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from KVERT. Information regarding Kamchatkan volcano activity is sent
directly from KVERT staff in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
___________________________________________________________

Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 41-05
Friday, July 22, 2005, 10:50 KDT (21:50 UTC on July 21)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH, KARYMSKY and KLYUCHEVSKOY: ORANGE
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 7,5 km (or 25,000 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 video data, gas-steam plume up to 3,5 km (or 11,600 ft) ASL were observed on July 19. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a persistent 1-7-pixels thermal anomaly at the dome was registered this week. Gas-steam plume extended 30 km (or 18 mi) to the south-west from volcano on July 18. 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 ORANGE

Based on the increased volcanic tremor and many shallow earthquakes at the volcano and thermal anomaly growth we suggest that possibility of ash explosions as high as 7 km (or 23,000 ft ) ASL remains with little or no warning.

Seismic activity was above background levels this week. A continuous spasmodic volcanic tremor was 13x10-6 mps on July 15 and 3.5-6.5 x10-6 mps on July 16-20. Shallow earthquakes were recorded this week. According to visual data, gas-steam plume up to 5,5 km above the crater (or 18,300 ft ASL) on July 19 was observed. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a 1-3-pixels thermal anomaly at the crater was registered on July 16 and 18. 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 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.

Seismic activity was above background levels this week. The number of local shallow events was 350-700 per day. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 1,0-1,5 km above the crater (or 8,200-9,800 ft ASL) occurred this week. According to satellite data from Russia, a weak 1-3-pixels thermal anomaly was registered at the volcano on July 16-17 and 19. Ash-gas plume extended about 11 km (or 7 mi) to the south-east on July 11 and gas-steam plume about 50 km (or 31 mi) to the north-west on July 21.

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.

According to visual data, weak gas-steam plumes rose up to 0,2 km above the dome (or 10,200 ft ASL) on July 19-21. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia, a 1-3 pixels thermal anomaly was registered at the dome on July 15-16 and 18-19. Clouds obscured the volcano at the other days.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Dmitry Melnikov, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: dvm@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.