Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic
Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 58-07
Thursday, November 15, 2007,
22:50 UTC (Friday, November 16, 10:50 KST)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH, KARYMSKY
and BEZYMIANNY: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK
PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY,
MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI: YELLOW
EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
CHIKURACHKI IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO 50°19'N, 155°28'E;
Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF
CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE
KVERT havn`t an information about any ash plumes
from the volcano last weeks. 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.
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56°38'N, 161°19'E;
Elevation 3,283 m, the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN
COLOR CODE: 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 8.0 km (26,200 ft) ASL and
hot avalanches occurred at the volcano all week. According to visual and video
data, ash plumes rose up to 5.0 km (16,400 ft) ASL on November 08 and 12-14.
During an overflight on November 09 was noted that a new lava flow effused on
the south-western dome’s flank. According to satellite data, a big thermal
anomaly was noted all week. Ash plumes extended 15-147 km (9-91 mi) to the
south-east from the volcano on November 12-13. Clouds obscured the volcano on
the other days.
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E;
Elevation 1,486 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: 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 at background levels last
week. Shallow volcanic earthquakes were registered at the volcano. According to
seismic data, possibly weak ash explosions occurred on November 12-13. Clouds
obscured the volcano on the other days.
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55°58'N,
160°36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: ORANGE
Growth of the volcano continues. Strong eruption
with ash explosions up to 10 km (32,800 ft.) ASL are possible next week. The
activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity was above background levels on
November 12 and at background levels on the other days. According to visual and
video data, weak gas-steam plumes from the volcano were noted to the north-east
on November 09 and to the south on November 13. According to satellite data, a
thermal anomaly over the volcano was observed on November 09-13 and bright
gas-steam plumes about 100 km (6 mi) on November 9-11 and 13. Clouds obscured
the volcano on the other days.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE
CONTACT:
Svetlana Toloknova, KVERT, KB GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523
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.