ERUPTION OF TWO VOLCANOES IN

KAMCHATKA (RUSSIA) THREATENS PEOPLE AND

AVIATION SAFETY

OCTOBER 22-27, 2010

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

EXPLOSIVE VOLCANOES

Shiveluch and Klychuvsko, two explosive volcanoes located on Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka

Peninsula, emitted lava flows and massive ash clouds into the air in October, forcing flights to divert

and blanketing Ust-Kamchatsky, a small town with ash..

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KAMCHATKA AREA

KAMCHATKA’S VOLCANOES

..

The two erupting volcanoes, which are part of the string of volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean called the "Ring of Fire," began erupting on October 22 and 27, respectively.

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NOTE: It is not clear whether the volcanic activity on Kamchatka is directly related to the eruption of the Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia on October 26th

Kluchevskoy, the largest active volcano in Eurasia at 4,750 m above

sea level, is a part of the Kluchevskaya Kopka group of

volcanoes designated as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Volcano Site.

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KLYCHUVSKO VOLCANO: KAMCHATKA

KLYCHUVSKO VOLCANO: KAMCHATKA

Ash clouds from Kluchevskoy and Shiveluch reached 33,000 feet (10

km) and spread 1,250 km east across the Pacific Ocean,

prompting warnings and rerouting of jet aircraft in the USA, Japan,

and other locations..

SHIVELUCH VOLCANO: KAMCHATKA

VOLCANO HAZARDS

VOLCANO HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)

• VERTICAL PLUME • ASH AND TEPHRA• LATERAL BLAST• PYROCLASTIC FLOWS

KLYCHUVSKO’S AND SHIVELUCH’S ASH CLOUDS

VOLCANO HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)

• LAVA FLOWS• LAHARS• EARTHQUAKES (related to

movement of lava)• “VOLCANIC WINTER”

LATERAL BLAST

VOLCANICERUPTIONS

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS

FLYING DEBRIS

VOLCANIC ASH

LAVA FLOWS

LAHARS

TOXIC GASES

CAUSES OF RISK

CASE HISTORIES

Volcanic ash blanketed the town of Ust-Kamchatsk, located 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Shiveluch

and 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Klyuchevskaya Sopka,

reducing visibility to only a few meters and turning buildings

ghostly white

Public offices, businesses, and schools in Ust-Kamchatsk were closed, but the people were not evacuated after a judgment call

declared that there was not a high health risk.

HAZARDSHAZARDS

ELEMENTS OF RISKELEMENTS OF RISK

EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY LOCATIONLOCATION

RISKRISK

IMPACTS OF ASH IMPACTS OF ASH ON AVIATION ON AVIATION

AND HEALTH AND HEALTH

UNACCEPTABLE RISKUNACCEPTABLE RISK

LAHAR DAMAGELAHAR DAMAGE

LOSS OF LOSS OF FUNCTIONFUNCTION

ECONOMIC LOSS; ECONOMIC LOSS; DEATHSDEATHS

RISKRISK

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR REDUCING RISK

• FORECASTS OF ERUPTIONS

• MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., DEFORMATION, SEISMICITY, GAS EMISSIONS, REMOTE SENSING, WINDS)

• WARNING SYSTEMS

• DATABASES FOR EACH VOLCANO

• COMPUTER MODELS OF VOLCANOES

• RISK MAPS • DISASTER

SCENARIOS• HAZARD

ASSESSMENT • RISK ASSESSMENT