Explosive activity at Karymsky volcano, ash to 10 km (33 000 feet) a.s.l., Russia
Explosive activity at Karymsky volcano, Kamchatka, Russia intensified on April 28, 2022, with ash emissions rising up to 10 km (33 000 feet) above sea level.
KVERT raised the Aviation Color Code to Red at 03:08 UTC today after satellite data showed explosions sent ash up to 10 km (33 000 feet) a.s.l. at 02:10 UTC, drifting WNW.1
Ash emission ended over the next 2 hours but the cloud 28 x 34 km (17 x 21 miles) in size, at a height of 9 km (29 500 feet) a.s.l., continued moving WNW, KVERT reported at 04:34 UTC and lowered the Aviation Color Code back to Orange.2
At 03:50 UTC, volcanic ash cloud was seen 289 km (179 miles) from the volcano.
Moderate explosive activity at the volcano continues and ash explosions up to 12 km (39 400 feet) a.s.l. could occur at any time, KVERT said. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
A series of violent explosions at the volcano on April 19 ejected ash up to 10 km (33 000 feet) a.s.l. and blanketed the surrounding land in a layer of brown ash.
The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red at 22:04 and lowered back to Orange at 03:44 UTC on April 20.
Geological summary
Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka’s eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5 km (3.1 miles) 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 7 600 – 7 700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the stratovolcano began about 2 000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2 300-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.3
References:
1 VONA/KVERT Information Release, April 28, 2022. KVERT, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS – Issued 20220428/0308Z
2 VONA/KVERT Information Release, April 28, 2022. KVERT, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS – Issued 20220428/0434Z
3 Karymsky – Geological summary – GVP
Featured image: Karymsky volcano, Russia on April 27, 2022. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.