Karymsky is one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka. In the past two years, single powerful explosions with ash removal up to 8–10 km a. s. l. were noted. The explosive event of April 19, with the rise of an ash cloud up to 10 km a. s. l., occurred against the background of a continuous emission of ash from the volcano. Due to the high cyclonic activity near Kamchatka, the ash cloud on April 19–21 stretched into a 1000 km long band from southeast to northeast. The northern part of the eruptive cloud was drawn into the Arctic zone by another cyclone. The area of the ash cloud was over 246 thousand km 2. In addition to the eruptive one, a large cloud of sulfur dioxide was well manifested at the beginning of the eruption. A cloud slightly saturated with sulfur dioxide was observed over the Arctic zone on April 21–22. A detailed description of the explosive event of the volcano and the spread of the ash cloud was performed based on the study of various satellite data in the information system “Remote monitoring of the activity of the volcanoes of the Kamchatka and the Kuriles” (VolSatView, http://kamchatka.volcanoes.smislab.ru).

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are the most active in the world. Annually, from 3 to 7 volcanoes produce eruptions, during which the explosions eject ash to 10−15 km above sea level, and ash clouds spread thousands of kilometers from volcanoes. Strenuous volcanic activity could cause ash falls in towns and settlements, destruction of forests and communications. Ash clouds and plumes pose a serious threat to the present-day jet aviation. Since 1993, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) has conducted daily monitoring of Kamchatka volcanoes to mitigate volcanic hazards to airline operations and population. Since 2014, satellite monitoring of volcanoes is carried out by KVERT scientists using the VolSatView information system that since 2016 has utilized data from Himawari-8 geostationary satellite. The system has created special tools that allow us to work with promptly received data, as well as analyze series of long-term observations. Using data from Himawari-8, as well as the tools implemented in VolSatView to work with them, enables to: significantly raise the efficient response to detection of explosive events in the region; identify the onset of eruptive events with an accuracy of 10 minutes or less; track and forecast all changes in the dynamics of volcanic activity, including the near onset of strong explosive events. The paper describes the technology features for integrating Himawari-8 data into VolSatView and the main possibilities of working with them, implemented now
in the system.

Созданная в 2010 г. совместными усилиями специалистов ИВиС ДВО РАН, ИКИ РАН, ВЦ ДВО РАН и ДЦ ФГУП НИЦ Планета информационная система «Мониторинг активности вулканов Камчатки и Курил» (VolSatView, http://volcanoes.smislab.ru), продолжает развиваться и сегодня позволяет работать с различными спутниковыми данными среднего и высокого разрешения, метео- и инструментальной информацией наземных сетей наблюдений, проводить совместный анализ различных данных.