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Kamchatkan and Northern Kuriles Volcanic Activity
KVERT INFORMATION RELEASE 04-09
Thursday, January 15, 2009, 22:45 UTC (Friday, January 16, 10:45 KST)
SUMMARY OF LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODES:
KAMCHATKA:
KLYUCHEVSKOY, SHEVELUCH and KARYMSKY:
ORANGE
KORYAKSKY and BEZYMIANNY:
YELLOW
TOLBACHIK PLOSKY, KIZIMEN, AVACHINSKY, MUTNOVSKY and GORELY:
GREEN
NORTHERN KURILES:
CHIKURACHKI, EBEKO and ALAID:
GREEN
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
The lava flow continues to effuse on the southern and northern flanks of the lava dome. Ash explosions up to 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, probably ash plumes up to 7.3 km (23,900 ft) and 6.9 km (22,600 ft) ASL occurred at the volcano on January 09 and 14, respectively; and up to 5.5 km (18,000 ft) ASL in the other days last week. According to visual data, an ash plume rose up to 3.5 km (11,500 ft) ASL on January 09. Strong gas-steam activity was noted on January 08-10 and 12-14. Clouds obscured the volcano in the other days of the week. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was registered over the lava dome all week. Gas-steam plumes extended about 70 km (43 mi) to the south, south-east and north-east from the volcano on January 9-11 and 13.
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
ORANGE
The eruption continues but an activity of the volcano decreased. However a danger for international and low-flying aircraft remains.
Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels all week. Moderate Strombolian activity of the volcano was observed on January 09-10. Gas-steam plumes rose up to 6.8 km (22,300 ft) ASL and extended about 50 km (31 mi) to the southern and eastern directions from the volcano. Probably lava effusion on the north-western flank of the volcano finished. According to satellite data, a big thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano all week but a temperature of anomaly essentially decreased. Gas-steam plumes extended about 70 km (43 mi) to the west from the volcano on January 12.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html
KARYMSKY VOLCANO: 54°03'N, 159°27'E; Elevation 1,486 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
ORANGE
Probably activity of the volcano continues and ash explosions up to 6 km (or 19,700 ft.) ASL are possible. The explosive activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano was above background levels on January 10-14: possibly weak ash-gas explosions occurred at the volcano on these days. An intermittent volcanic tremor was registered on January 13-14. There was not seismic data on January 08-09 by technical reasons. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly was registered over the volcano on January 8-12 and 14-15. Gas-steam plumes extended about 25 km (15.4 mi) to the south-east and north-east on January 08 and 12. Clouds obscured the volcano on the other days of the week.
KORYAKSKY VOLCANO; 53°19'N, 158°43'E; Elevation 3, 456 m
CURRENT LEVEL OF CONCERN COLOR CODE IS
YELLOW
Fumarolic activity of the volcano continues. Possibly activities of the volcano will increase. The activity of the volcano could affect low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano was at background levels all week. According to visual data, strong fumarolic activity was registering on January 08-14: gas-steam plumes rose up to 4.5 km (14,800 ft) ASL and extended to the east, south-west and north-west from the volcano. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 11-14. Gas-steam plumes extended ~40 km (24.8 mi) to the south-east from the volcano on January 08. Ash plumes were not registered on satellite images during the past week.
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.
Strong seismicity of Klyuchevskoy volcano does not allow to detach a seismicity of Bezymianny volcano. A moderate fumarolic activity of the volcano was observed on web-camera all week. According to satellite data, a weak thermal anomaly was registering over the volcano on January 10-14.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dr. Olga Girina, KVERT, IVS FED RAS
E-mail: girina@kscnet.ru
Tel. (41522) 58627
Tatiana Kozhevnikova, 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
