Russian’s Karymsky volcano is one of the most active volcanoes on the mountainous, volcano-studded peninsula of Kamchatka.

Moderate gas-steam activity continued at Karymsky in mid- to late-April, 2020. On April 21, the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program reported that a minor amount of ash was present in the volcano’s gas-and-steam plumes and trace ash deposits were visible on the surrounding snow. Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reported that on April 18 an ash plume rose to 1.5 km (5,000 feet) above sea level. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale) on April 19.

The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) warned that explosions up to 10,000- 13,100 ft (3-4 km) a.s.l. could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect low-flying aircraft.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of snow-covered Kamchatka on April 18. A bright red “hot spot” marks a thermal anomaly, which is where the thermal bands on the instrument detected high temperatures. Located at Karymsky, this hot spot indicates volcanic activity. A gray steam-and-gas plume loaded with volcanic ash can be seen tracking to the northeast from Karymsky.

Image Facts

Satellite: Terra

Date Acquired: 4/18/2020

Resolutions: , ,

Bands Used: 1,4,3

Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC