VONA Weekly
Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 32-12
May 24, 2012, 23:00 UTC (May 25, 11:00 KST)

KVERT monitor 30 active volcanoes of Kamchatka and 6 active volcanoes of Northern Kuriles. Not all of these volcanoes had eruptions in historical time, however they are potentially active and therefore are of concern to aviation.

SUMMARY OF AVIATION COLOR CODES:

KAMCHATKA
Real-time seismic data (from the Kamchatkan Branch of Geophysical Survey RAS: www.emsd.ru):
SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY: ORANGE
KIZIMEN, 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


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.

Explosive activity of the volcano continues. According to seismic data, possible ash plume rose up to 31,200 ft (9.5 km) a.s.l. on May 19. Visual observation showed ash plumes rose up to 26,240-29,500 ft (8-9 km) a.s.l. on May 20. According to visual and satellite data, a viscous lava flow continues to effuse into the explosive crater of 2010 eruption, an incandesce of the lava dome and strong and moderate fumarolic activity accompanies the lava flow effusion. Ash plumes extended 254 mi (410 km) to the south-west of the volcano on May 20; a thermal anomaly was noting over the lava dome all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Sheveluch

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 7,200 ft (2.2 km) a.s.l. on May 17 and 19. Satellite data show a thermal anomaly over the volcano on May 17-18, 20, 22 and 24.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krm/index.html

KIZIMEN VOLCANO (1000-23)
55°08'N, 160°19'E; Elevation 8,151 ft (2,485 m)
AVIATION COLOR CODE IS YELLOW

Moderate activity of the volcano continues. Aerosolic and sometimes ash plumes could affect low-flying aircraft.

Probably the eruption of the volcano is gradually finishing. Video data and satellite imagery showed that the lava flow continues to effusing on the eastern volcanic flank. Incandesce of the volcano summit, hot avalanches and gas-steam activity accompany the lava flow effusion. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano all week.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Kizimen

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 was low last week. A viscous lava flow continues to effuse on the southern lava dome slope - strong and moderate gas-steam activity of the volcano accompanies this process. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on May 17, 20, 22 and 24.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Bezymianny

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.

Moderate seismic activity of the volcano continues. According to visual data, a gas-steam activity of the volcano was noting on May 17 and 21-23. Satellite data showed a thermal anomaly over the volcano on May 22.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Gorely


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

Tel. Duty Scientist: 8-962-282-52-53

In Russia, KVERT, on behalf of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (IVS) FED RAS, is responsible for providing information on volcanic activity to international air navigation services for the airspace users.

KVERT scientists was available in the office from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM (KST) 7 days in week and by phone during the evenings since 2005. KVERT analyses daily satellite imagery (since 2002 till now); information from remote scientific observation stations; real-time seismic data for 11 Kamchatkan volcanoes (data from the Kamchatkan Branch of Geophysical Survey RAS); and other information to monitor activity at Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanoes.

KVERT web-page (the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FED RAS): http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/index_eng.php
KVERT Information Releases at the web-page of AVO (Alaska Volcano Observatory): http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/avoreport.php?view=kaminfo

Web-cameras for Kamchatkan volcanoes: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/