Kamchatka volcanoes. Volcanoes of Kamachatka. Volcanoes of Kamchatka and Russia

- the calling card of this Russian region, annually attracting thousands of tourists from different parts of the world to this land. Volcanoes are so different that you will have to spend more than one day to get to know each of them. Among them there are many active ones, the eruption of which can cause conflicting feelings in travelers: delight and horror, admiration and fear, all at the same time. Kamchatka volcanoes erupt very rarely, without causing harm to local residents. Volcanoes are an amazing sight that attracts vacationers to such a distance. Today we will introduce you to the most famous volcanoes of Kamchatka.

Despite the fact that all volcanoes are magnificent, each in their own way, on the Kamchatka Peninsula three main volcanoes can be distinguished based on their size and unusual shape: Klyuchevskoy, Koryaksky, and Kronotsky volcanoes. Each of them can safely claim the proud title of a symbol of Kamchatka. But we will tell you about all the local volcanoes in more detail.

1. Uzon Volcano– it is surrounded by a ring-shaped hole of the same name, formed forty years ago after the eruption. The diameter of the caldera is ten kilometers, and throughout this territory there are the main riches of Kamchatka: mineral springs with unique algae and microorganisms living in them, healing mud baths, lakes with flocks of snow-white swans, endless tundra, birch forests with formidable guards living there - bears. The autumn landscapes here are especially delightful, when the forest and tundra are painted in golden and red hues.

2. Klyuchevskoy Volcano- a famous natural formation in Russia that appeared seven thousand years ago. The volcano has the shape of a huge cone, created due to layers of basaltic lava. Tourists are amazed at the amazingly clear lines and such a regular geometric shape created by nature. Smaller volcanoes have grown together with the main volcano: Kamen, Ploskaya Near, Ploskaya Dalnyaya. The peculiarity of the Klyuchevskoy volcano is the column of smoke constantly rising from its crater, which is created by constant and numerous explosions occurring inside. The height of this Russian volcano is four thousand seven hundred and fifty meters, but it changes periodically: it depends on the power of the explosions that occur. The entire foot of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano is overgrown with dense coniferous forests - spruce and Okhotsk larch. The first inhabitants chose these places back in the Stone Age, they were the Koryak and Itelmen tribes, they were engaged in fishing and hunting. This volcano received its name in the seventeenth century, after the beginning of the development of the territory of Kamchatka, when springs with the purest water were discovered here. Here they created a settlement for researchers, which they called Klyuchi, just like the volcano - Klyuchevskoy. The first to conquer the top of this volcano was Daniil Gauss, who arrived here as part of a Russian expedition. He and his two comrades climbed up without special equipment, despite the enormous risk, everything ended successfully. A national park was created here, which, together with Klyuchevskaya Sopka, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an active volcano in Russia, at the foot of which there is a station of the Institute of Volcanology. Scientists have found that the volcano erupts once every six years, but destructive eruptions occur only once every twenty-five years. It is estimated that over three thousand years, lava was ejected fifty times. With each such eruption of lava, columns of dust and smoke rise into the sky, which gradually dissipate throughout the surrounding area; the flame can last for a week or three years, as it once did. But this does not frighten the local residents of the settlement of Klyuchi, who, like their distant ancestors, hunt, fish, farm, raise livestock, that is, lead an everyday way of life, in the shadow of a formidable neighbor that attracts crowds of tourists to these parts.

3. Karymsky Volcano- the most active volcano in Kamchatka, which in one century produced more than twenty eruptions, many of which lasted for years, replacing one another. The most intense eruption occurred in 1962; it lasted for three years, releasing more than three thousand cubic meters of dust and gases in one explosion. Sometimes up to nine hundred emissions occurred in one day. A volcanic eruption looks especially amazing at night, when luminous puffs of smoke, ash and flashes of fire rise into the sky, illuminating the surroundings like a white day. Tourists are not afraid of the formidable volcano, climbing to its peak, first stopping at the Maly Semyachik ridge to enjoy the amazing view around. The history of the origin of this volcano is complicated: at first there was the Dvor volcano, which was completely destroyed during its eruption, but in the caldera that arose after the explosion, over time, the Karymsky volcano was born, the central part of which was also severely destroyed after the eruption. Here again a caldera appeared and a new cone, which we can observe today. A volcanological station was installed at the foot of the Karymsky volcano to maintain safety in the area.

