Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 35-08
Thursday, August 07, 2008, 21:30 UTC (Friday, August 08, 10:30 KDT)

 

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR  CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
KARYMSKY and SHEVELUCH: ORANGE

BEZYMIANNY and KLYUCHEVSKOY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN

NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI: ORANGE

EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN

CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO NOW IS AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE:YELLOW

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO; 56° 03'N, 160° 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE WAS GREEN

Seismic activity of the volcano has been gradually increasing since June. A size and intensity of the thermal anomaly over the volcano has increased during last week.  The activity of the summit volcanic crater, possibly, could affect international and low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was slightly above background levels all week: a lot of volcanic earthquakes and intermittent volcanic tremor were registered at the volcano all week. According to visual data, clouds obscured the volcano all days. According to satellite data, a  thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano all week.

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

Explosive activity of the volcano continues and 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 of the volcano was above background levels all week. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 3.1 km (10,170 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano all days of last week. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano on August 2, clouds obscured the volcano in the other days.

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, possible ash-gas explosion up to 4.6 km (15,100 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on August 6. According to visual data, clouds obscured the volcano all week. According to satellite data, a  bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on July 31 and August 1-3.

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 of the volcano was slightly above background levels on August 6, and did not exceed background levels during other days. According to visual and satellite data, clouds obscured the volcano all week.

CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO 50°19'N, 155°28'E; Elevation 1,816 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE

Eruptive activity of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are possible. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Chikurachki volcano is not monitored with seismic instruments. KVERT has satellite monitoring and receives occasional visual observations of this volcano.

According to satellite data, an eruptive activity of the volcano is observing from July 29 till present. Ash plumes extended more than 60 km (37 mi) to the south-east, west and north from the volcano on July 31 and August 1-3.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Nataliya Malik, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: malik@kscnet.ru
Tel. 9246951945

Sergey Senyukov, KVERT, KB GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.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