Kamchatkan Volcanoes

[dgavin]

Gorely volcano last week had a new vent open up on the wall of it's crater, but wihtout an increase in Siesmic activity. The vent opened up on the 17th of June and has been emitting gasses and steam with a temperature of 800-900 celcius.

KVert has upgraded the volcano from status Green to Yellow, and has since stated they expect it to erupt eventually.

Images from Gorey. http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/grl/index.html

[CJSF]

Did you mean "Kamchatkan Volcanoes" and did you mean "17th of June"?

CJSF

[dgavin]

KVERT has increased the likelyhood of a Mt. Gorley eruption in thier latest informational release. However they also said they are out of funding again, and will be forced to close down July 1st....so it's a bit uncertain about how up to date I'll be able to keep people on this volcano.

Bleh!

[BigDon]

From the link:

A griffon in the southern part of the lake into active crater of Gorely volcano on July 28, 2008. Photo by D. Melnikov.

What, in vulcanology, is a griffon exactly?

[jlhredshift]

From the link:

A griffon in the southern part of the lake into active crater of Gorely volcano on July 28, 2008. Photo by D. Melnikov.

What, in vulcanology, is a griffon exactly?

Somewhere, sometime ago, I seem to remember a reference to bubbling water in a lake being referred to as a griffin/ beast and there is the Griffith theory of fractures, but in reality I got nuthin (sic).

So, I would like to know as well.

[HenrikOlsen]

Looking at the picture, it is a lake with what looks like very localized bubbling so that's probably it.

[dgavin]

No news from KVert on Gorley, but they did announce a sixth mountain in Kamchatkan has gone active. Mt. Ebeko at the southern edge has been emitting steam and small amounts of ash. 6 out of 10 of thier major volcanoes active, I'm not certain, but I think that might be a record for volcano activity in a single region.

[geonuc]

Somewhere, sometime ago, I seem to remember a reference to bubbling water in a lake being referred to as a griffin/ beast and there is the Griffith theory of fractures, but in reality I got nuthin (sic).

So, I would like to know as well.

I have several volcano books, including the text from my volcanology class, and none list that word in the index.

[HenrikOlsen]

It may be a Russian specific use of the word грифонов (griffons) to designate such localized bubbling, then it got translated literally.


Do your books mention gryphon for a subtype/feature of mud volcanoes? That's mentioned on Wikipedia.

[jlhredshift]

I have several volcano books, including the text from my volcanology class, and none list that word in the index.

I did the same thing, no references were found.

[geonuc]

It may be a Russian specific use of the word грифонов (griffons) to designate such localized bubbling, then it got translated literally.


Do your books mention gryphon for a subtype/feature of mud volcanoes? That's mentioned on Wikipedia.

No mention of gryphon, either.

[jlhredshift]

From the The Intellectual observer, Volume 8 1866; GOOGLE Books pg 442

The following is a snipet:

years many careful observations have been made but no permanent variations have been brought to light The most recent series of observations with which we are acquainted is that by Dr Scoresby Jackson in August 1 863 described in vol xxiii part iii of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh By Professor Forbes the waters were examined at their source or griffon as it is termed of the spring where the waters issue from the rock They are conducted thence by means of various channels to the different parts of the thermal establishments as douches baths etc and to the buvettes which are the public fountains where persons ordered for their health to drink the waters are supplied At this spot a thermometer placed for a few minutes under the constantly flowing stream records the temperature of the water at the buvettes but not by any means its temperature at the griffon which is often a considerable distance from the buvette As the rock is from time to time explored and the buildings are improved alterations at both sites are occasionally made The constancy of temperature at the buvette is however in general as remarkable as at the griffon of the spring itself In Dr Scoresby Jackson's experiments the temperatures were recorded at both places At whatever point

It seems that it is an archaic term.

[HenrikOlsen]

So basically an archaic term for where the water comes out in a hot spring.

[jlhredshift]

So basically an archaic term for where the water comes out in a hot spring.

