Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 05-09
Thursday, January 22,  2009, 22:35 UTC (Friday, January 23, 10:35 KST)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF  CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI, EBEKO and ALAID: GREEN

CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
KLYUCHEVSKOY IS NOW 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 IS ORANGE


The activity of the volcano decreased. Ash plumes were not noted near the volcano last three weeks, however some danger of the volcano for international and low-flying aircraft remains.

Seismic activity was above background levels on January 15-18 and at the background levels on January 19-21. Weak continuous spasmodic volcanic tremor and small amount of shallow earthquakes continues to registering. Magnitude of volcanic tremor at the volcano has decreased rapidly from 6x10-6 mps on January 16 to 0.54x10-6 mps on January 21. According to visual data, weak gas-steam plumes was observed on the volcano this week. According to satellite data, weak thermal anomaly over the volcano was noting all days.
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

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 5.5 km (18,000 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on January 17 and 21; and up to 3.0 km (9,800 ft) ASL in the other days. According to video data, an ash plume rose up to 4.5 km (14,800 ft) ASL on January 21. Weak and moderate gas-steam activity was noted all week. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. An ash plume extended about 65 km (40 mi) to the south-west from the volcano on January 18. Gas-stem plumes extended about 130 km (80 mi) to the south-east, south-west and west from the volcano on January 16-17 and 19-20.
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

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.

Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels on January 15 and at the background levels in the other days. An intermittent volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano on January 15 - possibly weak ash-gas explosions occurred at the volcano. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 18-19 and 21. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days of the week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krm/index.html

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

Fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. Gas-steam and aerosolic plumes from 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 18-19: gas-steam plumes rose up to 4.2 km (13,800 ft) ASL and extended to the west from the volcano. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 18-21. Ash plumes were 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 of Klyuchevskoy volcano did not allow to detach a seismicity of Bezymianny volcano on January 15-16. Seismic activity of the volcano was at background levels on January 19 and 21. A moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on web-camera all week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano this week. Gas-steam plumes extended about 75 km (46 mi) to the south-east from the volcano on January 17.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/bzm/index.html

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