Shiveluch: seven-kilometre emission reported 24 March 2010
Posted by admin in activity reports, Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch.Tags: Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch, volcanic activity reports
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Reports from Russia say that the Kamchatkan volcano Shiveluch has produced an ash emission to an estimated altitude (based on seismic data) of 7 km. KVERT reports that the ash plume was associated with a ‘shallow seismic event’ lasting four minutes. No ashfall on nearby settlements has been reported, and KVERT says that this event poses no danger to local communities.
No volcanic ash advisory has been issued by Tokyo VAAC for this event.
[Thanks to A.S. for providing a précis of the Russian news articles below.]
News
Kamchatkan volcano belches out ash to 7 km above sea level – ITAR-TASS, 24 March 2010
Вулкан Шивелуч выбросил столб пепла на высоту до 7 км – Vesti.ru, 24 March 2010
Камчатский вулкан Шивелуч снова выбросил столб пепла – Pravda, 24 March 2010
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Shiveluch – summary information for Shiveluch (1000-27=)
KVERT: Sheveluch volcano – KVERT (Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team) profile for Shiveluch
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Activity – includes AVO reports on Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
Simultaneous Kamchatka volcanic eruptions at the NASA Earth Observatory 19 February 2010
Posted by admin in Bezymianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia.Tags: Bezmianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia
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The NASA Earth Observatory is currently showcasing a stunning image – two volcanoes erupting simultaneously on the far-eastern Russian peninsula of Kamchatka. The two are Bezmianny (bottom) and Kliuchevskoi (top). This false-colour image was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite on 13 February 2010.
Volcanoes erupt simultaneously on Kamchatka – NASA Earth Observatory, 18 February 2010
KVERT returns to full service (until 30 April 2010) 5 February 2010
Posted by admin in Kamchatka, Russia, volcano monitoring.Tags: Kamchatka, KVERT, Russia, volcano monitoring
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It seems that a deal has been struck in Russia to keep the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) fully functioning, at least for the next few months. The following statement was released by KVERT via the VOLCANO discussion list:
Scientists of KVERT Project return to the full KVERT operations (the information ensuring of air services for the results of daily analysis and evaluation of activity of Kamchatka and Northern Kuriles volcanoes) and will discharge these obligations for 01 February – 30 April 2010.
An announcement on the KVERT updates page explains that ‘a temporary funding agreement’ has been reached ‘and the KVERT Project has returned to full operations … The temporary agreement will fund the KVERT Project until 30 April 2010’.
This is good news in the short term, but KVERT needs to be put on a permanent, stable footing if it is to do its vital job effectively.
KVERT to cease operations as Russian government cuts funding 27 January 2010
Posted by admin in Kamchatka, Russia.Tags: Kamchatka, Russia, volcano monitoring
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The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) monitors the highly active volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian far east. Many international air routes pass through airspace potentially affected by volcanic eruptions on Kamchatka, and there is a very high risk of flight disruption, and even of accidents and loss of life, if volcanic activity in this region is not properly monitored.
But the Russian government does not care about that. The following announcement came through this evening via the VOLCANO mailing list:
Due to a loss of government funding beginning February 01, 2010, KVERT will no longer
distribute information regarding volcanic activity in Kamchatka and the Northern Kuriles.
Specifically, the following KVERT services are suspended:
– Assignment of Aviation Color Codes;
– Sending:
– email operational messages from IVS FED RAS and KB GS RAS;
– daily activity report in English from KB GS RAS (table format);
– KVERT Information Releases about current activity and forecasts activity of
volcanoes of Kamchatka and Northern Kuriles from IVS FED RAS
to all users including Tokyo VAAC, Anchorage VAAC, and Washington VAAC, and airlines
In addition, KVERT will no longer maintain its public web site with volcano information.
Access to the following information will cease:
– KVERT information releases
– Volcanic danger prognosis for aviation for next week (in Russian)
– Current Activity of the Volcanoes
– MODIS and NOAA satellite images
– Weekly information on current eruptions on the IVS website
This is dreadful, shameful news. The Kamchatka volcanoes cannot be left unmonitored: either the Russian government must be pressured to reconsider (and Moscow does not normally respond very well to such external pressure) or some kind of international arrangement will have to be made through which either KVERT funding can be continued or another country will have to step in, if that is possible.
UPDATE. This has happened before. Funding for KVERT was last cut in 2007: an AVO news release from March 2007 can be found here. KVERT was offline from 1 March to 9 April that year. Funding also broke down for KVERT in 1994.
