PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, October 18 (Itar-Tass) - The intensity of the Shiveluch volcano eruption in Kamchatka has declined. The height of its ash spews has dropped from 10 km to 3-3.5 km above sea level. The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) has reduced the level of threat the volcano poses to aircraft, assigning to it the orange aviation colour code, according to the agency.
According to KVERT, the volcano eruption continues. Satellites have registered bright thermal anomaly in the active dome area. The process of extrusion of viscous lava continues. The volcano may start spewing ash to a height of 10 km above sea level any time.
The volcano is located 50 km from the Klyuchi settlement. It poses no threat to the local people.
The highest active volcano in Eurasia - Klyuchevskoi (4,750 m), located 30 km from Klyuchi, continues to erupt near Shiveluch. Its activity is not subsiding, head of the Kamchatka Volcano Observatory Yuri Demyanchuk told Itar-Tass from Klyuchi.
“Fire can be seen in the volcanic neck, lava is continuously ejected from the crater to a height of 500 m, volcanic bombs roll down the slopes,” said the scientist. This has caused no panic among the local population, Demyanchuk stressed. “The people are used to such phenomena,” he added, noting that the giant mount currently poses no threat to the settlement.
However, according to KVERT classification, Klyuchevskoi’s level of threat to aircraft remains the highest - it is still given the red aviation colour code. All the services ensuring safety of both the international and local flights in the area of the Kamchatka Peninsula have been warned of the situation. Scientists continuously monitor the volcano.