4. Maly Semyachik Volcano– this absolutely amazing volcano of Kamchatka stretches for three kilometers. It is unique in the presence of three craters, in one of which, during the eruption, an acid lake appeared, a kilometer deep, with green water, the temperature of which varies from twenty-five to forty-five degrees, and the composition of the lake water is similar to sulfuric acid. In sunny weather, tourists have the opportunity not only to climb this volcano, but also to approach the lake, however, they should not stand next to it for a long time, since it periodically begins to “spit out” jets of acidic water in different directions.

5. Gorely Volcano- has a shape elongated in a western direction. This is a typical volcano formed from a caldera. The height of Gorely is one thousand eight hundred twenty-nine meters, it has eleven craters, some of them intersect picturesquely. The craters where the eruptions occurred are ring-shaped and filled with acidic lakes. In one part of the Gorely volcano, the caldera, descending from the faults, created a kind of entrance gate on the walls. Everything looks very unusual, which is what attracts tourists here.

6. Avachinsky Volcano– this Kamchatka volcano has a complex structure similar to the Vesuvius volcano. Its height is two thousand seven hundred and fifty-one meters, and the diameter of the crater is three hundred and fifty meters, with a depth of two hundred and twenty meters. During the last eruption, which occurred at the end of the twentieth century, the crater crater was filled with lava and fumaroles depositing sulfur began to form.

7. Koryaksky Volcano- a picturesque Kamchatka volcano, with a very regular and perfectly even cone. Its height is three thousand two hundred and fifty-six meters. At the top there are numerous glaciers, which are completely unaffected by the fumaroles formed nearby, which warm the inside of the volcanic crater. This volcano is a champion in the content of rocks and volcanic rocks.

8. Volcano Dzenzursky- a long-destroyed volcano, in the crater of which there is now a glacier. But in the southeastern part of Dzenzursky there is a fumarole center, occupying an area of ​​\u200b\u200bone hundred square meters, which heats the internal waters to a boiling point of one hundred degrees.

9. Vilyuchinsky Volcano– is located near the rather large city of Kamchatka - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It has been extinct for a long time and is characterized by a cut off top, with areas filled with ice, and the lava that flowed along it in ancient times, thanks to fumaroles, became multi-colored.

10. Volcano Ostry Tolbachik– has a sharp roof, which was formed by a glacier. The height of the volcano is three thousand six hundred eighty two meters. The foot is covered by glaciers, the most famous of which is the Schmidt glacier, from which you can clearly see the barrancos, which picturesquely cut the ledges of Tolbachik. From the west you can see dikes that look like jagged walls of basalt origin, which are of interest not only to researchers, but also to ordinary tourists.

11. Volcano Ksudach– shaped like a cut cone, with craters filled with acidic lake waters. The height of this volcano reaches only a thousand meters, whereas at the time of its appearance it was two thousand meters high, but in the process of its volcanic activity, it became a thousand meters lower. There are many calderas of different sizes and ages. Ksudach Volcano is the most unusual volcano in Kamchatka: here you can find lakes with the purest water, a waterfall originates from its caldera, and beautiful alder forests grow on the slopes of the volcano.

12. Volcano Mutnovsky- a massif of the most complex structure, with numerous fumarole zones, several craters, a hot mineral spring, bubbling cauldrons of boiling water and warm lakes. The height of this Kamchatka volcano is two thousand three hundred twenty-three meters. The Vulkannaya River flows nearby, tumbling into a huge and beautiful waterfall.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka- so dangerous and beautiful in all their manifestations, every year they attract more and more tourists who get uprooted from their homes and, leaving their comfort zone, go on a long journey through the most distant region of Russia - Kamchatka - to get acquainted with these amazing natural creations.

The volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula are an amazing sight. They occupy approximately 40% of the entire territory of the region. These giants, like the surrounding areas around them, are constantly in a state of change. The eruptions themselves produce a stunning effect. The most powerful elements of fire, hot red rivers of lava, explosive volleys and fireworks made of stones. Of course, a person who has seen this kind of natural phenomena completely changes his attitude towards them.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka and Russia

Volcanism is the most important geological process that contributes to the development of the Earth's topography. At the stage of the planet’s birth, volcanoes covered its entire surface. Later, structures began to form along the largest faults in the earth's crust.

The origin of volcanism dates back to the Cretaceous period. Earth activity in the territory has been evident for the last 2.5 million years.

The giants located on the territory of Kamchatka are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The latter is a certain area within the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean, in which most of everyone on the planet is located. This zone has 328 active above-ground structures out of 540 known to mankind.

