VONA Weekly
Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 21-12
March 15, 2012, 23:30 UTC (March 16, 11:30 KST)

KVERT IVS FED RAS monitor 30 active volcanoes of Kamchatka and 6 active volcanoes of Northern Kuriles.

KVERT (IVS FED RAS) scientists is available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST) in the work days and by phone during the evenings.

SUMMARY OF AVIATION COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA
Real-time seismic data:
SHEVELUCH, KIZIMEN and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
BEZYMIANNY and GORELY: YELLOW
KLYUCHEVSKOY, 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

KVERT (IVS FED RAS) 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.

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

Explosive-extrusive-effusive eruption of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 32,800 ft (10 km) ASL could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.

Activity of the volcano increased from March 10: explosions sent ash up to 9,800-16,400 ft (3-5 km) a.s.l. each day on March 10-14. According to visual and satellite data, a viscous lava flow continues to effuse into the explosive crater of 2010 eruption. Moderate fumarolic activity of the lava dome was observing all week. According to satellite data, ash plumes extended for about 40 mi (64 km) to northeast and southeast of the volcano on March 10-11 and 13; a weak thermal anomaly was noting over the lava dome all week.
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

Effusive eruption of the volcano continues. Strong ash explosions up to 32,800 ft (10 km) ASL are possible. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.

Moderate seismic activity of the volcano continues. Video data and satellite imagery showed that the lava flow continues to effusing on the eastern volcanic flank. Hot avalanches accompany the lava flow effusion. Strong gas-steam activity of the volcano at video camera and a big thermal anomaly at satellite images were noting all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Kizimen

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 19,700 ft (6 km) ASL could occur at any time. Activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.

Moderate seismic activity of the volcano continues; according to seismic data, possible ash plumes rose up to 10,100 ft (3.1 km) a.s.l. on March 14. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on March 10-13.
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

Moderate activity of the volcano continues. Ongoing activity could affect low-flying aircraft.

Seismic activity remains low from March 10 till now. A strong and moderate gas-steam activity of the volcano was observing on March 14-15. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly over the volcano continues to noting on the satellite images.
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

Moderate activity of the volcano continues. Ongoing activity could affect low-flying aircraft.

There was not seismic data from February 05 till present by technical reasons. Moderate gas-steam activity of the volcano was observing all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/grl/index.html


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Dr. Olga Girina, Head of KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (4152) 29-78-90

Svetlana Droznina, KVERT Project, KB GS RAS
E-mail: sva07@emsd.ru
Tel. (4152) 218-130

WEB CAMERAS IN KAMCHATKA (KIZIMEN VOLCANO, KLYUCHEVSKOY VOLCANO, SHEVELUCH VOLCANO, BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO, GORELY VOLCANO, AVACHINSKY VOLCANO): http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php

The KVERT Project is a cooperative program of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (IVS) FED RAS and the Kamchatkan Branch of Geophysical Survey (KB GS) RAS since 1993. KVERT scientists was available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST) 7 days in week in 2005-2011. Now KVERT scientists is available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST) in the work days and by phone during the evenings. KVERT (IVS FED RAS) analyses daily satellite imagery; information from remote scientific observation stations; real-time seismic data for 11 Kamchatkan volcanoes (data from KBGS RAS); 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