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Volcano on Kamchatka spews steam, ash at 4 km height

The Plosky Tolbachik volcano awakened on November 27 last year after 36 years of dormancy since its previous eruption

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, January 22 (Itar-Tass) — The steam and ash ejection to a height of 4 kilometres above sea level has been recorded in the area of the fissure eruption of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano on Kamchatka, the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) reported on Tuesday.

The plume from the spew stretched to the south. There is glow above the lava stream in Tolbachik dale that is observed during the dark hours, testifying that fresh lava is coming to the surface. The volcano is vibrating with the amplitude of up to 7.6 micrometres per second. The seismic activity on the volcano exceeds the background level. However, the giant mount that awakened on November 27 last year after 36 years of dormancy poses no danger to the nearby populated localities.

Plumes of volcanic ash and gases ejected by the volcano may be hazardous to aircraft. All the concerned services have been warned about this.

The Plosky Tolbachik volcano awakened on November 27 last year after 36 years of dormancy since its previous eruption. During the first days of the eruption lava from the volcano destroyed two stations of volcanologists and a tourist base near its foot. According to the Kamchatka Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the giant mount ejected about 0.3 cubic kilometres of lava. The length of the main stream has reached 18 kilometres, the total area of the lava fields – 14 square kilometres.

The height of Plosky Tolbachik is 3,085 metres above sea level. It is located in the south-western sector of the Klyuchevskaya volcano group in the east of Kamchatka at a distance of 63 kilometres from the Klyuchi settlement and 343 kilometres from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Increased seismic activity is currently recorded on the volcano. The giant mount “trembles” with the average amplitude of 6.4 micrometres per second. The giant mount periodically spews columns of steam and gases that can pose danger to small aircraft.

The Shiveluch and Kizimen volcanoes maintain high activity along with Plosky Tolbachik on Kamchatka.

A seismic event, which could be accompanied by the emission of ash from its crater to a height of up to 6 kilometres above sea level has been recorded on Shiveluch. Steam spews to a height of up to 800 metres have been observable on the volcano.

A series of earthquakes that could be accompanied by spews of ash to a height of 4 kilometres above sea level has been registered on Kizimen. Over the crater of the volcano and a viscous lava flow there is a glow visible during the dark hours.

There have been no reports about volcanic ash fall in the settlements of Kamchatka. Experts are continuously monitoring the volcanoes. They currently pose no danger to the regional population, experts say.