TASS, April 12. The layer of volcanic ash covering Klyuchi, the closest inhabited settlement to the erupting Shiveluch volcano, is 11 centimeters thick, reaching up to 20 centimeters in some places. Wind and continuing ash fall are complicating the work of eliminating the aftereffects of the eruption, the Kamchatka regional press service said.
"The major problem facing three settlements - Klyuchi, Kozyrevsk and Maysky - is the ash being blown around from place to place. <…> In Kozyrevsk the ash layer is six to eight centimeters thick. In Klyuchi there is significantly more ash. As of today, the ash layer [there] is about 11 centimeters thick, [but] in those areas exposed to heavy winds, the ash layer is about 20 centimeters thick," the press service quoted Roman Vasilevsky, deputy head of the Kamchatka Region administration, as saying.
The official added that lots of ash had landed in forest areas, and it is more likely to continue to be blown around from place to place in the nearest future. "It’s worth pointing out that ash fell last night as well. It is continuing even today. <…> Today we plan to begin clearing the snow, starting with social welfare facilities," Vasilevsky added.
The official also pointed out that settlements have the necessary equipment to start clearing their territories of ash and snow. However, by the time the ash stops falling and large-scale work to deal with the aftereffects gets started, more equipment may be needed.
According to weather forecasters, the Ust-Kamchatsky District will soon be under another low pressure area and heavy snowfall is forecasted, which will prevent the volcanic ash from spreading.
Eruption of Shiveluch
Meanwhile, the Shiveluch volcano continues to erupt, emitting an ash cloud reaching some 10 km in height, the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service reported.
"April 12, 2023, 10 a.m. (1 a.m. Moscow time). The Shiveluch volcano continues to erupt. According to satellite data, the volcano emitted an ash cloud that reached some 10,000 meters above sea level," the statement said.
The Shiveluch volcano started erupting at 0:54 a.m. on April 11 (Moscow time: 3:54 p.m. on April 10). The peak eruption phases were recorded at 5:44 a.m. (8:54 p.m. Moscow time), 6:46 a.m. (9:46 p.m. Moscow time), and 7:14 a.m. (10:14 p.m. Moscow time). According to satellite data, at 8:30 a.m. (11:30 p.m. Moscow time), the ash cloud over the Shiveluch volcano reached 20 km above sea level, with the resulting ash plume covering an area ranging from 240 to 400 kilometers.
Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes on Kamchatka with a height of 3,283 meters. It consists of three elements: the "Old Shiveluch" stratovolcano, an ancient caldera, and the active "Young Shiveluch." The lava dome of "Young Shiveluch" is 2,500 meters high. The volcano is located at the intersection of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island arcs at a distance of 50 km from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky District and 450 km from the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.