Earth’s Cryosphere, 2010, No. 2, p. 29-45

DEBRIS FLOW FORMATION IN AREAS OF ACTIVE VOLCANISM (CASE STUDY OF KLUCHEVSKOY AND SHIVELUCH VOLCANOES, KAMCHATKA). PART 1

I.B. Seynova**, S.S. Chernomorets*, O.V. Tutubalina*, A.Y. Barinov*, I.A. Sokolov***

* M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1, Russia, devdorak@gmail.com
** University Centre for Engineering Geodynamics and Monitoring, Moscow, Russia
*** Institute of Geography, RAS, 119017, Moscow, Staromonetniy per., 29, Russia

We studied features of the formation of volcanic debris flows (lahars) on the basis of our field research in 2008, interpretation of satellite images, and analysis of literature on volcanic eruptions of Klyuchevskoy and Shiveluch volcanoes in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. In Part 1 we reconstructed the chronology of volcanoinduced debris flows at Kluchevskoy volcano over the last decades and have compiled a map of debris flow formation conditions for the eastern sector of this volcano. We focused particular attention on the formation of the water component of volcanoinduced debris flows. Mechanisms of lahar initiation as a result of glacial processes on volcanoes have been investigated.

Key words: Debris flow, lahar, glacial/volcanic debris flow initiation mechanism, snow-melting/volcanic debris flow initiation mechanism, Kamchatka.

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