Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 03-09
Thursday, January 08,  2009, 23:00 UTC (Friday, January 09, 11:00 KST)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF  CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

The lava flow continues to effuse on the southern and northern flanks of the lava dome. 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 8.8 km (28,900 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on January 07, and up to 5.7 km (18,700 ft) ASL in the other days last week. According to visual data, moderate gas-steam activity was noted on January 02, 04 and 06. Thin layer of ash was observing in 20 km (12.4 mi) from Klyuchi to the north-east on January 07. 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. An ash plume extended about 25 km (15.5 mi) to the west from the volcano on January 06.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/shv/index.html

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 but activity of the volcano decreased. The activity of the volcano could affect for international and low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels all week but a number of volcanic earthquakes and a magnitude of volcanic tremor essentially decreased to the end of this week. Strombolian activity of the volcano and lava effusion on the north-western flank of the volcano continues. Small ash fall at Kozyrevsk village was noted on January 01. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano all week. Ash plumes extended about 60 km (37 mi) to the north and 35 km (22 mi) to the south-west from the volcano on January 01 and 02, respectively.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html

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

Probably 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.

There was not seismic data all week by technical reasons. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 07, clouds obscured the volcano in the other days of last week.

KORYAKSKY VOLCANO; 53°19'N, 158°43'E; Elevation 3, 456 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS  YELLOW

Strong fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. Possibly activities of the volcano will increase. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was at background levels all week. According to visual data, strong fumarolic activity was registering on January 06-08: gas-steam plumes extended to the south-west from the volcano. There were ash plumes not registered on satellite images during the past week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krk/index.html

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 January 05-07. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days of the week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 05. In the other days of the week the volcano was 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