Sheveluch is a large stratovolcano, and is the northernmost of the active volanoes on
theKamchatka-peninsula. The volcano has been split into two parts. The northern part
is the most highly with 2,447 m asl, and between that one and the southwestern part, is a
crack nearly 2,000 m deep.
To day the eruptions come from the southwesterly part. Several domes are lying in
the 2.000 m wide crater. Violent eruptions happened in 1854 and 1964.

Tuesday, March 29th, 2005
The height of the dome of Sheveluch volcano in Kamchatka has grown by more than 50 m
during 20 days and keeps increasing, according to FEDRAS. The dome is growing due to the
increased speed of the upcoming new magma substance.

As a result of the eruption, on February 27 the western part of Sheveluch' summit was
completely destroyed. The height of the volcano diminished by more than 200 m.
A powerful more than 20-kilometers-long pyroclastic flow , which destroyed the one-storey
building of the volcanologists' base and the seismic station, went off the giant's slope.

The ash cloud spread to a distance of more than 700 km to the west of the volcano,
having covered the peninsula and the adjacent water area of the Sea of Okhotsk with a strip,
which was wide up to 150 km. The powerful ash deposits on the snow with an area of
310 x 150 km were clearly seen on the photographs from space provided by the AVO.

The nearest neighbor of Shiveluch - Kliuchevskoi volcano - is in the state of high activity.

Friday, March 25th, 2005
As of the 25th of March, the Kamchatka Volcano Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported
that the growth of the Sheveluch lava dome continues. A new lava flow is effusing at the lavadome
The nearest seismic station from the volcano was destroyed by eruption February 28, 2005.

Strong volcanic tremor at nearby Klyuchevskoy volcano makes it difficult to determine
seismicity at Sheveluch from a seismic station at Klyuchi (45 km from the volcano).
According to field visual observation by volcanologists and seismologists, seismic station SVL
(8 km from the lava dome) was covered by pyroclastic flow deposits on February 28, 2005.
New lava flow is effusing at the place of a part of the lava dome which was destroyed on
February 28, 2005. The run-out of pyroclastic flow is about 30 km or 18.6 mi.

Gas-steam activity with small amount of ash was observed continuously. Gas-steam plumes
rose up to 100 - 200 m above the dome (8,500 - 8,900 ft ASL) on March 18 and 22,
and up to 1,000 m above the dome (11,500 ft ASL) on March 23, and extended to the
north-west on March 22-23. According to satellite data from the USA and Russia,
a thermal anomaly at the dome and large thermal anomaly over the pyroclastic flow were
noted all weak except March 19 and 20. On March 21, a gas-steam plume, possibly
containing some amount of ash, extended to the north about 40 km (or 25 mi), and possible
ash deposits were observed on snow. Clouds obscured the volcano at other times.

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005
An eruption by Shiveluch has fully destroyed a camp of vulcanologists and seismic station
Baidarnaya, located eight kilometers from the volcano, according to the Institute of Vulcanology
and Seismology of the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Science(FEDRAS).

After one/fifth of the volcano's crown caved in, a massive pyroclastic stream of lava flowed
down the giant's slope more than 20 kilometers long.

There were no people in the area during the event. Scientists believe that this eruption
of Shiveluch was the second largest since a disastrous eruption of 1964.

Monday, November 8th, 2004
Sheveluch volcano continues to eject ashes to the heights between 1,500 and 4,500 meters.
According to experts from the Kamchatka scientific and methodological seismology research
group, they registered a 3,000-meter-high emission at 11:05 local time on Monday

Poor weather conditions hindered the visual observation of the volcano for the most part of
yesterday. However, according to seismic data, the volcano has already registered at least
5 high-altitude emissions of gas and ashes.

Satellite pictures, provided by the Alaska volcanological observatory, show an 85-km long
ash cloud moving in southeast direction. Seismic stations in the vicinity of the volcano register
ground shocks at the depth of 5 kilometers and intermittent volcanic vibration.
From © 2004 RIA Novosti

May 12th, 2004
Latest:
The eruption produced substantial mudslides, which damaged the bridge over the Bekesh
River and blocked the road between Ust-Kamchatsk and Klyuchi.

The mudslide has covered about 20 kilometers of highway and is five meters thick at certain
points, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday, adding that the weakening volcano continued
erupting. Traffic has been shut off, and road services have begun to clear obstructions.
(From Vladivostok Novosti)
Another source says that the highway is covered in about 1 km length, and that
the mudslide some places are 1 meter high, but this news might be older than that above.

At present (Wednesday morning here in Norway) the weather in Kamchatka
does not permit a good view of Sheveluch.

Mud torrents flowing from the slopes of Volcano Shiveluch have reached the road that links
the district centre of Ust-Kamchatsk with the rest of the region. The road is closed to all
types of transport vehicles. Specialists have gone there to estimate the road situation.
(From Itar-Tass)
Ash clouds from the Shiveluch stretch for more than 300 kilometers and have already
reachedthe Bering Island on Tuesday. Ash continues to rain down in Ust-Kamchatsk.

Photographs from space show a mudflow, consisting of pumice fragments (up to one meter
in diameter), soil and melted snow. The flow is 20 kilometers long and five kilometers wide.

