Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 38-08
Thursday, August 14, 2008, 21:00 UTC (Friday, August 15, 10:00 KDT)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI: ORANGE
EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN

KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54œ03'N, 159œ27'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 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 at background levels on August 9, 13 and slightly above background levels on the other days. According to seismic data, possible ash-gas explosions up to 3.1 km (10,170 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on August 7-8, 10-11 and 14. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano on August 11, clouds obscured the volcano in the other days.

SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: 56œ38'N, 161œ19'E; Elevation 3,283 m, the dome elevation ~2,500 m.
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE

Activity of the volcano continues 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 4.5 km (15,000 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on August 6.. According to visual data, clouds obscured the volcano all days of the week. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week.

BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: 55œ58'N, 160œ36'E; Elevation 2,895 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE

Increased activity of the volcano remains. An explosive eruption with ash plumes up to 10 km (or 32,800 ft.) ASL is possible during next week. The activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was slightly above background levels on August 10-14: shallow volcanic earthquakes, indicating hot avalanches were registered on these days. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome on August 9-14.
According to visual data, clouds obscured the volcano all week.
 
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO; 56œ 03'N, 160œ 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
 
Seismic activity of the volcano has been gradually increasing since June. The activity of the volcano, 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.

CHIKURACHKI VOLCANO 50œ19'N, 155œ28'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, clouds obscured the volcano all week.

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