Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic
Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 22-07
Friday, June 01, 2007, 11:15 KDT
(May 31, 22:15 UTC)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KLYUCHEVSKOY,
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY:
YELLOW
TOLBACHIK
PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN
KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI, EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR
CODE:
KLYUCHEVSKOY IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO; 56°03'N,
160°39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
ORANGE
PREVIOUS
LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS RED
The explosive-effusive eruption of Klyuchevskoy
continues but activity has decreased slightly in intensity of events. Ash
explosions up to 8 km (26,250 ft.) ASL are still possible. The
activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying
aircraft.
Seismicity was above background levels: volcanic
earthquakes and a strong volcanic tremor were registered. According to video
data and visual observations, a height of ash plumes decreased from 8.0-9.0 km
(26,250-29,500 ft) ASL on May 27-28 till 5.0-7.0 km (16,000-23,000 ft) ASL on
May 29-31. Ash plumes extended to the different directions on May 27-29
and 31. Strombolian and Vulcanian activity of the terminal crater, lava flows
and phreatic bursts at the north-western flank of the volcano were observed on
May 27 and 31. New lava flow was noted on the eastern flank of the volcano on
May 31. Strong phreatic bursts were observed on the front of this lava flow.
Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days. According to satellite data, ash
plumes extended for about 600 km (370 mi) to different directions from the
volcano all week. A large thermal anomaly was noted all days.
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56°38'N, 161°19'E;
Elevation 3,283 m, the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF
CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Growth of the lava dome continues. A hot lava
extrudes at the top of the dome. Ash explosions up to 10 km (32,800 ft.)
ASL could occur at any time. The activity of the volcano could affect
international and local aircraft.
Seismic activity was above background levels, a lot
of shallow volcanic earthquakes were registered. According to seismic data,
probably ash plumes up to 9,5 km (31,200 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano last
week. Accoding to visual and video data, gas-steam plumes up to 5 km (16,000ft)
ASL were observed on May 27-28 and 30-31, ash plume rose up to 6 km (19,700ft)
ASL. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days. According to satellite data,
ash plumes extended for 13-47 km (8-29 mi) to the south-west from the volcano on
May 27-28. A big thermal anomaly was noted all week.
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E;
Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
An eruption of the volcano continues. Ash
explosions up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are possible at any time. The activity
of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the
volcano.
Seismic activity was slightly above background
levels last week. According to seismic data, weak local shallow earthquakes
occurred at the area of the volcano. According to satellite data, volcano was
obscured by clouds all week.
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55°58'N,
160°36'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.
Strong seismicity at nearby Klyuchevskoy volcano
makes it difficult to determine seismicity at Bezymianny, and the staff of KB GS
RAS cannot determine accurately the volcano activity since 15 April. According
to visual data, gas-steam plume up to 3,5 km (11,500 ft) ASL was observed on May
27, clouds obscured the volcano in the other days. According to satellite data,
a thermal anomaly over the lava dome was noted on May 26-29.
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 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 Kuriles Volcanoes.