Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 23-08
Thursday, June 05, 2008, 21:05 UTC (Friday, June 06, 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 29-30, and at the background levels in the other days of week. According to seismic data, a weak volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano all week, possible weak ash-gas explosions up to 3.6 km (11,800 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on May 29-30 and June 03. According to visual and video data, moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on May 31 and June 01-05. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. A gas-steam plume extending about 20 km (or 12.4 mi) to the west-north-west from the volcano was noted on May 31.

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 June 01-04, and at the background levels in the other days of week. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 2.3 km (7,500 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on June 01-04. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on June 01-04. A gas-steam plume extending about 61 km (or 37.8 mi) to the south-east from the volcano was noted on June 02.

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 31 and June 02-05. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on May 31 and June 01 and 03-04. Clouds obscured the volcano in 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

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