A volcano in its structure is a geological formation on the surface of the earth’s crust, through which liquid melt comes to the surface, forming volcanic rocks in the form of lava. They are classified according to the form of formation: old volcano, shield volcano, cinder cone, etc.; according to their activity: active, dormant, extinct; and being in nature: terrestrial or underwater.

Extinct volcanoes of Kamchatka

The buildings of Kamchatka are characterized by a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Their formation took place in different eras, so today activity manifests itself with varying degrees. Some of the giants that are extinct or small in size are called mountains, regardless of their volcanic origin.

Now the entire territory has 29 active centers. The title of active volcano was assigned to these hills depending on the historical period of their eruption. Some of them erupted more than 1000 and even 2000 years ago. Active does not mean "working" all the time. In most cases, fumarole activity is observed between eruptions, represented by columns of water vapor and gas emissions.

The area of ​​activity changed over time, moving from west to east. This contributed to the formation of two main volcanic belts: the Middle Volcanic Belt and the East Kamchatka Belt. In the belt of the latter, today the main group of existing buildings in Kamchatka has been formed.

Since 1996, thanks to the actions of the Greenpeace Russia organization, the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" arose in the Kamchatka Territory. This nomination includes, South Kamchatka Nature Reserve and.

Also, these fire-breathing mountains have their own annual holiday -.

History - description of Kamchatka volcanoes

Enormous volcanic phenomena and their consequences have attracted the attention of people since ancient times. The first inhabitants saw them as shelterers of gods and local spirits, and associated many legends with them.

Research and descriptions began around the beginning of the 18th century and formed the basis of many works and popular books. The researcher S.P. Krasheninnikov was the first to describe the volcanoes of Kamchatka in 1756. His book “Description of the Land of Kamchatka” contains information about both the tall giants of this region and the hot springs.

Systematic information about fire-breathing mountains began to appear in the works of P. T. Novograblenov, B. I. Piip and A. E. Svyatlovsky. The last to be released was the Atlas of Volcanoes of the USSR, compiled based on materials from aerial surveys carried out in 1946-47. One of the main works of our time was the book "Active Volcanoes of Kamchatka", published in 1991, containing 700 pages of description, accompanied by hundreds of color illustrations.

The first map with designations of buildings on the peninsula was compiled in 1926 by scientist N. Kell, a participant in the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society.

The largest giant of the Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as the tallest in Eurasia - . The hills vary from 4750 to 4850 meters. During eruptions, part of the dome is demolished, and in a state of rest it grows again. The building belongs to the formations of the old volcano type, the age of which reaches 7000 years. The last eruption dates back to August 2013. One of the strongest was the eruption in 1994, which lasted almost a month. The gas-ash fountain rose to a height of 13 km, and the size of the debris reached 2 meters in diameter. Mud flows descended 30 km and reached the Kamchatka River.

The middle volcanic belt includes 65 objects. The highest point and highest object of this belt is the Ichinskaya Sopka. The height of the hill is 3621 m and it is the only active one from the Middle Belt. The rest are classified as extinct or dormant. Alney, Bolshoy and Khangar are also included in the Sredinny Range.

The most active East Kamchatka belt is, in turn, divided into several groups, such as the Central Kamchatka depression, the Kharchin group, the Klyuchevskaya group, the East Kamchatka ridge, the Uzon-Geyser depression, the Tolmachev dol, the Eastern ridge, the Avacha-Koryak group, the Zhupanovsko -Dzendzursky group, etc. Some groups of volcanoes stretch for hundreds of kilometers along the peninsula. Some of the groups are characterized by very large volumes of volcanic rocks, up to 5000 cubic meters, which can be compared with the volume of all volcanic rocks in Japan.

Kamchatka - Home volcanoes

The most famous objects of this belt, Kamchatka and Russia in general are: Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Bezymyanny, Kamen, Kizimen, Komarova, Krasheninnikova, Kikhpinych, Bolshoi and Maly Semyachik, Zhupanovsky, Dzenzur, Tolmacheva, Opala, Khodutka, Ksudach, Ilyinsky, Zheltovskaya Sopka.

The group of Domestic volcanoes stands out as a separate group. Belonging to the East Kamchatka belt, it includes: , Aag and Arik. Sometimes Vilyuchinsky is also attributed to this group. This group of giants on the Kamchatka Peninsula has long become a platform for leisure and competition.

The worst disaster of the 20th century

Despite the fact that some of the buildings are extinct, they can surprise with eruptions no less than active ones. It often happened that extinct objects were sources of very large disasters. For example, the explosion of the extinct Bezymianny in Kamchatka in 1956 is listed as one of the most powerful eruptions of the last century. Plumes of white smoke were noticed back in the fall of 1955. Within a few days, the height of the volcanic emissions reached 8 kilometers, and at night bright lightning flashed among the huge gray cloud. Strong explosions continued throughout November. Sometimes the cloud of smoke was so thick that it stopped transmitting the sun's rays.

