Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 21-08
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 21:10 UTC  (Friday, May 23, 10:10 KDT)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR  CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY:  YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, GORELY  and MUTNOVSKY: GREEN

NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI, 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

Activity of the volcano increased - new portions of viscous lava extrudes at the dome - and 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.

Seismicity was at the background levels on May 15-17 and 21, and above background levels in the other days last week. According to seismic data, a weak volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano on May 18-20, possible weak ash-gas explosions occurred at the volcano in these days. According to visual and video data, small hot avalanches noted all week. There was a big hot avalanche at the lava dome on May 20, an ash plume rose up to 4.0 km (13,100 ft) ASL and extended to the east from the volcano. A moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed all week. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was
registered over the lava dome all week. A gas-steam plume with ash extending from the volcano > 100 km (or > 62 mi) to the south-east was noted on May 20.

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 1,486 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE

Activity of the volcano continues and ash explosions up to 6.0 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL could occur at any time. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying  aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.

Seismic activity was slightly above the background levels on May 15-16 and 21, and at the background levels in the other days of week. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 3.4 km (11,200 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on May 15-16 and 21-22. Clouds  obscured the volcano in the other days. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on May 16 and 20.

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

Seismic activity was at the background levels all week. According to visual and video data, a weak and moderate fumarolic activity was noted on May 15-16 and 18-21. Clouds obscured the volcano on May 17. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on May 16-18 and 20. A gas-steam plume extending ~ 50.0 km (30.8 ft) to the south-west from the volcano was noted on May 18.

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

Christina Neal,  Scientist-in-Charge, AVO
E-mail: tneal@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_eng.php
Archive of daily information KB GS RAS: ftp://emsd.iks.ru/pub/DATA/RTS/Volcanoes
KVERT Information Releases at the web-page of AVO (Alaska Volcano Observatory): http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo