Seismicity observed during the precursory process and the actual eruption of Kizimen Volcano, Kamchatka in 2009–2013

Abstract

Kizimen Volcano began to erupt in December 2010. The eruption was preceded by a precursory period of seismicity that lasted for 20 months. This paper discusses the space-time features of the precursory seismicity. We provide a brief description of this explosive and effusive eruption between December 2010 and March 2013. The eruption started with some explosive activity followed by extrusion of a viscous lava flow. The extrusion of viscous andesitic magma and the motion of the lava flow down the slope were accompanied by unusual seismicity in the form of the quasiperiodic occurrence of microearthquakes, the so-called drumbeat phenomenon. It is shown that the occurrence of a drumbeat was first recorded during the extrusion process at the volcano’s summit. Subsequently, the drumbeat mode of activity was caused by the front of the viscous lava flow as it was moving down the slope. The dynamic parameters of the microearthquakes varied in accordance with the dimensions of the lava flow front. The motion of the main tongue of the lava flow (March to September 2011) gave rise to drumbeat I with energy classes of microearthquakes K = 3–5.5, while the second tongue, which was smaller than the first, produced drumbeat II with microearthquakes of K < 3 during its motion down the slope. In January 2013 we saw a phenomenon similar to the drumbeat that was recorded at the start of the eruption. This was caused by an obelisk being extruded at the volcano’s summit.