At that time, the volcano's crater expanded by 800 meters. A month later, the formation of a dome of viscous lava was noticed, which blocked the passage of gas emissions. The pressure inside the volcano became so great that the neighboring dome, which resembled a once frozen stone, rose 100 meters high and moved in a southeast direction. On March 30, 1956, a huge explosion occurred. A pillar of fire, accompanied by clouds of black smoke, covering everything around, rushed upward 40 km. In the village of Ust-Kamchatsk, 120 km from Bezymyanny, the horizon was not visible. A short time later, a huge jet of gas 45 km high followed. Ashfall follows. It was so strong that it was impossible to see the thing in his hands. The areas covered with ash were about 400 km in length, and the volume of ash was 0.5 billion cubic meters. Its ash emissions were noticed throughout the UK. After a strong eruption on March 30, the last stage began, which lasted until the end of November. Nameless has changed. Fortunately, this disaster did not claim any lives. The surrounding areas were free of population.

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The Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the richest places on earth for volcanoes, perhaps second only to Iceland and Hawaii. There are more than a hundred in this area of ​​the Pacific Ocean, the so-called "Ring of Fire", and about 30 of them have awakened only recently.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka, currently recognized as active, form a 700-kilometer volcanic belt from the Shiveluch volcano, which is located in the north of the peninsula, to the Kambalny volcano in the south. Vigorous volcanism in Kamchatka, as well as in the neighboring Aleutian and Kuril island arcs, is caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate under the Eurasian

Over the past few thousand years, about 30 (Plinian) eruptions have occurred, as a result of which approximately 1 km 3 of magma was thrown out. According to these data, today Kamchatka is the place on earth with the highest frequency of large explosive eruptions.

The most active volcanoes in Kamchatka are Klyuchevskoy, Karymsky, Shiveluch and Bezymyanny.

The Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka is one of the most active and largest volcanoes and is distinguished by the most powerful eruptions. It is located 80 km from Klyuchevskoye. Shiveluch has experienced about 60 major eruptions over the past few thousand years, the most catastrophic of which date back to 1854 and 1956, when most of the lava dome collapsed, resulting in devastating avalanches of debris. This Kamchatka volcano belongs to the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes and is about 65 thousand years old.

Relatively low (1486 m) and young (6100 years) - the most active. More than 20 eruptions have occurred this century alone, and the last of them began in 1996 and lasted 2 years. Karymsky eruptions are accompanied by bursts and ejections of ash from the central crater with gushing lava. The lava erupted by the Kamchatka Karymsky volcano is so sticky that, as a rule, the flaming flows do not always reach the base. The last eruption coincided with the underwater eruption of Lake Karymskoye, located 8 km away. It lasted for only 20 hours, but during this short time there were about 100 underwater splashes, each of which was accompanied by tsunami waves reaching 15 m in height. As a result of the volcanic eruption, Lake Karymskoye, whose water was very fresh and clean, turned into the largest natural reservoir with the most acidic water in the world.

Kamchatka's Bezymyanny volcano is located on the southeastern slope of the extinct Kamen volcano. Traces of lava flows can be found on the upper part of its slopes. It is a small and young volcano (4700 years old) that was formed on top of a larger ancient volcano. In the mid-50s, it erupted, after which a large horseshoe-shaped crater was formed. Since then, Bezymianny has been recognized as one of the most active volcanoes in Kamchatka. A new lava dome grows inside the crater, which often leads to explosive activity and since 2011, the volcanic dome has almost filled the crater.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Modern active volcanoes of Kamchatka are a vivid manifestation of endogenous processes accessible to direct observation, which played a huge role in the development of geographical science. However, the study of volcanism has not only educational significance. Active volcanoes, along with earthquakes, pose a formidable danger to nearby populated areas. The moments of their eruptions often bring irreparable natural disasters.

