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Report on Kizimen (Russia) — 23 March-29 March 2011


Kizimen

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 23 March-29 March 2011
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2011. Report on Kizimen (Russia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 23 March-29 March 2011. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (23 March-29 March 2011)

Kizimen

Russia

55.131°N, 160.32°E; summit elev. 2334 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


KVERT reported that during 18-25 March seismicity from Kizimen was high, with many shallow volcanic earthquakes and volcanic tremor continuing to be detected. Satellite images showed a large bright thermal anomaly daily on the volcano. Ash and gas-and-steam plumes drifted 313 km N and E during 17 and 19-24 March. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange. Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Tokyo VAAC reported that during 25-29 March ash was detected in satellite imagery.

Geological Summary. Kizimen is an isolated, conical stratovolcano that is morphologically similar to St. Helens prior to its 1980 eruption. The summit consists of overlapping lava domes, and blocky lava flows descend the flanks of the volcano, which is the westernmost of a volcanic chain north of Kronotsky volcano. The 2334-m-high edifice was formed during four eruptive cycles beginning about 12,000 years ago and lasting 2000-3500 years. The largest eruptions took place about 10,000 and 8300-8400 years ago, and three periods of long-term lava dome growth have occurred. The latest eruptive cycle began about 3000 years ago with a large explosion and was followed by intermittent lava dome growth lasting about 1000 years. An explosive eruption about 1100 years ago produced a lateral blast and created a 1.0 x 0.7 km wide crater breached to the NE, inside which a small lava dome (the fourth at Kizimen) has grown. Prior to 2010, only a single explosive eruption, during 1927-28, had been recorded in historical time.

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