ANOTHER UPDATE. Dr Erik Klemetti weighs in at Eruptions, with all the detail about why this is such a bad idea: Russia nixes Kamchatka and Kuril Island volcano monitoring.
Eruption at Bezymianny 17 December 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Bezymianny, eruptions, Kamchatka, Russia.Tags: Bezymianny, Kamchatka, Russia, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Bezymianny volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula is reported by KVERT to have erupted at 21:45 UTC on 16 December:
According to seismic data, an explosive eruption of the volcano began at 21: 45 UTC on December 16. Ash explosions > 10.0 km (>32,800 ft)ASL could occur at any time. The activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
Seismic activity of the volcano began to increase from December 08, but a size of thermal anomaly – from December 16. At 17:07 UTC on December 16, a size of the thermal anomaly was 6 pixels and the temperature was +19.4 with -23 of background. No visual and video data – the volcano obscured by clouds. But possibly ash fall began occur at Kozyrevsk village from 22:25 UTC on December 16
Tokyo VAAC issued an ash advisory at 22:51 UTC reporting ash at FL320 (32,000 feet or 9750 metres). No further information as yet, and as the KVERT bulletin indicates the Bezymianny webcam is currently showing only a blank cloudy sky.
UPDATE. A further ash advisory from Tokyo, issued 23:41 UTC, reports ash up to FL350 (35,000 feet or 10,600 metres).
[Thanks go to Chance Metz.]
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Bezymianny – summary information for Bezymianny (1000-25=)
Bezymianny volcano – information from KVERT
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Activity – includes AVO reports on Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
NASA Earth Observatory: activity at Shiveluch 6 October 2009
Posted by admin in Kamchatka, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia, Shiveluch.Tags: Kamchatka, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia, Shiveluch
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The NASA Earth Observatory have published a new image of Shiveluch volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, captured on 3 October 2009 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. The image shows a diffuse plume dispersing to the south-east. To the south-west of Shiveluch lies Kliuchevskoi volcano, which has also been active lately, although at the time this picture was taken it seems to have been going through a quiet interlude.
Activity at Shiveluch Volcano – NASA Earth Observatory (6 October 2009)
[NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center.]
Increased activity at Kliuchevskoi 6 October 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, Russia.Tags: Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, Russia, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Is restless Kliuchevskoi volcano in Kamchatka heading for a larger eruption? News reports from Russia indicate an increase in activity, although the recent bulletins page from the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) has yet to catch up. Both KVERT and AVO indicate the current alert level for Kliuchevskoi remains at Yellow.
Russian network CNews reports ‘bombs of many tonnes being thrown to a height of 70 metres’ and 124 seismic events being recorded over the past 24 hours, ‘with continuous spasmodic tremor’, while RIA-Novosti (in Russian) describes ‘Kliuchevskoi erupting hot magma to heights of 100 metres above the crater at 1.6 minute intervals’, and quotes a Russian volcanologist reporting the crater ‘filled with magma’ which will ‘begin to flow down the volcano’s slopes’. Pravda reports that the volcano is ‘continually shaking’ and erupting an ash plume to an altitude of ‘several kilometres’.
Tokyo VAAC currently has no volcanic ash advisories for Kliuchevskoi, but the volcano has great potential for disrupting aviation so if this eruption does increase in magnitude we can expect ash warnings and aircraft diversions.
[Thanks to A.S. for her translations from the Russian.]
News
Russian volcano’s eruptions intensifying – UPI, 5 October 2009
Eurasia tallest volcano spews hot magma to 100 meters – RIA-Novosti, 5 October 2009
Вулкан-исполин Ключевской на Камчатке извергает магму на сотню метров – RIA-Novosti, 4 October 2009
На Камчатке извергается вулкан Ключевской – CNews, 5 October 2009
На Камчатке активно извергается вулкан – Pravda, 5 October 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Kliuchevskoi – summary information for Kliuchevskoi (1000-26=)
Current Activity of Klyuchevskoy Volcano – KVERT information page for Kliuchevskoi (many images)
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Activity – includes AVO reports on Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
Shiveluch quieter, but activity continues 12 September 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch.Tags: Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch, volcanic activity reports
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Kamchatkan volcano Shiveluch has calmed down again after its latest burst of activity on 10-11 September. The Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team (KVERT) have lowered the alert status from red to orange, and the latest volcanic ash advisory from Tokyo reports no emissions. However, the most recent KVERT bulletin, issued at 21:50 UTC on 11 September (archived here), makes it clear that activity at the volcano continues:
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.