Manifestations of volcanism are one of the most characteristic and important geological processes that are of great importance in the history of the formation of the earth's crust. Not a single area on Earth - be it a continent or an oceanic trench, a folded area or a platform - was formed without the participation of volcanism. The fact that the direct formation of the Earth's surface through volcanic activity continues to this day is undoubtedly important. Without a deep and thorough study of this problem, a timely and prompt response to any manifestations of volcanic activity will become impossible, which, subsequently, can lead to human casualties. As G. Taziev points out: “Despite the fact that geological epochs last millions of years and geological processes proceed very slowly, there is also no doubt that sudden tremors caused by volcanic activity are capable of instantly splitting and shifting layers of the earth’s crust, completing what lasted millions of years"

Historical review

The study of Kamchatka volcanoes began about 300 years ago. The first information about the “burnt hills” (volcanoes) in Kamchatka was reported by Russian Cossacks and industrialists who settled in Kamchatka at the end of the 17th century. Systematic research into the nature and volcanoes of Kamchatka dates back to the first quarter of the 18th century. The large volcanoes Shiveluch, Klyuchevskoy and Avachinsky were included on the map of North-East Asia and Kamchatka, compiled in 1725 - 1730. The first Kamchatka expedition of this and the subsequent, Second Kamchatka expedition (1733 - 1743) was commanded by Vitus Bering. His name is immortalized in the names of the Bering Sea, Bering Strait and Bering Island in the Commander Islands group. A participant in the Second Kamchatka Expedition was S.P. Krasheninnikov, famous explorer of Kamchatka. He landed on the shores of Kamchatka in October 1737 and spent four years here in tireless observations and travels, 1737 - 1741. His “Description of the Land of Kamchatka,” first published in 1755, is one of the classic geographical works of the 18th century. [Krasheninnikov, 1949]. Thus, more than 250 years ago, the scientific study of Kamchatka volcanoes began.

Among the researchers of Kamchatka in the 18th and 19th centuries. were A. Erman, who observed the eruptions of Klyuchevsky volcano in 1828 - 1830. and left the first petrographic description of its lavas, and K. Ditmar, who conducted research in Kamchatka in 1851 - 1855. K.I. Bogdanovich started in 1897 - 1898. systematic study of the geology of Kamchatka and its volcanic regions. Member of the Kamchatka expedition of the Russian Geographical Society N.G. Kell published the first map of Kamchatka volcanoes [Kell, 1926]. Famous Kamchatka local historian P.T. In 1932, Novograblenov published the first “Atlas of Kamchatka Volcanoes,” which provided information about 127 active and extinct volcanoes, described the forms of eruptions and the petrography of rocks from 19 volcanoes [Novograblenov, 1932].

The Kamchatka Peninsula is the most unique mountain region in Russia. Kamchatka Territory is located in the northeast of Russia. It occupies the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the part of the mainland adjacent to the north of the peninsula, as well as Karaginsky Island and the Commander Islands (Beringa and Medny). It is washed from the west by the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the east by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and its Bering Sea. Kamchatka has quite a few attractions, but the most important and impressive thing that it is famous for is its volcanoes, its “stone torches”. There are few places on the planet where you can see so many volcanoes at the same time.

Tourists are attracted by the exotic. These are landscapes of unique beauty; rafting on fast mountain rivers; climbing volcanoes and observing the eruption of one, and sometimes two or three of the 30 active Kamchatka volcanoes; summer skiing and snowboarding from snow-covered mountain slopes; bathing in healing thermal mineral springs; visiting bird colonies, rookeries of sea animals, the caldera of the Uzon volcano and the beautiful Valley of Geysers - one of the seven wonders of Russia, as well as the opportunity to get acquainted with the most interesting ancient culture of the indigenous peoples of the North - the Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens and Chukchis. But still, let's return to volcanoes...

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are an unforgettable sight. There are several active and many extinct volcanoes in Kamchatka, which occupy about 40% of the peninsula's territory. Active volcanoes mean not only active ones that emit magma, but also those exhibiting fumarolic activity. In general, during the historical period there were not many eruptions that were dangerous to human life. Volcanoes and the areas around them are constantly changing.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are not known for their bloodthirstiness: in the memory of people living here, there are not many eruptions that could become deadly. The dark silhouette of a volcano in the clear pre-dawn sky does not pose a threat - for residents of Kamchatka this is usually a sign of good weather. And yet, being close to volcanoes, it is difficult to convince yourself that these are nothing more than geological objects.

Each of the Kamchatka volcanoes is beautiful in its own way. There are more than three hundred of them on the peninsula, and twenty-nine of them continue to operate!

