Kamchatkan
and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE
59-08
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 23:00 UTC (Friday, December 19,
11:00 KST)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KLYUCHEVSKOY, SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY:
ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN,
AVACHINSKY, KORYAKSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY: GREEN
NORTHERN
KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI, EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO; 56° 03'N,
160° 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE
IS ORANGE
Explosive-effusive
eruption of the volcano continues. Ash plumes are extending from the volcano in
different directions. Probably an explosive activity of the volcano will grow.
The activity of the volcano is dangerous for international and
low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano was above
background levels: a lot of volcanic earthquakes and continuous volcanic tremor
were registered at the volcano all week. According to visual data, gas-steam
plume containing ash rose up to 8 km (26,240 ft) ASL on December 12-14 and 18.
Lava flow move down on the north-western slope of the volcano. Strombolian
activity of the volcano was noted on December 12-14 and 16. According to
satellite data, a large thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano all
week. Ash plumes extended about 500 km (310 mi) at a height of 4.0-8.0 km
(13,120-26,240 ft) ASL to the east, north-east and south-east from the volcano
on December 12-14 and 16-18.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html
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 (the lava flow is effusing on the southern flank of
the lava 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 above background levels all week.
According to seismic data, probably ash plumes up to 4.5 km (14,800 ft) ASL
occurred at the volcano past week. According to visual data, a weak gas-steam
activity was noted on December 12-14 and 18. Clouds obscured the volcano in the
other days of the week. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was
registered over the lava dome all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/shv/index.html
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 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are
possible. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying
aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels
last week. According to seismic data, possibly ash-gas explosions up to
2.5 km (8,200 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano. According to satellite data, a
thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on December 12-14 and 17. Ash
plume extending about 240 km (150 mi) to the south-east from the volcano was
observed on December 16. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days of this
week.
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.
Strong seismicity of
Klyuchevskoy volcano does not allow to detach a seismicity of Bezymianny
volcano. A moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on web-camera
on December 12-14 and 17. Clouds obscured the volcano in other days of the week.
According to satellite data, a small thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano
on December 12-14.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS,
PLEASE CONTACT:
Dr. Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522)
58627
Tatiana Kozhevnikova, KVERT, KB GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.ru
Tel. (41522)
59523
Dr. Tom Murray, Scientist-in-Charge, USGS
E-mail: tlmurray@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