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.
 
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Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 45-05
Friday, August 19, 2005, 10:20 KDT (21:20 UTC on August 18)
 
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:
 
KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
 
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
 
NORTHERN KURILE:
EBEKO, CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
 
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 lava dome continues. At any time explosions could produce ash plumes that
rise as high as 8 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.
 
Ten ash-gas plumes up to 5.0 km (or 16,400 ft.) ASL on August 12-13 in web camera, about
50 weak shallow earthquakes according to seismic data, a big thermal anomaly on August 12,
15 and 17, a fumarolic activity were registered this week.
 
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: 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 seismic data, possible ash-gas plumes up to 3.5 km (or 11,500 ft.) ASL were
registering this week. According to visual data by observers, ash plumes rose up to 2 km
(or 6,600 ft.) ASL on August 12. A thermal anomaly was noted on August 12.
 
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW.
 
The volcanological field research and development on July 2005 showed that unrest at the
volcano continues.
 
One weak shallow earthquake, a gas-steam activity and a thermal anomaly at the lava dome
on August 12, were registered this week.
 
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:
 
Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail:
girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627
 
Tatiana Kozhevnikova, KVERT, KB 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 Branch of Geophysical Service(KB 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.