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Red aviation code given to Bezymyanny volcano on Kamchatka

According to KVERT, high seismic activity persists on the volcano
Photo www.vulkan.li
Photo www.vulkan.li

PETRPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, March 6 (Itar-Tass) — The Bezymyanny volcano on Kamchatka has been given the Red aviation code warning about hazard that ash and gases ejected by the volcano into the atmosphere may pose to aircraft engines, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported on Monday.

According to KVERT, high seismic activity persists on the volcano. On March 2, the temperature and size of the thermal anomaly, which is observed on the volcano from satellites, dramatically increased. The beginning of an eruption with the ejection of ash to a height of 13 kilometres above sea level is possible within the next two weeks.

Bezymyanny is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It is located in the central part of the Klyuchevskaya volcano group 350 kilometres northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The nearest populated locality – Klyuchi – is located at a distance of 40 kilometres from the foot of the giant mount. The volcano erupts one or two times per year. The eruptions are explosive and last from several hours to several days.

Bezymyanny volcano’s 1956 eruption is considered the most powerful in modern history. Then the volcano that had a height of 3,080 metres, within a short time period spewed three cubic kilometres of volcanic products into the atmosphere and became 200 metres lower. Its current height is about 2.8 kilometres.

Since 1965, scientists have observed 41 strong explosive eruptions of this volcano. Since 1993, the KVERT group conducts daily monitoring of the volcano.