Seismicity was above background levels at Karymsky during 9-16 January, with 150-300 earthquakes recorded. Ash-and-gas plumes may have risen 1.5-3 km above the volcano. According to the Airport Meteorological Center (AMC) in Yelizovo, during the report period a pilot saw an ash plume rise ~5.5 km above the volcano and extend SSW. On 12 January staff of the Kamchatkan Experimental & Methodical Seismological Department (KEMSD) saw an ash plume rise ~2 km above the volcano and explosions that occured every 5-7 minutes. On 10 January ash deposits were seen on the volcano's snow-covered flanks extending SE. Karymsky remained at Concern Color Code Orange.

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.

Sources: Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)