Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 56-07
Thursday, November 08, 2007, 22:30 UTC (Friday, November 09, 10:30 KST)

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

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. 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 8.5 km (28,000 ft) ASL and small hot avalanches occurred at the volcano all week. According to visual and video data, ash plumes rose up to 8.0 km (26,200 ft) ASL on November 05 and 08. Ash plumes and gas-steam plumes containing ash up to 6.0 km (19,700 ft) ASL were registered at the dome on November 04-08. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was noted all week. Ash plume extended 40 km (25 mi) to the south-west from the volcano on November 07.

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'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 on November 01-05 and at background levels on the other days. Many shallow volcanic earthquakes were registered at the volcano. According to seismic data, possibly ash explosions rose up to 5.0 km ASL on November 02, and small explosions occurred all week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was noted at the volcano on November 06. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days.

CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO 50°19'N, 155°28'E; Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE

Possibly the explosive eruption of the volcano continues. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

According to satellite data, clouds obscured the volcano this week.

Chikurachki volcano is not monitored with seismic instruments. KVERT has satellite monitoring and receives occasional visual observations of this volcano.

BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55°58'N, 160°36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW

Growth of the volcano continues. A viscous lava flow is effusing from the summit dome at Bezymianny. Sudden ash emission related to this activity could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.

Seismic activity was above background levels on November 05 and at background levels on the other days. According to the data from KB GS RAS, series seismic events occurred at the volcano from 08:43 till 10:10 UTC on November 05. According to volcanological interpretation, probably small series collapses of a frontal part of lava flow and as additions moderate explosive events occurred at the dome at this time. Gas-steam plume rose uo to 3.2 km (10,500 ft) ASL on November 06. According to satellite data, a moderate thermal anomaly over the volcano was observed on November 03-08. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

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

Irina Nuzhdina, 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 Kuriles 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