Intermittent explosions occurred at Karymsky during 16-23 May. Seismicity was above background levels, with 150 to 320 shallow events occurring per day during 18-21 May. Seismic data indicated that ash-and-gas explosions reached heights up to 1 km above the crater, and gas blowouts and hot avalanches possibly occurred. On 18 May ash deposits were seen on snow on the volcano's S and SE flanks. Karymsky remained at Concern Color Code Yellow.

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)