Kamchatkan and Northern Kurile Volcanic Activity
INFORMATION RELEASE 49-06
Friday, November 03, 2006, 10:30 KDT (21:30 UTC on November 02)
 
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, CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
 
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54œ03'N, 159œ27'E; Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE.
 
An eruptive activity of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are possible. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.
 
According to seismic data, a number of weak local shallow earthquakes was about 150-550 per day on October 26-29. There is no seismic data from October 30 till present. Possibly, ash explosions from the volcano rose up to 2.0-4.8 km (6,600-15,700 ft) ASL this week. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly over the volcanic crater was noted on October 27-28 and 30-31 and November 02. Ash plumes extending for about 29 km (18 mi) and local ash cloud at a distance 70 km (43 mi) to the north-east from the volcano were noted on October 28. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days.
 
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55œ58'N, 160œ36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.
 
Growth of the lava dome continues. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.
 
Seismic activity was at background levels on October 26-28 and did not exceed levels of registration in the other days. According to visual and video data, a weak fumarolic activity was observed on October 30-31 and November 01. A thermal anomaly over the dome was noted on October 27-31 and November 01-02. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days.
 
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56œ38'N, 161œ19'E; Elevation 3,283 m, the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW.
 
Growth of the lava dome continues. Ash explosions up to 6 km (19,700 ft.) ASL could occur at any time. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.
 
Seismic activity was at background levels last week. A weak continuous spasmodic volcanic tremor was registered on October 29-30 and November 02. According to visual and video data, a weak fumarolic activity was observed on October 27-31 and November 01. A thermal anomaly over the dome was noted on October 28-31.
 
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 Survey (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: http://emsd.iks.ru/~ssl/Volcanoes/