Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 60-08
Thursday, December 25,  2008, 22:45 UTC (Friday, December 26, 10:45 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. Probably an ash 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 7 km (23,000 ft) ASL on December 20-24. Lava effusion on the north-western flank of the volcano continues. Strombolian activity of the volcano was noted on December 21-25. According to satellite data, a large thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano all week. Ash plumes extended about 270 km (167 mi) to the east and north-east from the volcano on December 20-25.
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 slightly increased last week. Ash explosions up to 10 km (32,800 ft.) ASL could occur at any time. The lava flow continues to effuse on the southern flank of the lava dome. 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 8.5 km (27,800 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on December 19-20, and up to 5.0 km (16,400 ft) ASL in the other days last week. According to visual data, an ash plume rose up to 5.0 km (16,400 ft) ASL on December 22. Strong and moderate gas-steam activity was noted on December 23-24. 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 on December 18 and 20 - possibly ash-gas explosions up to 3 km (9,800 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on December 18. There was not seismic data in the other days of the week by technical reasons. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano; and ash plumes extended about 80 km (50 mi) to the east from the volcano on December 21-23. Ash deposits were noted on December 21: 26 km long to the southeast and 9 km to the northeast. 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 21 and 23. Clouds obscured the volcano in other days of the week. According to satellite data, the volcano was quiet; or obscured by clouds.


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS,  PLEASE CONTACT:

Dr. Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522)  58627

Svetlana Toloknova, 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