Ahh, you read the link. It's interesting how they did things and, of course, how much they did not know and what they thought was important.

[dgavin]

Updates on Gorley and Ebeko.

Local residents have reported explosions of gas/steam at Ebeko since july 2nd, although no large plumes have been detected ob satalite.

Yesterday 8th Mt. Gorley erupted with a gas/steam plume that was visible on satalite's and extended 30km to the south of the volcano.

[dgavin]

Updates on Gorley and Ebeko.

Ebeko is still rumbling but satalite was obsured last week so no way to tell if there have been changes.

Gorley:

Harmonic Tremors now under way and increasing in frequency, currently at 1.8mkm/s. Gas and steam emmisions have increased in size, ranging upwards of 150km from the volcano on satalite images. Thermal anomoly at lake side has been increasing in size and temperature, while the level of the lake iteself has started decreasing. Probility of eruption is high.

[dgavin]

Mt. Gorley /may/ have erupted today.

While there are no updates from AVO/Kvert on this yet, Satellite imagry today is showing a /non-reflective/ cloud (this means more ash then steam) starting at Gorely's location and extending upwards of 400 miles (640km) to the WSW.

[dgavin]

Image from Sat today attached

[dgavin]

Latest updates

Mt. Ebeko: Activity is subsiding and the volcano's status has been downgraded to condition green.

Mt. Gorely: Although still at condition yellow the activity is increasing. A strong non explosive gas/steam/some ash eruption did occur on July 20th and has continued. Average ground and lake temperature in the crater has increased form 29c to 46c over the last week. The level of the lake continues to fall and many new fumerols have formed as well. Eruption of Gorely is imminent!

[dgavin]

Latest Update on Mt. Gorley.

Gas/Steam emission continues and has been basically going since July 20th. The volcanic (harmonic) tremor activity continues, though there is no update on if it's increased or not. The level of the lake is still falling, and the steam/gas vent area starting to show signs of sulfer and other mineral deposits. An eruption here is still very probable.

[BigDon]

Thanks Mr. Gavin.

And for the rest of you for tracking down that gryphon refference. Good job!

[dgavin]

Latest update on Gorely:

Gas/Steam emmisions continue uninterupted. Sciesmic activity (EQ swarms and Harmonic Tremors) are considered at a high level. The thermal readings from the crater are still present, but no new updates on the lake level due to lack of cloud free days for observations by KVERT. An eruption here is still considered very very likely.

[dgavin]

No new updates here, will only post again if something changes.

[dgavin]

Still not much new here, although KVERT mentioned in todays report the moderate sized Steam-Gas emissions are almost continuous now.

[dgavin]

Mt. Klyuchevskoy is erupting.

Ash plumes to 21,000ft (8.5 km) possibly increasing to 10km height. First Eruption was on Oct 22., and then another this morning.

Current Status is Watch(Active); Aviation condition RED, potential impacts to internationall flights in the north pacific regions. (China, Siberia, Alaska, West Canada, NW USA)

[dgavin]

Imagaes available here from KVERT http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/klch/index.html (this site is slow loading)

[dgavin]

Mt. Gorely also has been increasing activity, with steam/gass plumes now reaching 3km height at times on the 21st, and a fresh covering of winter snow. Still at condition yellow, warning status.

[Swift]

Some English language website called "Voice of Russia" with a little information

[dgavin]

Nice, not much more infor then KVERT was releasing though.

I'm just guessing here but from the imagry available it looks to be about a VEI 2 eruption. Not very explosive at all, but emitting a lot of ash and tephra.

[dgavin]

Not much new information available on Mt. Klyuchevskoy yet. An unpublished status brief inidcated that both ground and satelite visual monitoring were obscruted yesterday.

I did some checking and the plume height qualifies it for a VEI catagory of 3. Status is still set to warning(active)/red levels. The webcam station about 5 km from mountain appears to still be broadcasting, but only black images. Assumtion is the lens is ash covered, possibly ash damaged.