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 38-05
Friday, July 08, 2005, 10:40 KDT (21:40 UTC on July 07)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILE:
CHIKURACHKI, ALAID, EBEKO : GREEN

CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
SHEVELUCH IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: RED

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 10 km or 32,800 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 seismic event for 11 min was registered by seismic station in 45 km (or 28 mi) from volcano at 12:40 UTC on July 07. Possibly there was ash-gas explosion up to 10 km (or 32,800 ft) ASL. According to video data, ash-gas explosions rose up to 7 km (or 23,000 ft) ASL and extended to the north-west on July 06. Ash-gas plumes up to the 3-5 km (or 9,800-16,400 ft) ASL extending to the west and northwest were observed. A persistent thermal anomaly was registered this week.

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.

There were possible ash-gas plumes with height up to 3 km (or 10,000 ft ASL) above the crater from seismic data interpretation on July 04-07. A thermal anomaly was registered on July 05-06.

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 several shallow earthquakes at the volcano 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 on July 04-07.

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 and gas and steam plumes, 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.