Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 17-09
Thursday, April 02, 2009, 23:50 UTC (Friday, April 03, 10:50 KDT)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILES:
EBEKO: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN

CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
EBEKO IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE YELLOW

EBEKO VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50°41'N, 156°01'E; Elevation 1,156
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN

Strong gas-steam emission sometimes with ash occur at Ebeko at present. The danger of sudden ash explosions up to 3 km (9,840 ft.) ASL exists. Activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

According to the data by observers from Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, Northern Kuriles), activity of the volcano increased: gas-steam plumes containing small amount of ash raise up to 3.2 km (10,500 ft) ASL and extend about 20 km (12 mi) mainly to the north-west and east from the volcano. Ash falls occurred in Severo-Kurilsk on March 13, 29 and 31. The thickness of ash at the town was about 0.1-0.2 cm. According to satellite monitoring, there were not noted a thermal anomaly over the volcano and ash plumes from the volcano.

Ebeko volcano is not monitored with seismic instruments. KVERT uses satellite monitoring and receives occasional visual observations from Paramushir Island.

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 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 5.5 km (18,040 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano. According to visual data, explosions sent ash up to 6 km (19,700 ft) ASL on March 31. Strong and moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed all week. According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. Ash deposits extending about 80 km to the south from the volcano were noted on April 01.

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 at background levels all week. Aerosolic plumes containing small amount of ash rose up to 4.0 km (13,200 ft) ASL and extended to the east, south, south-west and south-east from the volcano. According to satellite data, aerosolic plumes containing ash extended about 313 km (194 mi) mainly to the southern directions and to east from the volcano on March 26-28 and 31, and on April 01-02.

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 6.0 km (or 19,700 ft) ASL are possible. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity was at background levels all week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on March 31.

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 was above background levels all week. A weak and moderate fumarolic activity was observed at the volcano last week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano all 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.

Seismic activity of the volcano didn't exceeded background levels last week. A weak and moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed all week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly over the dome was registered all week.

GORELY VOLCANO: 52°33'N, 158°02'E, Elevation 1,829 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW

Seismicity of the volcano was above background levels all week. But according to visual and satellite data, the volcano is quiet at now. KVERT continue to look after Gorely volcano.

Last strong explosive eruption of the volcano Gorely occurred in 1986. Ash plumes rose up to ~ 5.0 km (16,400 ft) ASL. Gorely volcano is located about 75 km to the south-west from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Phreatic and phreato-magmatic eruptions are typical for the volcano.


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

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

Irina Nuzhdina, 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