Shiveluch News

The phase of intense activity at the volcano, characterized by pyroclastic flows, continues.

The instability of the growing lava dome resulted into another block-and-ash flow on 5 November. The pyroclastic density current shed hot avalanche of lava rock fragments in a mixture of turbulent gas and ash racing down the southern slope. Dense black ash plumes separated from the current to estimated height of 4 km.

Update 10/11:

The activity of the volcano remains intense. The active lava dome continues to grow and produce frequent incandescent rock falls to the southeast and southeast, from at least two active areas of the huge dome.
A few days ago, our friend Yuri Demyanchuk from the Kamchatka volcano observatory in Klyuchi town approx. 30 km from the volcano reported that "Shiveluch's activity increased sharply. All day long, debris avalanches and small pyroclastic flows were observed from the volcano. At night, hot avalanches can be observed in the SE and SW directions."
The ongoing eruptive phase also reflects in a near-continuous strong thermal signal captured by the MODIS satellite sensor.
As time passes and the dome continues to grow larger and larger, the risk of a sudden, potentially very large collapse event resulting in massive pyroclastic flows and explosions increases.

Update 12/1:

The extrusive eruption at the volcano continues to be elevated.

A massive block-and-ash flow took place from the volcano's active lava dome on 29 November. The KVERT surveillance cameras observed a dense grey billowing ash plume (so-called phoenix cloud) separating from the pyroclastic density current. The VAAC Tokyo reported the ash column up to 13,000 ft (4,000 m) height. The reason for this flow was the gradual accumulation of unstable lava dome material and its destabilization, resulting in a partial collapse.

It came during the intense phase of the volcano over the past few weeks as the active lava dome continues to grow and produce frequent incandescent rock falls to the southeast and southeast.