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Report on Karymsky (Russia) — 25 April-1 May 2018


Karymsky

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 25 April-1 May 2018
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2018. Report on Karymsky (Russia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 25 April-1 May 2018. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (25 April-1 May 2018)

Karymsky

Russia

54.049°N, 159.443°E; summit elev. 1513 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


On 26 April KVERT reported that the last explosive event at Karymsky occurred on 27 January, and the last thermal anomaly was detected on 26 March; activity remained at a low level. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Green (the lowest level on a four-color scale). Explosive activity was identified in satellite images beginning at 1825 on 28 April, prompting KVERT to raise the Alert Level to Orange. Ash plumes rose as high as 5.5 km (18,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 150 km NE.

Geological Summary. Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, located immediately south. The caldera enclosing Karymsky formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)