Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 29-08
Thursday, July 10, 2008, 21:30 UTC (Friday, July 11, 10:30 KDT)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR  CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY and KARYMSKY: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY, TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: 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 all week: volcanic earthquakes and a weak volcanic tremor were registered at the volcano all week. According to seismic data, possibly ash explosions up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) ASL occurred on July 8. According to visual data, volcano was obscured by clouds. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on July 3, 5-6, 9-10.

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. Sudden ash emission related to this activity could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.

Seismic activity of the volcano was slightly above background levels on July 8-9 and did not exceed background levels during other days. According to visual and satellite data, volcano was obscured by clouds.

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

Activity of the volcano decreased but ash explosions up to 6.0 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are possible. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft in the vicinity of the volcano.

Seismic activity was slightly above background levels on July 6-7 and at the background levels during other days. According to seismic data, possible very weak gas-ash explosions occurred at the volcano. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano on July 4.


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE  CONTACT:

Alexander Manevich, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: mag@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522)  58325

Svetlana Toloknova, KVERT, KB GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.iks.ru
Tel. (41522) 59523

John Power, Scientist-in-Charge, AVO
E-mail: jpower@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