Seismic activity of the volcano decreased: only three explosive events occurred from 02:15 till 15:46 UTC on September 11. According to an interpretation of seismic signals, ash plumes rose up to 4.5-6.5 km (14,800-21,300 ft) ASL. No visual data about this events – the volcano obscures by clouds. According to satellite data, a thermal anomaly over the lava dome was registering on September 10-11.
The precise nature of this recent activity is unclear, but the reference to a ‘new viscous lava flow’ and the large explosions and ash plumes and reports of pyroclastic flows and ‘hot avalanches’ suggest a (partial?) dome collapse event. Until the weather clears and some visual data comes in (the Shiveluch webcam currently shows nothing but cloud) it’s impossible to be sure – and in any case, this phase of activity may not yet be over. Shiveluch is unusually active even for Kamchatka.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Shiveluch – summary information for Shiveluch (1000-27=)
KVERT: Sheveluch volcano – KVERT (Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team) profile for Shiveluch
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Activity – includes AVO reports on Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
Shiveluch erupts 11 September 2009
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch.Tags: Kamchatka, Russia, Shiveluch, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Reports from Russia indicate that a large eruption of Shiveluch began yesterday. A bulletin from the Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team (KVERT), issued at 22:35 UTC on 10 September warns that ‘Ash explosions > 10 km (>32,800 ft) ASL from the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft’. According to the bulletin, ‘strong explosions’ occurred between around 14:19 and 14:55 UTC on 10 September, with seismic data indicating ash plumes reaching 15000 metres above sea level; if ash plumes are indeed reaching 10-15 km altitude, then this is a sizeable event. The bulletin reports that according to seismic data ’10 volcanic events (ash explosions and hot avalanches or pyroclastic flows) occurred at the lava dome from 16:33 till 20:25 UTC on September 10′. Whether the activity is still continuing is not clear, and there are no visual or satellite images of this event because of cloud cover.
Tokyo VAAC issued a volcanic ash advisory at 04:40 UTC today reporting emissions at FL210 (21000 feet / 6400 metres) at 02:16 UTC, but giving no subsequent eruption cloud observations. No further advisories have been issued, so perhaps things have calmed down again at Shiveluch.
The Russian press gives no additional information on this eruption, but reports that KVERT volcanologists have said that there is no danger to local inhabitants from this burst of activity.
[Thanks to A.S. for providing a précis of the Russian news reports below.]
News
На камчатском вулкане Шивелуч произошло сильное извержение – Interfax, 11 September 2009
На Камчатке «проснулся» вулкан Шивелуч – rusnovosti.ru, 11 September 2009
На Камчатке зафиксирован всплеск активности вулкана – vesti.ru, 11 September 2009
Камчатский вулкан Шивелуч выбрасывает пепел на высоту 5 километров – RIA Novosti, 11 September 2009
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Shiveluch – summary information for Shiveluch (1000-27=)
KVERT: Sheveluch volcano – KVERT (Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team) profile for Shiveluch
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Alaska Volcano Observatory – Activity – includes AVO reports on Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
Koryaksky at the NASA Earth Observatory 27 August 2009
Posted by admin in Kamchatka, Koryaksky, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia, volcanoes.Tags: Kamchatka, Koryaksky, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia
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Russian volcano Koryaksky on the Kamchatka peninsula has been active recently, along with quite a few of its fellow Kamchatkan volcanoes. Earlier today NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead and its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured Koryaksky volcano producing a diffuse white plume which blows away to the east. The resulting image can be found at the NASA Earth Observatory.
The city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (population 200,000) is overlooked by Koryaksky and Avachinsky volcanoes, both highly active – the image above shows clearly just how close Koryaksky is to the city. Koryaksky has been designated a Decade Volcano jointly with Avachinsky because of its history of explosive eruptions and its proximity to populated areas.
Activity at Koryaksky volcano – NASA Earth Observatory (27 August 2009)
[Thanks to the Earth Observatory team for crediting this blog as a source of information in their post.]
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Koryaksky – information about Koryaksky (1000-09=)
KVERT: current volcanic activity – current activity for the Kamchatkan volcanoes (English)
Current activity of Koryaksky volcano – current status of Koryaksky and many images (Russian and English)
The Volcanism Blog 