Global Volcanism Program

Most Recent Weekly Report: 13 January-19 January 2010 Cite this Report

SVERT reported that a thermal anomaly from Kharimkotan's Severgin cone was detected by satellite on 15 January.

Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT)

Weekly Reports - Index

2010: January

13 January-19 January 2010 Cite this Report

SVERT reported that a thermal anomaly from Kharimkotan's Severgin cone was detected by satellite on 15 January.

Source: Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT)

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Kharimkotan.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Harimkotan | Araumakutan | Harumukotan | Karimkotan | Severgina

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Severgin

Cone

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

290300

1933 CE

1,145 m / 3,757 ft

49.12°N
154.508°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Lava dome

Rock Types

Major
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Dacite
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Intermediate crust (15-25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

2
2
4
22

Geological Summary

The 8 x 12 km island of Kharimkotan (also spelled Harimkotan) in the northern Kuriles consists of a stratovolcano cut by two breached depressions on the east and NW sides. These horseshoe-shaped craters were formed by slope failure, which produced debris-avalanche deposits that form large broad peninsulas on the east and NW coasts. Evidence of additional slope failures followed by plinian eruptions are found in sea cliffs of the island. Historical explosive eruptions have occurred since the early 18th century. A central cone, Severgin, was largely destroyed during the 1933 eruption, one of the largest in the Kuril Islands during historical time. Impact of a debris avalanche into the sea from the collapse of Severgin produced a tsunami that swept the island's coast and reached Onekotan and Paramushir Islands, killing two people. A large lava dome emplaced during the 1933 eruption now fills the head of the eastern crater.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Belousova M, 1996. The 1933 large scale sector failure and accompanying eruption of Harimkotan volcano (Kurile Islands). Pan-Pacific Hazards Conf, Vancouver, Abs.

Gorshkov G S, 1958. Kurile Islands. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 7: 1-99.

Gorshkov G S, 1970. Volcanism and the Upper Mantle; Investigations in the Kurile Island Arc. New York: Plenum Publishing Corp, 385 p.

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Vlasov G M, 1967. Kamchatka, Kuril, and Komandorskiye Islands: geological description. In: Geol of the USSR, Moscow, 31: 1-827.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 6 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1933 Jan 8 - 1933 Apr 14 (in or after) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 5

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1933 Jan 8 - 1933 Apr 14 (in or after)

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 15 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	weak or small
- - - -	- - - -	Lava dome
- - - -	- - - -	Avalanche
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Lapilli
- - - -	- - - -	Bombs
- - - -	- - - -	Pumice
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)	Before.
- - - -	- - - -	Tsunami
- - - -	- - - -	Edifice Destroyed	Collapse/avalanche
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
1933 Jan 8	- - - -	Fatalities
1933 Jan 8	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1931 Sep Confirmed Eruption VEI: 1

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1931 Sep - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	weak or small
	1931 Sep	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1883 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1883 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	violent, strong, or large
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
1883	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1848 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1848 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	1848	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1846 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1846 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
	1846	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1713 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3

Episode 1 | Eruption

Severgin

1713 - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Severgin

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	violent, strong, or large
	1713	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Kharimkotan.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Kharimkotan.

Photo Gallery

The east side of the 8 x 12 km island of Kharimkotan has a large open crater that formed when the summit collapsed in 1933. The dark-colored lava dome in the center of the photo grew inside the crater towards the end of the 1933 eruption. This and another scarp on the NW side of the island were formed by flank collapse events that produced debris avalanche deposits that created broad peninsulas on the E and NW coasts.

Photo by Alexander Belousov, 1994 (Institute of Volcanology, Kamchatka, Russia).

The lava dome in the center of this image was emplaced at the end of a major eruption that began on 8 January 1933 and destroyed the summit of the Severgin cone on Kharimkotan volcano, leaving a 1.7-km-wide crater open towards the E. A debris avalanche resulting from the collapse of the summit reached the sea, extending the shoreline by 1 km and producing a tsunami that swept the island and reached Onekotan and Paramushir Islands, causing two fatalities. Additional explosions were reported on 30 January and 14 April.

Photo by Alexander Belousov, 1994 (Institute of Volcanology, Kamchatka, Russia).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Kharimkotan in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Kharimkotan. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Kharimkotan. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Kharimkotan

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).