Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic
Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 69-05
Friday, December 23, 2005, 11:00 KST
(23:00 UTC on December 22)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN
COLOR CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KARYMSKY: ORANGE
SHEVELUCH and BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY,
KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN KURILE:
EBEKO: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
AVACHINSKY IS NOW AT LEVEL
OF CONCERN COLOR CODE GREEN
AVACHINSKY: 53o15'N, 158o51'E; Elevation 2,751
m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: GREEN
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
Seismic activity decreased gradually during two weeks. No
thermal anomaly was registered last three weeks. Moderate fumarolic activity is
observing at the volcano.
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.
According to seismic data, many weak shallow earthquakes and
possible ten ash plumes up to 3.6 km (11,800 ft.) ASL were registered this week.
There were no seismic data on December 21 and partly on December 20. According
to data by KVERT-volcanologists who work at the area of Karymsky volcano, ash
explosions rose up to 2,500-3,000 m (or 8,200-9,800 ft) ASL on December 17-21,
2005, and extended to the west-southwest and east-northeast from the volcano.
Such activity could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.
Thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on December 15-21.
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 was at
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.
Thermal anomaly over the dome on December 15 and 17-18 was noted.
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55o58'N, 160o36'E; Elevation 2,895
m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
Seismic activity did not exceed background levels all week.
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.
Fumarolic activity of the lava dome continues. Thermal anomaly
at the lava dome was registered on December 17 and 21.
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.