Strong explosive volcanic eruptions are extremely dangerous to the modern jet aircraft as they can produce several cubic kilometers of volcanic ash and aerosols that can be sent to the atmosphere and the stratosphere in several hours to several days during the eruption. In 2016, five from thirty active volcanoes erupted in Kamchatka (Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, Karymsky, and Zhupanovsky) and three from six active volcanoes in the Northern Kuriles (Alaid, Ebeko, and Chikurachki). Effusive volcanic activity was noted at Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny and Alaid. All the volcanoes produced explosive activity. Strong explosive events occurred at Sheveluch mainly from September till December. Moderate ash emission had accompanied of Klyuchevskoy’s eruption through March till November. Explosive activity at Karymsky, Zhupanovsky, Alaid, and Chikurachki volcanoes was observed mainly in the first half of the year. The total area covered by ash in 2016 was estimated 600,000 km2, from which 460,000 km2 were related to the eruptions of Kamchatka volcanoes and 140,000 km2 were attributed to the eruption of the North Kuriles volcanoes. The activity at Sheveluch, Klyuchevskoy, and Zhupanovsky was dangerous to international and local airlines as explosions produced ash up to 10-12 km above sea level. The activity at Bezymianny, Karymsky, Alaid, Ebeko, and Chikurachki posed a threat to local aircrafts when explosions sent ash up to 5 km above sea level.

There are 36 active volcanoes in Kamchatka and Northern Kuriles, from 3 to 8 volcano eruptions occur here every year. Daily satellite monitoring of volcanoes has been performed by the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) since 1997 in cooperation with colleagues from the Alaska Volcano Observatory (USA). Since 2002, KVERT scientists have processing and analyzing primary images of satellite systems NOAA (AVHRR), TERRA and AQUA (MODIS), etc. in close–to–real time to detect ash plumes and thermal anomalies on active volcanoes. The multiparameter analysis of the available published information about volcanoes, as well as visual and satellite data obtained by KVERT scientists during 24 years of daily monitoring of volcanic activity, made it possible to identify the main features of the activity at each of the active volcanoes and assess their degree of danger for air transportation and population of the peninsula. With the creation in 2011 of the information system “Remote monitoring activity of volcanoes of Kamchatka and the Kuriles (VolSatView)”, volcanologists opportunity have the opportunities that have no analogues in the world to conduct satellite observations of active volcanoes. VolSatView combines a wide range of data from various satellite systems coming from different sources and allows us to process operational and retrospective satellite information directly in the web–interface by means of specially created tools, to compare it with video information, to simulate ash plumes propagation, to classify various volcanogenic objects and etc. VolSatView enables to solve problems at different levels — from on–line monitoring of volcanoes activity to the fundamental problems in volcanology. The character of volcanic activity changes and the actuality of solving the problem of “how the volcano works” remain. To accomplish this task and for searching precursors of explosive volcanic eruptions, it is necessary to continue long–term remote observations of the volcanoes in the region; to study changes in their activity with time; to compare behavior of volcanoes supplying the eruptive products of similar and contrast compositions to the earth surface.