It appears that a major eruption is underway at the Shiveluch volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula. Here is the location from Google Earth:
Here is a recent photo (August 27th) showing it building a lava dome in the crater. There is speculation on some blogs that the dome has collapsed and has been blown out.
Here is part of the KVERT release:
Strong explosive eruption of Sheveluch volcano with ash explosions >10 km (>32,800 ft) ASL probably continues. The activity of the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft.
Additional photos are available here at the Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team (KVERT) website.
From the excellent Volcansim Blog
Reports from Russia indicate that a large eruption of Shiveluch began yesterday. A bulletin from the Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team (KVERT), issued at 22:35 UTC on 10 September warns that ‘Ash explosions > 10 km (>32,800 ft) ASL from the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft’. According to the bulletin, ’strong explosions’ occurred between around 14:19 and 14:55 UTC on 10 September, with seismic data indicating ash plumes reaching 15000 metres above sea level; if ash plumes are indeed reaching 10-15 km altitude, then this is a sizeable event. The bulletin reports that according to seismic data ‘10 volcanic events (ash explosions and hot avalanches or pyroclastic flows) occurred at the lava dome from 16:33 till 20:25 UTC on September 10′. Whether the activity is still continuing is not clear, and there are no visual or satellite images of this event because of cloud cover.
Tokyo VAAC issued a volcanic ash advisory at 04:40 UTC today reporting emissions at FL210 (21000 feet / 6400 metres) at 02:16 UTC, but giving no subsequent eruption cloud observations. No further advisories have been issued, so perhaps things have calmed down again at Shiveluch.
The Russian press gives no additional information on this eruption, but reports that KVERT volcanologists have said that there is no danger to local inhabitants from this burst of activity.
More info:
KVERT: information releases – current activity summary for Kamchatka volcanoes
Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team – KVERT information page from the AVO
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Like I said on the EL Nino thread-this isn’t good….
Shiveluch will send an ash plume across the US to Japan flight tracks, which run along the Aleutians and south off Kamchatka. Flight altitudes are usually well above the reported 21000 ft , up in the upper 30 to 40 thousand ft range. Eastbound flights take a far more southerly route to take advantage of tailwinds.
That volcano has been threatening to erupt for weeks. More cool weather for the northern hemisphere this winter.
related post, see:
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-blog/major_eruptions_continue_at_mt_redoubt1/
Joe D’Aleo over at ICECAP makes the observation that high latitude eruptions correlate with high latitude winter blocking patterns = cold winter in Lakes / East. The post above relates to Mt Redoubt, in Alaska, which erupted earlier this year. Couple this with a fading El nino (see my post on el nino & what Joe Bastardi at Accuwx thinks is coming ) + stong analogs to 1976-77 winter & we may have the makings of a memorable winter back east.
OT – currently 47 deg & raining at my house just outside Denver – 1st fire in the fireplace for the season going!
Status Update: From Red to Yellow
http://volcanism.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/shiveluch-quieter-but-activity-continues/
This is very bad news, now the Manniacs will claim the cooling in the next decade is due to this volcano; they will use the temperature drop to refine their calculations and promise us 15 degrees of heat if we don’t hand over all our money.
It is what it is. Can anyone quantify the likely impact this specific event will cause on climate/weather. This isn’t the only active volcano in the northern hemisphere and certainly not a record breaker in size and volume of emissions. However, there will be likely impacts – how much??
Something is up Ron de Haan ….
4.7 2009/09/13 00:13:25 46.789 142.356 55.5 SAKHALIN, RUSSIA
According to: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php
REPLY: That’s over 1000 miles away from Shiveluch, not likely relevant in any way. – Anthony
This has been fascinating to watch this summer. A good portion of Kamchatka has been smoking since April.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/index_eng.php
There’s one panoramic on the Koryaksky page that shows it and Avachinsky going at the same time. Beautiful pictures!
I should say that I’ve been watching them since April. They all started before that. 🙂
Just great, more cooling. It has been cold enough this summer… I personally LIKE warm!
Nothing compared to the urban smog that existed in the 18th-19th century. Now that really blocked sunlight!
Seems like a recurrent theme, my flight from China in 2007 was diverted because of two volcanos in Kamchatka.
I find this mildly amusing:
Genius. Who would have thought to use a seismograph to measure ash plume altitude!
Sorry Anthony, the small map looked like the same area to my red allergy inflamed eyes.
Jeff L., as you probably already know that Denver weather this time of year starts to change very quickly! I was stationed there in “71”. On Sept. 15 we had 15 inches of snow in Denver and 2 feet in the Mountains. Everything from grass to broadleaf trees and flowers were still around. In three days, it was all gone in Denver but the place looked like high wind damage all over because everything was still green…Tree limbs broken all over the place!
And so it begins.
We were stationed at Fitzsimons Hopsital that year. I’ll never forget the sound of those tree limbs cracking and crashing throughout the night.
The hail storms were also impressive.
Oops.
Meant to direct my above comment to Denny (19:35:42)
Cathy:
We were stationed at Fitzsimons Hopsital that year. I’ll never forget the sound of those tree limbs cracking and crashing throughout the night.
The hail storms were also impressive.
Ah, Fitzsimons… my mom was stationed at Fitz, my aunt lived near there for years and an uncle died there. I’m glad to see the real estate repurposed for medical science and not just more houses. My nephew was recently treated at the brand new Denver Children’s Hospital on the Fitz grounds.
We’ve lived through a few bad ice storms here in KS and the rifle-crack sound of the tree limbs breaking during the night in the timber around our house is scary and unforgettable.
Volcanos spewing climate-change gases into the atmosphere? Without the proper carbon credit documentation? Get Barack Obama and Gordon Brown to give it a Good Talking To at once!
UK Guardian: Scientists are to outline dramatic evidence that global warming threatens the planet in a new and unexpected way – by triggering earthquakes, tsunamis, avalanches and volcanic eruptions.
You see? This volcano was caused by AGW. They now have almost all bases covered. They are still working on how to connect an asteroid impact but I am sure they are close. Just a few more adjustments to their models and….
I Wonder if it will have any effect on the Arctic ice?
Pesky nature trying to pit its puny might against the almighty humans, who we all know control the global climate. In New Zealand we have have opted to fine tune the Global Thermostat by cap n trade. So AGW proponents never fear. The ice maybe low today – but in a few years, thanks to our measures, it will be back to freezing normal again.
Ron de Haan (17:42:49) : Status Update: From Red to Yellow
The status has reduced from Red to Orange not Yellow. See here
“Seismic activity of the volcano decreased: only three explosive events occurred from 02:15 till 15:46 UTC on September 11. According to an interpretation of seismic signals, ash plumes rose up to 4.5-6.5 km (14,800-21,300 ft) ASL. No visual data about this events – the volcano obscures by clouds…
Activity of the volcano continues: a new viscous lava flow effuses at the lava dome. Ash explosions > 10 km (> 32,800 ft) ASL could occur at any time…”
Frugal Dougal, gtrip
The trouble is that some people just don’t get it, even though it is very simple.
It is all about Cause and Effect.
If you believe in The Cause, then any effect can be argued in support.