Happy New Year!!
Good
Luck!!
Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic
Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 70-05
Friday, December 30, 2005, 11:00 KST
(23:00 UTC on December 29)
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
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54o03'N, 159o27'E; Elevation 1,486
m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE
Seismic activity indicated that ash explosions from 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 were
registered this week.
Possible seven ash plumes rose up to 2.5-4 km
(8,200-13,100 ft.) ASL on December 24 and
26-27. There were no seismic data
on December 28 and partly on December 23-24 and 27.
According to data by
KVERT-volcanologists, a new cone (approximately 60-80 m in
diameter) was
formed at the summit of Karymsky volcano. A small lava dome ~ 20-30 m
in
diameter was noted into the cone's crater. According to satellite data
from the USA and
Russia, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano
all week. Ash plumes extended
mainly to the east and southeast from the
volcano and sometimes - to the southwest.
Such activity could affect
low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.
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.
Thermal anomaly over the
dome was noted on December 25 and
27-29.
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 24-25 and 27-29.
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.