Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 03-06
Friday, January 20, 2006, 10:30 KST (22:30 UTC on January 19)

 

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 the eruption of the volcano with ash explosions from the summit crater continues. Ash explosions up to 6 km (or 26,300 ft.) ASL are possible.

 

According to seismic data, possible two ash plumes up to 3.0-3.4 km (9,800-11,200 ft.) ASL occurred at the volcano on January 14-15. Thermal anomaly over the dome was noted on January 13-15. Ash plumes extending 6-9 km to the south from the volcano were registered on January 12. The volcano was obscured by clouds on the other time.

 

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. Seismic activity did not exceed background levels all week but ash explosions up to 6 km (19,600 ft.) ASL could occur at any time.

 

According to visual observations, a weak fumarolic activity was noted on January 13-14 and 16-17. The volcano was obscured by clouds on the other time.

 

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 lava dome summit. There are no indications that an explosive eruption is imminent.

 

Fumarolic activity of the lava dome was noted on January 13-14 and 16. The volcano was obscured by clouds on the other time.

 

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. A very strong smell of sulphuretted hydrogen and chlorine gas was noted at Severo-Kurilsk on January 13. The danger of sudden ash explosions up to 3 km (9,840 ft.) ASL exists.

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627

 

Sergey Senyukov, 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