The seismic stations have registered strong volcanic tremors and a series of surface
earthquakes in the area of the active dome. Frequent thermal ejections from the crater
reach heights of up to 1,500 meters.

the volcano is not dangerous for the inhabited areas of Kamchatka, the closest of which is
the town of Klyuchi. The town is located 50 kilometers from Shiveluch.
(From Russian Information Agency Novosti)

May 11th, 2004

Brown ash darkens the snow to the southeast of the Sheveluch Volcano in this color image from
the Terra satellite following another of the volcano’s frequent eruptions.
According to the KVERT, the volcano began an explosive eruption at 13:00 UTC on May 9, 2004,
sending a plume of ash up 8,000 meters (26,400 feet) into the atmosphere.
(http://www.osei.noaa.gov/)
The Shiveluch volcano is dangerously active in Kamchatka according to a local seismological
team reports from Klyuchi, a town close to the volcano. Erupted ash rises to ten kilometers
and even higher, starting 2.30 this morning, local time.

An ash cloud appeared above the volcano, roughly six kilometers high, at daybreak,
sending off a huge trail southeast to cross the horizon. Eruptions closely follow one another.


Seismological stations are gauging powerful tremors and surface quakes in the crater vicinity.
The wind is carrying the ash cloud toward the Ust-Kamchatsk district center, threatening
fallout poisonous to humans and animals.

Shiveluch awoke in January this year after many years' lull. The present is its worst eruption
since then. The volcano hardly will endanger settlements, though roads are badly threatened,
considering many previous occasions on which mud torrents damaged a highway that
connects Klyuchi and Ust-Kamchatsk.
(From Russian Information Agency Novosti)

May 1st, 2004
Ash has been ejected 2,000-5,000 meters into the air from the crater of the Shiveluch.
The most powerful ejection of ash (over 5,000 meters in the air) occurred at 7:24 a.m
local time and was accompanied by an earthquake that lasted five and a half minutes.
Satellite photographs shows clearly an ash trail stretching over 40 kilometers to the
northeast. Seismic stations registered series of earthquakes and volcanic tremors near
the active dome.
(From Russian Information Agency Novosti)

April 27th, 2004
Shiveluch has erupted a 8,000-meter-high pillar of ash. The eruption, which took place
at 7.26 a.m. local time and which was accompanied by an earthquake that lasted
4.5 minutes, produced an ash cloud, which could be seen at a height of about 1,000 m
above the crater for more than an hour, reported the Kamchatka seismological expedition.

A photo from a spacecraft provided by the USA's Alaska-based volcanological
observatory shows a clearly discernible extensive thermal anomaly. Seismological
stations are registering spasmodic volcanic quakes.

Shiveluch (3,283 m high) reactivated after a long calm this January. At the moment,
the volcano is not dangerous for the settlements of the peninsula. Its activity only threatens
the peninsula's transport communications with mudflows.
(From Pravda.RU)

Februar 27th, 2004

January 11th, 2004. Kliuchevskoi also erupting at same time, and Bezymianny few days later.

Shiveluch erupted on January 11, 2004, sending volcanic ash to a height of 1.5 kilometers,
and rock and melted snow down the mountainside. Its last eruption, which lasted for
two years, ended late last year.

There were possibly two ash-gas explosions on February 12 and one on February 16,
sending ash up to 4.0 km (or 13,200 ft) ASL. Two ash plumes rose up to 5 km (or 16,500 ft)
ASL on February 12, and extended >10 km (or >6.0 mi) to the east from the volcano.
Gas-steam plumes rose 3.5-4.5 km (or 11,600-14,900 ft) ASL and extended >10 km
(or >6.0 mi) to the east and west from the dome on February 12 and 14, respectively.

As of the 20th of February, KVERT reported that unrest at the volcano continues.
A lava dome is growing in the active crater. At any time and with little warning, explosions
could produce pyroclastic flows and ash plumes that could rise as high as 7-10 km or
23,000-33,000 ft. ASL, as well as localized ash fall

March, 12th, 2003

In the past few weeks Shiveluch has been extremely active. The seismic stations register
broken volcanic vibration in the cupola area. Gas and ash outbursts over the crater rise
at times to a height of up to 5,000 metres. Descents of fragment avalanches are
registered. The information from satellites shows thermal anomalies.
Mud flows come down off the slopes of the volcano.

According to head of the Ust-Kamchatski district , the thawing of the
snow on the warmed cupola of the volcano had caused a flood of the Bekesh river.
The level of water has come close to the sole bridge linking the banks. If the bridge is
washed down the Ust-Kamchatski district will be left without land communication
between it and the Regional centre for 2-3 months. This, in turn, can become a serious
obstacle to the preparation for the 2003 salmon-catching season.
(See our page about Kamchatka!)
©Pravda

Foto: Courtesy of Dr. Michael F. Sheridan. via SWVRC

16.mai 2001 fra krateret

 
Fra utbruddet 19.mai med 6 minutters mellomrom
 
Til venstre, nærbilde 19.mai, og til høyre utbruddet den 21.mai om morgenen.
Samtlige bilder: Copyright Yury Demyanchuck, Courtesy KEMSD.

more pictures here, (obs - fantastisk natur!)

21.mai 2001

Kamchatka-halvøya til venstre, og gass-og askeskyen
ute over Stillehavet på vei nordøstover.