Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 13-09
Thursday, March 05, 2009, 22:20 UTC (Friday, March 06, 10:20 KST)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH, KORYAKSKY and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY 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 northern and eastern 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 5.4 km (17,700 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano. According to visual data, ash plumes rose up to 4.7 km (15,400 ft) ASL and extended to the NE from the volcano on March 03-04. Strong and moderate fumarolic activity was observed on February 28 and March 03-05. The volcano was obscured by clouds in the other days of the week. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. Ash plumes extending about 84 km (52 mi) to the E from the volcano were noted on March 04.

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

Activity of the volcano continues. Aerosolic plumes containing ash continues to observing at the volcano. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels on March 03, and at background levels during other days of the week. According to visual data, aerosolic plumes containing small amount of ash raising up to 3.7 km (12,100 ft) ASL and extending to the ENE, E and SE from the volcano were observed on March 03-05. Ash deposits was noted on the snow at the summit of the volcano, at the area between Koryaksky and Avachinsky volcanoes (1-2 mm of a thick), on the northern flank of the volcano (~4.0 cm of a thick). A new weak fumarole was noted in the crater of the volcano. According to satellite data, aerosolic plumes containing ash extending > 220 km (> 136 mi) to the ENE, E and SE from the volcano were observed on March 03-05.

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

Explosive 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 above background levels all week. According to seismic data, probably ash plumes up to 3.5 km (1,500 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano. According to the data by AMC Yelizovo, an ash plume raising up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) ASL and extending to the east from Karymsky volcano was observed by pilots of Yak-40 on March 03. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on February 27-28 and March 01-04. Ash plumes extending about 120 km (74 mi) to the SE from the volcano were noted on March 04. There was an area of the volcano (a sector about 30 degrees) was covered by ash deposits.

KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO; 56° 03'N, 160° 39'E; Elevation 4,750 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW

Moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. Gas-steam and/or aerosolic with ash plumes from the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels on March 02-04, and at background levels during other days. Weak spasmodic volcanic tremor was registering. According to visual data, a weak fumarolic activity was observed at the volcano on February 27-28 and March 02-04. The volcano was obscured by clouds during other days. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on February 27 and March 03-04.

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.

Seismic activity of the volcano didn't exceeded background levels during this week. According to visual data, a weak fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on February 28 and March 03-04. Clouds obscured the volcano during other days. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly over the dome was registered on February 27 and March 03-04.

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