 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.