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 51-05
Friday, September 23, 2005, 10:35 KDT (21:35 UTC on September 22)
 
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:
 
KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH: RED
KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY and KLYUCHEVSKOY: YELLOW
 
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY:  GREEN
 
NORTHERN KURILE:
EBEKO:
YELLOW
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: RED
 
The paroxysmal eruption of the volcano continues. The explosions produced ash plumes to
height 7.5 km (or 24,600 ft.) ASL. Ash fall was noted on the south-western flank of the
volcano (~9 km from the lava dome). From 10:30 till 11:30 UTC on September 22, the most
powerful phase of the eruption was registered. According to satellite data by USA and
Russia, ash cloud with a diameter of ~20 km was located in ~90  km to the north-west of
the volcano. Ash fall was noted in Klyuchi at night on September 22.
 
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE.
 
Seismic activity of the volcano continues. The danger of a sudden explosion or series of
explosions of ash up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL, as well as localized ash fall and hot
avalanches, exists.
 
According to seismic data, possible small ash-gas plumes were registered all week. A
thermal anomaly was noted on September 21.
 
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: 56o03'N, 160o39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW.
 
Seismic activity of the volcano continues. Possibility of ash explosions up to 5 km
(16,500 ft.) ASL exists.
 
Volcanic earthquakes and tremor and weak gas-steam activity were registered this week.
 
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW.
 
The volcanological field research on July-September 2005 showed that unrest of the
volcano continues.
 
One shallow earthquake, a gas-steam activity and a thermal anomaly at the lava dome were
registered this week.
 
EBEKO VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50o41'N, 156o01'E Elevation 1,156 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW.
 
Activity of the volcano continues. Ebeko volcano is not monitored with seismic
instruments. KVERT has satellite monitoring and occasional visual observations about this
volcano. The danger of sudden ash explosions up to 3 km (9,840 ft.) ASL as well as ash
falls at Severo-Kurilsk exists.
 
According to visual data, moderate fumarolic activity of the volcanic crater continues.
 
 
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:
 
Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail:
girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627
 
Svetlana Droznina, 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.
 
The official web-page of KVERT (the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FED RAS):
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index.html Archive of daily information KB GS RAS:
ftp://emsd.iks.ru/pub/DATA/RTS/Volcanoes .