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Report on Karymsky (Russia) — 4 April-10 April 2007


Karymsky

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 4 April-10 April 2007
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2007. Report on Karymsky (Russia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 4 April-10 April 2007. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (4 April-10 April 2007)

Karymsky

Russia

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Seismic activity at Karymsky was above background levels during 4-10 April, with 100-250 shallow earthquakes occurring daily. Ash plumes may have reached altitudes of 4.5 km (14,800 ft) a.s.l. during the reporting period. Based on satellite imagery and information from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Flight Information Region (FIR), AVO, pilot reports, and KEMSD, the Tokyo VAAC reported that eruption plumes rose to altitudes of 3.4-7.6 km (11,000-25,000 ft) a.s.l. on 5, 9, and 10 April. Plumes drifted SE and E on 9 and 10 April, respectively. A thermal anomaly in the crater was detected on satellite imagery during 4-5 and 7-10 April. The Level of Concern Color Code remained at 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: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)