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Uzon Caldera

The caldera (this term refers to a ring-shaped failure) of the Uzon volcano was formed about 40 thousand years ago on the site of a huge volcano, destroyed by a series of explosive eruptions.
The last cataclysm inside the caldera (8500 years ago) left a trace in the form of an explosion crater about a kilometer in diameter. Over the ensuing centuries of active hydrothermal activity on Uzon, a unique symbiosis of volcanism and wildlife was formed. The bottom of the caldera is a fairly flat depression, raised 650 meters above the sea. The sides, composed of black basalts, rise another 500-960 meters. The lowest parts of the caldera are swampy and tundra areas in the southwest and west. Here there is a large, but shallow and cold Central Lake, a warm, non-freezing Fumarole Lake and a mass of small and medium-sized warm and cold lakes and swamps. From the south, marshy, swampy tundra with areas of dry meadows, abundantly overgrown with berries - blueberries, honeysuckle and crowberry - also approaches the thermal field directly.

In the east and northeast there is a slight increase in the caldera floor level. Here, as well as on the low hills in the western part of the caldera, evergreen dwarf cedar grows. In the central part, closer to the northern side of the caldera, there are rare clumps of fairly tall birches. There are both Kamchatka stone birches with curved branches, disfigured by growths, and straight-trunked ones.

Located on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Uzon is classified as a specially protected natural site.

The diameter of the caldera is about 10 kilometers, and in it, behind the steep walls, as if in a museum, almost everything that Kamchatka is famous for is “collected”: hot springs and cold rivers, poisonous mud pots and clean lakes full of fish, berry tundra and birch forest, mountains and swamps, animals and birds. Geologists and botanists, geochemists and microbiologists, zoologists and volcanologists - scientists of various specialties strive to get to Uzon. Here, in hot springs, as if in laboratory retorts, natural minerals are born; incredible algae and bacteria live in the scalding solution, for which poisonous boiling water is the most desirable environment; huge bears, shrouded in steam, wander through the hot Uzon clay; Swans call to each other on warm lakes:

There is hardly a place on Earth where autumn beauty is as bright as it is short. Autumn Uzon is unforgettable: the tundra is furiously red, stone birches sparkle with gold, columns of steam, like the smoke of sacrificial fires, rise vertically into the blue sky. In the mornings, quiet music sounds in the birch groves: frost-covered leaves are falling, ringing. But with the first squalls of autumn storms, the foliage flies away, the tundra fades under the frost, and only mud pots boil and boil multi-colored clay.

Volcano Klyuchevskoy

The largest active volcano in Eurasia. Height – 4750 meters above sea level. It has an almost perfect, unusually beautiful cone. It is part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes along with Kamen, Bezymyanny, Ploskiy Tolbachik and others. The age of the volcano is about 8000 years.
The first eruption of Klyuchevsky volcano was recorded in 1697 during his famous campaign by Vladimir Atlasov, the conqueror of Kamchatka. On average, volcanic eruptions occurred once every five years, in some periods - annually, sometimes continuously for several years. However, they never imagined a serious danger for the city of Klyuchi, which is located 30 kilometers from the volcano. Eruptions are accompanied by explosions, gas-ash emissions and ashfalls.

Grayish clouds of vapors and gases swirl above its top without ceasing. When there is no wind, they rise in a column to the sky and, having reached the atmospheric current somewhere, stretch out into the distance in a giant trail. The soaring either weakens or intensifies, and then explosions are heard, and a reddish glow flashes over the top.

This normal state for it can last for years, but once every 5–6 years, and sometimes less, having accumulated a reserve of energy, the volcano enters the next active phase of its activity. Powerful explosions continuously follow each other, hot volcanic bombs fly out in the thousands, luminous streams of lava flow down the slopes, ash clouds rise for many kilometers, covering the surrounding area with a gray coating of ash, turning a sunny day into twilight or dark night.

This is a relatively low (1486 meters) and relatively young volcano - the most active volcano in Kamchatka. In the 20th century alone, 23 eruptions occurred, the last one began in 1996 and, gradually fading, lasted more than two years. Karymsky eruptions are accompanied by explosions, emissions of ash, and bombs from the central crater. As a rule, the lavas of the Karymsky volcano are so viscous that fire flows do not always reach the foot of the volcano. And although the height of the volcano is small compared to the volcanoes of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, it nevertheless stands out clearly in relief with its regular, slightly truncated cone-shaped peak, on which there is a shallow (about 30 meters) bowl-shaped crater.

The last eruption of Karymsky was different in that, simultaneously with it, an underwater eruption began in Lake Karymsky, which is located 6 kilometers from the volcano. During the 18-20 hours that the eruption lasted, more than 100 underwater explosions occurred, accompanied by tsunami waves up to 15 meters high. The lake was literally boiling: its temperature rose sharply, and the content of salts and acids quickly reached such a concentration that all lake life died, including the herd of “kokanee” - lake sockeye salmon, specially settled in Lake Karymskoye by ichthyologists. As a result of this eruption, Lake Karymskoe turned from an ultra-fresh reservoir into the world's largest natural reservoir with acidic water.

