Kamchatkan
and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE
20-09
Friday, April 24, 2009, 00:01 UTC (00:01 KDT)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KORYAKSKY and SHEVELUCH: ORANGE
KARYMSKY, KLYUCHEVSKOY, GORELY and BEZYMIANNY:
YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN,
AVACHINSKYand MUTNOVSKY: GREEN
NORTHERN
KURILES:
EBEKO: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
KARYMSKY IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE YELLOW
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 1,486
m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Seismicity was at background levels last week. There was not noted ash explosions from the volcano by volcanologists who worked at Karymsky last two weeks. Gas-steam activity of the volcano continues and a possibility of ash explosions up to 6.0 km (or 19,700 ft) ASL remains. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
According to visual data by volcanologists from IVS FED RAS, a moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on April 17, and Karymsky was quiet during the other days of week. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krm/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 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, possible ash plumes up to 4.5-5.3 km (14,760-17,400 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano this week. According to visual data, weak and moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on April 16-18 and 22. There was noted ash plume from hot avalanche on April 22. Ash plume rose up to 4 km ASL (13,100 ft). According to satellite data, a bright thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/shv/index.html
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. Gas-steam plumes containing ash are observing at the volcano. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismic
activity of the volcano was above background levels last week. A weak volcanic tremor was registering all week. According to visual data, gas-steam plumes containing a small amount of an ash drifted from the volcano to different directions all week. According to satellite data, gas-steam plumes containing an ash extending for about 100 km (62 mi) to the NE from the volcano were noted on April 17-18 and 22. There was registered an SO2 signal (OMI data) for about 15 km (9 mi) from Koryaksky on April 20. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krk/index.html
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 slightly above background levels on April 11 and at background levels in the other days of week. A weak volcanic tremor was registered last week. A moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on April 09 and 15-16. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on April 14. Gas-steam plumes extending for about 90 km (or 56 mi) from the volcano to the north-east were observed on April 09-10. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/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.
Seismic activity was at background levels last week. A weak volcanic tremor was registered all week. Clouds obscured the volcano all days. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano on April 18 and 22. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/bzm/index.html
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. According to satellite data, the volcano was quiet. 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. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/grl/index.html
EBEKO VOLCANO: Paramushir Island, Northern Kurile: 50°41'N, 156°01'E; Elevation 1,156
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
Strong gas-steam emission sometimes with ash occur at Ebeko at present. The danger of sudden ash explosions up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft.) ASL exists. Activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
According to the data by observers from Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island), activity of the volcano continues. Gas-steam plumes containing a small amount of ash rose up to 2.0 km (6,560 ft) ASL and extended about 8 km (5 mi) to the north-east from the volcano on April 17-19. Two weak ash falls were noted at Severo-Kurilsk on April 22. 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. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/ebk/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
Valentina Garbusova, 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