******************************************************************* From: Shellie Rose <srr13@xxxxxxxx> ******************************************************************* The ASTER spaceborne instrument continues to provide data of the ongoing thermal activity of Klyuchevskoy and Bezymianny volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula of eastern Russia. Klyuchevskoy and Bezymianny are ~10 km apart and ~30 km southwest of the town of Klyuchi. Each volcano is showing signs of volcanic unrest. The current activity was detected by the ASTER instrument as part of its rapid response program for the Northern Pacific region on 26 July 2008. ASTER recently acquired night time (local time) data on 26 August 2008, which included 90m/pixel thermal infrared (TIR) data of both volcanoes. Klyuchevskoy The ASTER TIR data showed a slight increase in thermal activity on the summit of Klyuchevskoy in addition to previously documented linear thermal features emanating down slope from the summit on the northern and southeastern flanks. The sizable summit thermal anomaly 10 degrees or more above the average background temperature (-6.7 C) continues to occupy 7 TIR pixels, whereas the maximum temperature of the associated linear thermal features is 2.8 C. The maximum temperature of 78.8 C is located within the summit crater and is approximately 20 C warmer than the previously reported maximum temperature one month prior (58.6 C). These temperatures indicate either intense fumarolic activity or possibly lava within the crater. The linear thermal features are up to 180 m wide and up to 3 km in length. They are located in the Krestovsky channel on the NW flank, the north flank, as well as on the SE flank - in the same location as lava flows observed during the effusive phase of the 2007 eruption. Their temperatures are only ~8 C above the average background. A decorrelation stretch of TIR bands 14, 13, 11 indicate that these channels are either associated with the still-cooling lava flows from last year or may be channeling melt-water or possibly lahars down slope. ASTER data collected since the end of July show increasing thermal output and may indicate the potential for a new eruption at Klyuchevskoy. Bezymianny According to KVERT and AVO, an explosive eruption occurred at Bezymianny Volcano on 19 August at ~ 10:30 UTC. A clear linear thermal anomaly was observed at the lava dome, oriented to the southeast. The maximum temperature recorded was 51.6 C (52 C above background). This likely corresponds to a short (1.3 km) lava lobe that is being emplaced within a pre-existing channel. Further to the southeast, a significant thermal anomaly was observed with temperatures reaching 21 C within the center of the anomaly. As in past similar style eruptions at this volcano, this anomaly is likely a warm pyroclastic flow (PF) that traveled ~ 4.8 km from the summit. In total, both thermal anomalies occupy an area of 1.06 km2. Active monitoring of both volcanoes by the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), as well as with ASTER by the University of Pittsburgh will continue with a daytime overpass scheduled for 3 September. The latest image can be seen here: http://http://ivis.eps.pitt.edu/data/Kamchatka/26Aug2008_Klyuch-tir.pdf Shellie Rose Adam Carter Michael Ramsey University of Pittsburgh Department of Geology and Planetary Science ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