Volcano Maly Semyachik(Maly Semyachik)

This is a volcanic ridge about three kilometers long, on the crest of which there are three craters. The site of modern activity is the southwestern part of the volcano’s summit, which is a deep oval-shaped crater with a diameter of about 860 m - the Troitsky crater. The Troitsky crater was formed about 400 years ago as a result of a powerful explosion followed by collapses. Modern eruptions of the Troitsky crater occurred in 1804, 1852-1854.

At the bottom of the crater there is a lake with light green water. The unusual color of the water is caused by small particles of sulfur carried out by underwater fumaroles.

In the crater lake, a deposition of sand layers was discovered, which was interrupted by an outpouring of lava. But later, in the same crater, the formation of sandstone began again, which was then cemented by iron oxides. Scientists believe that this combination can lead to the formation of new life.

Maly Semyachik is the only active volcano in the area with known eruption dates. Today Maly Semyachik is one of the wonders of Kamchatka nature, and anyone who managed to reach its foot simply must climb to the edge of the crater. The spectacle that opens up to the eyes is unforgettable: a two-hundred-meter crater drop, a steaming green lake, a riot of colors on the inner walls. In clear, windy weather you can descend into the crater. You can stand on the slate-black beach, admiring the emerald, poisonous surf and tornado-like “genies” rising above the surface of the lake. But the coastal “breeze” that causes coughing will soon force you to leave this abode of underground “spirits”.

Gorely Volcano

The active Gorely volcano is located 60 km in a straight line from Petropavlovsk, on the high Gorelinsky Dole, 900–1000 meters above sea level. The volcano is a ridge-shaped massif 1829 meters high, rising from the bottom of an elliptical caldera. Previously, there was a large shield volcano with a base diameter of about 30 km. The top part of it sank, forming a caldera 9 × 14 km, from the bottom of which eruptions began through a chain of craters that appeared at different times. The craters overlapped each other, the growing cones merged. As a result, a modern elongated massif was formed.

The remains of an old volcano surround the caldera with a low ridge. The bottom of the caldera in the northern and southern parts is flat, covered with sand, slag and lava fragments. Gorely volcano, which is a chain of 11 craters superimposed on each other, with lakes, fumaroles, as well as many (about 40) side cinder cones with lava flows. During the volcano's past eruptions, lava flows were interspersed with ejections of loose materials. Lava flows and blocks cover almost the entire caldera floor and the slopes of the central cones. Lava flows also flowed outside the caldera. One of them - the northwestern one stretches to the Left Karymchina River for 9 km, the other - the southwestern one, 15 km long, filled a large section of the valley Left Opal. Apparently, the volcano got its name due to the abundance of lava - “burnt rock”. In the last two centuries, only ash eruptions have occurred. The eruptions are clearly visible from Petropavlovsk.

Despite the inconspicuous appearance of this volcano, a collection of various craters on its summit part is completely unique.

Avachinsky is an active, complexly constructed beautiful volcano of the Somma-Vesuvius type, with a perfect regular cone 2751 meters above sea level. There is no consensus on the origin of the word "Avacha". According to one version, the word “Avacha” takes its roots from the Itelmen name of Avacha Bay “Gshuabach”. “Kshchu” - “bay”, “Apache” - “father”. According to another version, the Itelmen called the Avacha River “Suaacha”, marked on the maps of the pioneers as “Vavacha” or “Avacha”. And according to the third version, from the word “Avachkh” - “fiery”, this is how the Itelmens called the Avachinsky volcano and the red-haired Russian Cossacks. Which Itelmen word became the primary source in the formation of the word “Avacha” remains unknown.

Until recently, Avachinsky volcano was one of the most active in Kamchatka. It arose several tens of thousands of years ago, and its regular cone rose higher than the Koryak one. But gigantic explosions demolished its upper part and formed a caldera with a diameter of almost 4 km. The last eruption of Avachinsky occurred on February 25, 1945.

The active volcano Koryakskaya Sopka (Streloshnaya Sopka) is a true beauty, which in its height surpasses all other volcanoes in the Avacha group, its height is 3456 meters. The volcano's cone is also memorable because deep incisions are clearly visible on it, even if they are covered with snow. Koryaksky and Avachinsky represent a magnificent panorama of the area, clearly visible from tens of kilometers away.

