New lava dome and powerful eruption of Shiveluch, Kamchatka

Another powerful eruption of Kamchatkan Shiveluch volcano occurred late on February 6 (early morning February 7 in Kamchatka). Tokyo VAAC spoted an ash plume drifting at approximately 9 km (27 000 ft) altitude and more than 300 km northwest of the volcano.

Ash plume reached the Sea of Okhots and ash fall was reported in the village Sedanka, more than 200 km away from the volcano

Unfortunately, webcam images do not allow to determine whether this eruption had been caused by an explosion liberating accumulated pressure, or whether a major collapse of the actively growing viscous lava dome had taken place, producing pyroclastic flows and related co-ignimbrite ash plumes. It is possible if not likely that it was the result of a combination of both. (VD)

New lava dome

KVERT reported that during January 24  31, 2014, a newer lava dome continued to extrude onto the NW part of Shiveluch's older lava dome. Lava-dome extrusion was accompanied by hot avalanches, incandescence, and fumarolic activity. A thermal anomaly was detected daily in satellite images, ash plumes rose to altitudes of 7 – 8 km (23 000 – 26 200 ft) a.s.l. on January 23 and drifted north. 

These natural-color Landsat 8 images of Shiveluch were collected one week apart, on January 24 (top) and January 31, 2014 (lower). The two images show ash and pyroclastic flow deposits accumulating on the Russian volcano’s slopes. The pyroclastic flows are generated by collapses on a new lava dome, that is growing on the northwest face of a dome that had recently been the site of most activity.

Image credit: NASA / Landsat 8 – OLI. acquired January 24, 2014.

Image credit: NASA / Landsat 8 – OLI. acquired January 31, 2014.

The Kamchatka Peninsula contains 43 stratovolcanoes, including Shiveluch. Of these, Shiveluch is one of the largest and most active. It has an elevation of 3,283 meters (10,768 feet) (EO).

Featured image: NASA / Landsat 8 – OLI / Earth Observatory