Since 2011, experts from IVS FEB RAS, SRI RAS, CC FEB RAS and FE Planeta RC are operating and developing the “Remote monitoring of Volcanic Activity in Kamchatka and the Kurile Islands” (VolSatView) information sys-tem that utilize all the available satellite data, weather and video observations to ensure continues monitoring and study of volcanic activity in Kamchatka and the Kurile Islands. This paper provides the capabilities of VolSatView for real-time monitoring of volcanoes, analysis of eruptions dynamics and their products, and forecasting of eruptive activity.

On 14-18 June 2017, three volcanoes of the Kamchatka Northern volcanic group produced eight explosive eruptions: six Sheveluch (two powerful and four moderate eruptions), one continuous ash emissions at Klyuchevskoy and one powerful eruption of Bezymianny. The most complete information about these eruptions was obtained during the analysis of satellite data in the information system “Monitoring of Volcanoes Activity in Kamchatka and the Kuriles" (VolSatView, http://volcanoes.smislab.ru). Thanks to the data from the Himawari-8 satellite, we managed to recover all events happened in the area of the volcanoes: the onset of their explosions and ash falls in nearby villages, the size of the ash clouds, direction of their movement, etc. For example, ash clouds from these eruptions moved more than 4500 km southeast from the volcanoes. Ash deposits covered about 47800 km2 of the territory of Kamchatka. In addition, based on the Himawari-8 satellite data, the animated picture of 14-18 June 2017 explosive events was created illustrating short duration of powerful explosive eruptions and long persistence of ash clouds in the atmosphere that represent a real danger for aerial transport: http://kamchatka.volcanoes.smislab.ru/animation/sample.gif

Bezymianny is one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka and the world. The intensification of its activity began in December 2016 after four years of silence during 2012–2016. There were three paroxysmal explosive volcanic eruptions in 2017; the paper is devoted to the event on December 20 with ash removal up to 15 km above sea level. We describe the course of the eruption and the results of its analysis, including an animated image of the motion of the ash cloud from the volcano, performed on a series of images of Himawari-8 (http://dvrcpod.planeta.smislab.ru/animation/1513757110.gif), with overlaid on it results of modeling the distribution of this ash cloud (http://dvrcpod.planeta.smislab.ru/animation/1513777733.gif). The eruptive cloud moved northeast of the volcano at an average speed of 100 km/h, the main area covered by ash clouds was about 78 000 km2, including 42 600 km2 on land. Ash clouds after the eruption were recorded in the atmosphere at a distance of 1500–2000 km to the northeast of the volcano until December 22, 2017. In addition to ash deposits, as a result of the eruption, deposits of pyroclastic flows (with run out to 5–6 km from the volcano) and mud streams (about 18 km) were formed in Vostochnaya Valley and Sukhaya Khapitsa River. Satellite monitoring of the volcano and analysis of the eruption data was carried out using information systems VolSatView and Signal.

Вулканы – грандиозные создания Природы, никогда не оставляющие равнодушным человечество. Они существуют на всех планетах Солнечной системы. Возможно, именно благодаря вулканам появилась жизнь на планете Земля. Для одних вулканы – страх и ужас, для других – бесконечный восторг... Изучению вулканов на планете Земля наземными и космическими методами и необходимости ведения таких исследований посвящена эта статья.