Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 69-10
December 17, 2010, 00:10 UTC (11:10 KST)
KAMCHATKA
Real-time seismic data:
KIZIMEN, SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
KLYUCHEVSKOY, GORELY and BEZYMIANNY: YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, USHKOVSKY, KORYAKSKY,
AVACHINSKY, MUTNOVSKY: GREEN
No seismic data: ICHINSKY, VYSOKY, GAMCHEN, KOMAROV, KRONOTSKY, KRASHENINNIKOV, KIKHPINYCH, TAUNSHITS, MALY SEMYACHIK, ZHUPANOVSKY, OPALA, KSUDACH, ZHELTOVSKY, ILIINSKY, KOSHELEV, KAMBALNY, DIKII GREBEN, KHODUTKA and KHANGAR: GREEN
NORTHERN KURILES
No seismic data:
EBEKO, CHIKURACHKI, ALAID, TATARINOV, FUSS PEAK and KARPINSKY: GREEN
CURRENT CHANGES IN AVIATION COLOR CODE:
AVIATION COLOR CODE OF KLYUCHEVSKOY: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO (1000-26)
56°03'N, 160°39'E; Elevation 15,580 ft (4,750 m)
CURRENT AVIATION COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
PREVIOUS AVIATION COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Activity of the volcano decreased: gas-steam emissions were observing last week. Aerosol plumes could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismicity of the volcano did not exceed background levels from December 08. According to visual data, gas-steam emissions were observing on December 10-13. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days of week. A weak thermal anomaly over the volcanic crater was registered on satellite images on December 11-12.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO (1000-27)
56°38'N, 161°19'E; Elevation 3,283 m, the dome elevation ~8,200 ft (~2,500 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Growth of the lava dome and ash emission constrained with this continues. Ash explosions up to 10 km (or 32,800 ft) ASL could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
Moderate seismic activity of the volcano continues. According to seismic data, possibly, ash plumes rose up to 5.2 km (17,060 ft) ASL. According to visual data, strong gas-steam activity of the volcano was observed on December 09 and 11-14. Ash explosions were noted on December 14: ash plumes rose up to 4.5 km (14,800 ft) ASL; the run-out of pyroclastic flow was about 2 km from the volcano. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days of week. According to satellite data, bright thermal anomaly over the lava dome was registered all week. Ash plumes extended about 230 km (143 mi) to the north-east from the volcano on December 14.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/shv/index.html
KIZIMEN VOLCANO (1000-23)
55°08'N, 160°19'E; Elevation 8,151 ft (2,485 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Unrest at Kizimen Volcano continues. Additional explosive events are likely and could rise up to 10 km (or 32,800 ft) ASL possible at any time.
Seismic activity has decreased following the explosive event of December 12, but it remains above background levels. Shallow seismic events in the volcanic edifice continue to occur. Based on the strong thermal anomaly and other observations, it is possible that a lava flow is active at the surface. Due to the remoteness of the volcano and poor weather, we have little in the way of ground observations at Kizimen.
The strong explosive event of 19:57 UTC on December 12 produced an ash plume that reached a height of 33,000 feet according to the Tokyo VAAC. A single ground observation from "Tumrok" (10 km from the volcano) suggested the ash plume was at least 11,500 feet but it may have been higher. Very strong wind and a low cloudiness were near the volcano on December 12.
According to Kronotsky National Park staff from cordon Ipuin (16 km from the volcano), the water level in Levaya Schapina river rose 60 cm after the December 12 ash explosions and remained elevated December 13-15. The water was very muddy. It is possible that lahars were produced on December 12 by pyroclastic flows or lava flow interaction with snow. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly over the lava dome was registered all week.
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History of Kizimen eruptions unknown. We have scanty data about only one eruption in 1928-1929. Probably moderate explosive (or explosive-effusive) eruption was in that time. Tephrachronological data point out several catastrophic eruptions in evolution of this volcano.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/kzm/index.html
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/bibl/vulk/kiz/jvgr_kizimen.pdf
KARYMSKY VOLCANO (1000-13)
54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 4,874 ft (1,486 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS ORANGE
Explosive activity of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 6.0 km (or 19,700 ft) ASL could occur at any time. Activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismicity of the volcano was above background levels during all week. Based on seismicity, it is possible that ash plumes rose up to 5 km (16,400 ft) ASL. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on December 12-13 and 15. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days of week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krm/index.html
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO (1000-25)
55°58'N, 160°36'E; Elevation 9,455 ft (2,882 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
Growth of the lava dome of the volcano continues and aerosol plumes could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismicity of the volcano did not exceed background levels all week. According to visual data, moderate gas-steam emissions were observed on December 12-13 and 15; on the other days volcano was obscured by clouds. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on December 12.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/bzm/index.html
GORELY VOLCANO (1000-07)
52°33'N, 158°02'E; Elevation 5,996 ft (1,828 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS YELLOW
Seismic and thermal activity of the volcano remains high. This ongoing unrest may eventually lead to an explosive eruption. At present, aerosol plumes from the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismicity of the volcano was above background levels all week, volcanic tremor continues to be recorded. According to visual and satellite data, the volcano was obscured by clouds all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/grl/index.html
BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER 2010, KVERT WILL ASSIGN AN AVIATION COLOR CODE FOR 22 ADDITIONAL VOLCANOES OF KAMCHATKA AND THE NORTHERN KURILES. THESE VOLCANOES ARE NOT PRESENTLY MONITORED WITH SEISMIC INSTRUMENTS HOWEVER KVERT SCIENTISTS EXAMINED SATELLITE INFORMATION EACH DAY TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OF VOLCANIC UNREST SINCE 2002. NOT ALL OF THESE VOLCANOES HAD ERUPTIONS IN HISTORICAL TIME, HOWEVER THEY ARE POTENTIALLY ACTIVE AND THEREFORE ARE OF CONCERN TO AVIATION.
INFORMATION ABOUT VOLCANOES OF KAMCHATKA AND THE NORTHERN KURILES: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/volcanoes/index_eng.html
WEB CAMERAS IN KAMCHATKA:
KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO: http://data.emsd.iks.ru/videokry/kly.jpg , http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/video_camera/Klyu.html
SHEVELUCH VOLCANO: http://data.emsd.ru/videokry/svl.jpg
BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO: http://data.emsd.iks.ru/videokzy/videokzy.htm
KORYAKSKY VOLCANO: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/video_camera/koryak/koryak.htm
AVACHINSKY VOLCANO: http://data.emsd.iks.ru/videokry/capture.jpg
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dr. Olga Girina, KVERT Project, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (4152) 29-78-90
Svetlana Droznina, KVERT Project, KB GS RAS
E-mail: ssl@emsd.ru
Tel. (4152) 431-831
Dr. John Power, KVERT Project,
USGS
E-mail: jpower@usgs.gov
Tel. (907) 786-7426
The KVERT Project 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
