Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic
Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 46-07
Thursday, September 27,
2007, 21:40 UTC (Friday, September 28, 10:40 KDT)
SUMMARY
OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY
: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY,
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and
GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN
KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI: ORANGE
EBEKO
and ALAID: GREEN
BEZYMIANNY
VOLCANO: 55œ58'N, 160œ36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN
COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
Activity
of the volcano increased. Ash explosions up to 10 km (or 32,800 ft.) ASL are
possible during next weeks. The activity of the volcano could affect
international and low-flying aircraft.
Growth of the lava
dome continues. According to satellite data, an intensity of a thermal
anomaly over the lava dome increased last several days. Seismic activity was
above background levels on September 25 (series of shallow volcanic earthquakes
were registered that a hot avalanche probably indicated), and did not exceed
this level on the other days. According to visual data, a weak fumarolic
activity was noted at the dome on September 21 and 24-26, clouds obscured the
volcano on the other days. According to satellite data, a size of thermal
anomaly over the lava dome a little increased this week. Ash plume >35 km
(>22 mi) extended to the east was noted on September 25.
All data
indicate that probably a danger of a strong explosive eruption of the volcano
increased.
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56œ38'N, 161œ19'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. Ash explosions up to 10 km (32,800 ft.) ASL could
occur at any time. The activity of the volcano could affect international and
low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity was above background levels. Many
shallow volcanic earthquakes and an intermittent volcanic tremor were registered
all week. According to seismic data, ash plumes up to 4.3 km (14,100 ft) ASL
occurred at the volcano on September 20 and 25. There were hot avalanches all
week. According to video data, gas-steam plumes raising up to 6.0 km (19,700 ft)
ASL were noted on September 21, and 24-26. Clouds obscured the volcano on the
other days. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was noted all
week. Ash plumes extended > 60 km (37 mi) to the east from the volcano on
September 24-25.
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54œ03'N, 159œ27'E;
Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
The
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
above background levels all week, many shallow volcanic earthquakes and a
spasmodic volcanic tremor were registered at the volcano all days. According to
seismic data, possibly ash explosions rose up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) ASL on
September 20, 22 and 24-26; and weak ash bursts occurred all week. According to
data from AMC Yelizovo, ash plume raising up to 2.5-3.0 km (8,200-9,800 ft) ASL
and extending to the north-east from the volcano was observed by pilots of AN-28
at 04:55 UTC on September 21. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was
noted on September 20-21 and 24-26, clouds obscured the volcano on the other
days. Ash plumes extended > 450 km (> 280 mi) to the east from the volcano
on September 24-27.
CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO 50œ19'N, 155œ28'E;
Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
The
eruption 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.
According to visual data by observers, ash plume extended >
250 km (155 mi) to the east from the volcano on September 19-20. According to
satellite data, gas-steam plume containing ash extended > 75 km (> 47 mi)
from the volcano to the east-south-east on September 21, clouds obscured the
volcano on the other days.
Chikurachki volcano is not monitored with
seismic instruments. KVERT has satellite monitoring and receives occasional
visual observations of this volcano.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR
CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED
RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ruTel. (41522) 58627
Irina Nuzhdina, KVERT, KB GS
RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ruTel. (41522) 59523
Tom Murray, Scientist-in-Charge,
AVO
E-mail: tlmurray@usgs.govTel. 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 Kuriles
Volcanoes.
The official web-page of KVERT (the Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology FED RAS): http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index.htmlArchive of daily information KB GS RAS: ftp://emsd.iks.ru/pub/DATA/RTS/VolcanoesKVERT Information Releases at the web-page of AVO (Alaska Volcano
Observatory): http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo