Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic
Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 67-05
Friday, December 09, 2005, 11:40 KST
(23:40 UTC on December 08)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN
COLOR CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY, SHEVELUCH and
AVACHINSKY: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK PLOSKY,
KIZIMEN, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN
KURILE:
EBEKO: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486
m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE
Continuing seismicity indicated that growth of a lava dome in
the summit crater continues. Ash explosions up to 6 km (or 26,300 ft.) ASL are
possible.
Seismicity was above background levels on December 01-02 and
there was no seismic data from December 03 till present. A thermal anomaly was
registered over the volcano all week. According to satellite data from Russia
and USA, ash clouds moving
to the south-east from the volcano were noted on December 06-07.
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56o38'N, 161o19'E; Elevation 3,283
m, the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE:
YELLOW
Growth of the lava dome continues, but seismic activity did
not exceed background levels all week. Ash explosions up to 6 km (19,600 ft.)
ASL could occur at any time.
Seismic and fumarolic activity of the lava dome continues.
Incandescence at the dome on December 08, and a thermal anomaly over the dome on
December 01 and 07 were noted.
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895
m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
Seismic activity of the volcano remains at background levels.
Based on past experience with Bezymianny, a viscous lava flow is probably active
at the summit lava dome. There are no indications that an explosive eruption is
imminent.
A gas-steam plume was visible on December 06 and a thermal
anomaly at the lava dome was registered this week.
AVACHINSKY: 53o15'N, 158o51'E; Elevation 2,751
m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
Seismic activity of the volcano remains elevated. The
possibility of sudden ash explosions exists.
Shallow earthquakes were registered at the volcano this week.
Moderate fumarolic activity was observed at the volcano on December
06-08.
EBEKO VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile:
50o41'N, 156o01'E Elevation 1,156 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODE: YELLOW
Ebeko
volcano is not monitored with seismic instruments. KVERT uses satellite
monitoring and receives occasional visual observations from Paramushir Island.
Moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. The danger of sudden ash
explosions up to 3 km (9,840 ft.) ASL exists.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE
CONTACT:
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.