Kamchatkan
and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE
31-09
Thursday, May 21, 2009, 23:50 UTC (Friday, May 22, 10:50
KDT)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR
CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
SHEVELUCH: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY, KORYAKSKY,
BEZYMIANNY and KARYMSKY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK
PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, GORELY and MUTNOVSKY: GREEN
NORTHERN KURILES:
EBEKO:
YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR
CODE:
GORELY VOLCANO IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE GREEN
GORELY VOLCANO: 52°33'N,
158°02'E, Elevation 1,829 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS GREEN
PREVIOUS LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE
WAS YELLOW
Seismicity of the
volcano was at the background levels this week. KVERT continues to watch the
Gorely volcano.
Clouds obscured the volcano this week. According to satellite
monitoring, the volcano was quiet.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/grl/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
Activity of
the volcano continues: a new viscous lava flow effuses at the lava dome.
Ash explosions > 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, possibly weak ash plumes occurred at the volcano this week.
Possible ash plumes up to 5.3 km (17,400 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on May
21. According to video data, an ash plume rose up to 4.5 km (14,760 ft) ASL from
a hot avalanche on May 16. Strong gas-steam activity of the volcano was observed
on May 17-18. The volcano was obscured by clouds in the other days of week.
According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome
all week.
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 YELLOW
Seismic activity has
decreased to the background levels on May 12. A weak volcanic tremor and shallow
seismic events were registering in the area of the volcano all week. A moderate
fumarolic activity of the volcano was observing on May 16-17 and 21. The volcano
was obscured by clouds in the other days of the week. According to satellite
data, a weak thermal anomaly was noted over the volcano on May 19.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html
KORYAKSKY VOLCANO; 53°19'N, 158°43'E; Elevation 3,456
m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
A gas-steam activity of the
volcano continues and aerosol plumes could affect low-flying
aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano was at background levels all
week. According to visual data, a strong fumarolic activity of the volcano was
observed on May 17-18 and 21. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days of
week. According to satellite data, the volcano was quiet.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krk/index.html
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 1,486
m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
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.
Seismicity was above background levels on May 15-20 and at
background levels in the other days of week. According to seismic data, a weak
spasmodic volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano this week. Possibly weak
ash plumes occurred from the volcano. According to satellite data, the thermal
anomaly was noted over the lava dome on May 21, the volcano was quiet in the
other days of week or obscured by clouds.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krm/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 of the volcano
didn't exceeded background levels last week. A weak fumarolic activity of the
volcano was observed on May 17. Volcano was obscured by clouds in the other days
of this week. According to satellite data, the thermal anomaly was noted over
the lava dome on May 21, the volcano was quiet in the other days of week or
obscured by clouds.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/bzm/index.html
EBEKO VOLCANO, Paramushir Island, Northern Kurily: 50°41'N,
156°01'E; Elevation 1,156
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE: YELLOW
Activity of the volcano
continues. 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.
Clouds
obscured the volcano last week. According to satellite monitoring, there were
not registered a thermal anomaly over the volcano and ash plumes.
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 Garbuzova, 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