Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 22-08
Thursday, May 29, 2008, 21:05 UTC (Friday, May 30, 10:05 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 continues - 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 slightly above background levels on May 27-28, and at the background levels in the other days. According to seismic data, a weak volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano on May 23, possible weak ash-gas explosions up to 4.7 km (15,400 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on May 22 and 27-28. According to visual and video data, hot avalanches occurred at the lava dome and ash plumes rose up to 3.6 km (11,800 ft) ASL on May 26-27; moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on May 23-27. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. A gas-steam plume containing small amount of ash extending about 17 km (or 10.5 mi) to the south-west from the volcano was noted on May 28.

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 22, 25-26 and 28, and at the background levels in the other days. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 3.4 km (11,200 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on May 22, 25-26 and 28. According to satellite data, the volcano was quiet or obscured by clouds.

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 didn`t exceed background levels all week. According to visual and video data, a weak or moderate fumarolic activity was noted on May 24-27. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on May 24-26. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days.


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Sergey Ushakov, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: ushakov@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58325

Svetlana Toloknova, 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