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Images of the Day: Kamchatka Volcanoes

Lava flows from the dome of Sheveluch volcano in this night time photo taken on September 15, 2009. Photo by Yu. Demyanchuk. Click on the image to see other photos. Sheveluch is the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka.

Strombolian activity of Klyuchevskoy volcano on September 18. Photo by Yu. Demyanchuk. Klyuchevskoy is the highest mountain on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

Fumarolic activity of Bezymianny volcano on September 03, 2009.  Photo by Yu. Demyanchuk. Considered to be extinct before its 1955 eruption,  Bezymianny  means “nameless” in Russian.

Karymsky volcano on August 18, 2009. Photo by S. Chirkov. Karymsky is the most active volcano of Kamchatka’s eastern volcanic zone.

Images may be subject to copyright. See KVERT for details.

Related Links:

• Earthquakes [Main Index page]
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links

Volcano Watch: 17 February 2009

Volcanic Activity Report: 11 February – 17 February 2009

Source: SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

New activity/unrest:

• Asama, Honshu
• Ebeko, Paramushir Island
• Galeras, Colombia
• Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska

Volcano of the Week: Ebeko

Country:    Russia
Region   :    Kuril Islands

Volcano Type:     Somma volcano
Last Known Eruption:     2005
Summit Elevation:   1,156 m     (3,793 feet)
Latitude:     50.68°N     (50°41’0″N)
Longitude:     156.02°E    (156°1’0″)

An ash-bearing eruption column rises above the North crater of Ebeko volcano on September 9, 1989. An explosive eruption that began on February 2, 1989 continued until April 1990. Three summit craters located along a SSW-NNE line form Ebeko volcano proper, which occupies the northern end of a complex of five volcanic cones at the northern end of Paramushir Island. Historical activity, recorded since the late-18th century, has been restricted to small-to-moderate explosive eruptions from the summit craters. Photo courtesy of Kamchatka Volcanic Eruptions Response Team, 1989. Caption: GVP

The Tokyo VAAC reported an ash plume which drifted NE from Ebeko at an altitude of 0.6 km. Another ash plume was detected drifting SW at an altitude of 1.2 km ft.

Geologic Summary. The flat-topped summit of the central cone of Ebeko volcano, one of the most active in the Kuril Islands, occupies the northern end of Paramushir Island. Three summit craters located along a SSW-NNE line form Ebeko volcano proper, at the northern end of a complex of five volcanic cones. The eastern part of the southern crater of Ebeko contains strong solfataras and a large boiling spring. The central crater of Ebeko is filled by a lake about 20 m deep whose shores are lined with steaming solfataras; the northern crater lies across a narrow, low barrier from the central crater and contains a small, cold crescentic lake. Historical activity, recorded since the late-18th century, has been restricted to small-to-moderate explosive eruptions from the summit craters. Intense fumarolic activity occurs in the summit craters of Ebeko, on the outer flanks of the cone, and in lateral explosion craters. GVP

Ongoing Activity:

• Arenal, Costa Rica
• Dukono, Halmahera
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii
• Popocatépetl, México
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu
• Santa María, Guatemala
• Shishaldin, Fox Islands
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
• Tungurahua, Ecuador
• Ubinas, Perú

Alaska’s Redoubt May Be About to Erupt

Redoubt Activity – Color Code ORANGE : Alert Level WATCH

AVO Report on 2009-01-31  at 22:41:24 [Local Time]

Seismicity remained above background. No new episodes of tremor have been detected in the last two hours.

Oblique photo of Redoubt Volcano taken during an observation flight. Fumarolic activity on the north side of the volcano is associated with the most recent unrest at Redoubt Volcano. View from the south. Picture Date: January 30, 2009 AKST – Image Creator:  Kristi Wallace – Image courtesy of AVO/USGS

Observers from the gas/observation flight today report continued melting at the summit area. Holes in the ice continue to grow exposing more steaming rock. Volcanic gases continue to be detected. Web camera views are currently dark. EoR

A rapidly growing fumarole

Geologists detected a hole in the glacier covering the north side of the Mount Redoubt volcano on Friday. The hole doubled in size within hours, currently estimated at about several acres in size.

Location of Redoubt volcano, in relationship to surrounding towns, roads, and other volcanoes. Picture Date: September 26, 2008 – Image Creator:  Janet Schaefer. Image courtesy of the AVO/ADGGS.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory researchers flew close to Drift Glacier and observed  vigorous steam emitted from the hole.  They confirmed Saturday the hole was a fumarole which was rapidly growing larger.

Based on the report, an eruption could occur. Redoubt last erupted in 1990.

AVO has  been recording minor quakes, however,  the frequency of these quakes are lower than the seismic activity that  preceded the last two eruptions in 1989 and 1990.

“We’re looking for an increase of seismicity to match the precursor activity, [however,]  we haven’t seen that yet.” AVO research geologist Kristi Wallace said.

[Note: A fumarole  is an opening in Earth’s  crust, usually near volcanoes, which emits steam and gases including carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid.]

FEWW Forecast: An area within approximately 300-km radius of Anchorage would be one of the seismic zones in Alaska to experience continued intense seismic activity this year possibly including a magnitude MW 7.9 or larger quake close to Anchorage  (south of the city, north of Rugged Island).

Related Links:

• Alaska Volcano Observatory: Redoubt
• Volcanoes [Links page]
• Magnitude MW 5.7 Quake Hits Southern Alaska