Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 34-09
Thursday, June 11, 2009, 05:00 UTC (18:00 KDT)

SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:

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

NORTHERN KURILES:
EBEKO: YELLOW
CHIKURACHKI and ALAID: GREEN

CURRENT CHANGES IN COLOR CODE:
KLYUCHEVSKOY IS NOW AT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE GREEN

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

Seismic activity decreased to background levels on May 12 and remains the same till present. A weak intermittent volcanic tremor continues to register in the area of the volcano. A moderate and weak fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. According to satellite data, the volcano is quiet.

However sometimes gas-steam and/or aerosol plumes from the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
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

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 ash plumes rose up to 4.8-7.7 km (15.700-25.250 ft) ASL on June 06 and 10-11, and weak ash plumes occurred at the volcano this week. According to video data, strong and moderate gas-steam activity of the volcano was observed last week. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. Ash plumes extended about 90 km (56 mi) to the south from the volcano on June 06-07
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 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 all week. According to seismic data, a weak spasmodic volcanic tremor was registered at the volcano this week. Possibly weak ash plumes occurred at the volcano. According to satellite data, there were noted: a weak thermal anomaly over the volcano on June 04-06, and gas-steam plumes extending about 30 km (19 mi) to the south-east from the volcano on June 04.
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

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 and moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed all week. According to satellite data, the volcano was quiet.
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.

Seismic activity of the volcano was slightly above background levels on June 05 and didn't exceeded background levels in the other days of week. A weak fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on June 04 and 06. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was noted over the lava dome on June 07.
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. Moderate gas-steam emission sometimes with small amount of ash occur at Ebeko. 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.

Gas-steam plumes rose up to 2.7 km (8,900 ft) ASL on June 09-10. 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