The small 5 x 7.5 km island of Ekarma lies 8.5 km north of Shiashkotan Island along an E-W-trending volcanic chain
extending westward from the central part of the main Kuril Island arc. Ekarma is composed of two overlapping
basaltic-andesite to andesitic volcanoes, the western of which has been historically active. Lava flows radiate 3 km
in all directions from the summit of the younger cone to the sea, forming a lobate shoreline. A lava dome that was
emplaced during the first historical eruption, in 1776-79, forms the peaked, 1170-m-high summit of the island.
The only other historical eruption produced minor explosions in 1980.
Ekarma Information from the Global Volcanism Program

Friday, September 3rd, 2010
On 10 August scientists observed a vigorous steam plume from Ekarma that rose to an altitude of 1.8 km (5,900 ft) a.s.l.
. On 24 August scientists visited Ekarma Island and observed continuous vigorous gas emissions from a new vent located
on the S flank, about 250 m below the summit. The flanks had been blanketed by a layer of fine ash with a thickness
exceeding 5 cm in the vicinity of the vent. Two recent lahar deposits were seen on the S flank.

Based on their observations, SVERT speculated that a small eruption may have occurred between early June and late
July 2010. Ekarma does not have a seismic network; satellite image analysis and infrequent ground observations
are the primary tool for monitoring many of the Kuril Islands volcanoes.
Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT)