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Report on Karymsky (Russia) — 13 April-19 April 2022


Karymsky

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 April-19 April 2022
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2022. Report on Karymsky (Russia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 April-19 April 2022. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (13 April-19 April 2022)

Karymsky

Russia

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Karymsky was visible in satellite images on 9 and 11-12 April; the volcano was quiet or obscured by clouds on the other days during 8-15 April. Explosions produced ash plumes that rose to 6 km (19,700 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SSW, based on satellite data acquired at 0810 on 20 April, local time. Explosions continued and within an hour produced larger ash plumes that rose 9.8-10 km (32,100-32,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifted almost 30 km NE. KVERT raised the Aviation Color Code to Red (the highest level on a four-color scale). Dates are based on UTC times; specific events are in local time where noted.

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)