The most active activity of the Koryaksky volcano coincided with Avachinsky, that is, it occurred 7 and 3.5 thousand years ago. The Koryakskaya Sopka volcano has its own characteristics. They are that it is very rarely in the active stage. Unlike its tireless neighbor Avachinsky, the Koryaksky volcano has awakened only three times in historical times and is still active today, but its activity is very moderate.

North-west of the Zhupanovskaya Sopka volcano is the Dzendzur volcano. This is a large but heavily destroyed stratovolcano, which is somewhat inferior in height to Zhupanovsky (its height is 2285 meters). On the southern side of the crater, a passage has formed with frozen lava flows of a rare rope shape, along which the Zhelob stream flows.

There is no reliable information about the volcanic eruption in historical times. Of interest to tourists is the inspection of the Dzendzur fumarole field, the panorama that opens from the top of the volcano.

Volcano Vilyuchinsky

The Vilyuchinsky volcano is located southwest of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, immediately beyond the Avachinskaya Bay. The Vilyuchinskaya Sopka volcano is a natural monument, which is partially located on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park, included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996 in the category " Volcanoes of Kamchatka". The volcano is surrounded on three sides by the picturesque valleys of the Vilyucha, Paratunka and Bolshaya Sarannaya rivers. The volcano got its name from Vilyuchinskaya Bay.

The volcano is extinct, represented by a regular cone, 2,173 meters above sea level. To the north of the Vilyuchinsky volcano there are volcanic formations represented by numerous small cinder cones and lava domes. Among them lie two lakes - Zelenoe and Topolevoye, which owe their appearance to the activity of these volcanoes. At the base of the volcano there are also more acidic rock varieties, and in the southeastern part there are hot springs.

The Ostryi Tolbachik and Plosky Tolbachik volcanoes (Tolbachik, Tolbachinskaya Sopka, Tuluach) form a large volcanic massif that occupies the entire southwestern part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. The base of the massif is represented here by a shield volcano of middle-upper Pleistocene age. The diameter of this shield volcano is 22 km and the height is 1500 meters. By the end of the Upper Pleistocene, the Ostry and Plosky Tolbachik volcanoes formed on this pedestal. These are two fused stratovolcanoes with characteristic structural features, morphology and completely independent eruption centers.

The Ostry Tolbachik volcano is a stratovolcano and has a sharp, icy peak. The southeastern part of the peak is represented by a large open cirque of collapse. The volcano reaches a height of 3682 m. Its lower part is covered by a thick cover of ice and firn, which has spread to the western part of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano. They are interesting both for scientists and for tourists and climbers. The volcano is extinct. Perhaps it operated in the Holocene, in parallel with the Plosky Tolbachik volcano.

The caldera of the Ksudach volcano is a natural monument located on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park, included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996 in the “Volcanoes of Kamchatka” category.

The ancient volcano Ksudach was formed at the turn of the early and middle Pleistocene and reached a height of 2000 m. Its activity rhythmically resumed several times, resulting in the formation of several calderas of different ages and volcanic cones.

The entire eastern part of the caldera of the Ksudach volcano is occupied by two lakes – Klyuchevoye and Nizhneye. Lake Klyuchevoe has an oblong shape, its size is 4x2 km. It is surrounded on almost all sides by steep walls 400-500 meters high; On the northwestern shore there are thermal springs that form the Hot Beach. The heated sand and pumice platform stretches for a distance of up to 200 meters. Thermal water outlets are dispersed and seep through the fine pumice of the shore of Lake Klyuchevoe. Lake Nizhneye, 2 km long, has a drainage through the Teplaya River, which, a kilometer from the source, falls into a narrow gorge with a beautiful waterfall 10 meters high. The natural complex has a unique flavor. Currently, Ksudach is in the stage of weak fumarolic and hydrothermal activity.

Ksudach - one of the most exotic objects in Kamchatka - has been declared a Natural Monument of a landscape-geological nature.

Mutnovsky Volcano (Mutnovskaya Sopka, Mutnaya Sopka, Povorotnaya Sopka) is a natural monument, which is partly located on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park, included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996 in the “Volcanoes of Kamchatka” nomination.

Mutnovsky Volcano is one of the largest volcanoes in Southern Kamchatka, located 70 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The Vulkannaya River, cutting through the bottom and western walls of the North-Eastern Mutnovsky crater, at the exit from it forms a powerful eighty-meter waterfall, and below it forms a deep canyon - Opasny. The canyon and waterfall give the volcano a unique aesthetic value and, along with other criteria, place it among the natural monuments of world significance.

Mutnovsky volcano is a unique object and for this reason attracts close attention of researchers and tourists.

Mutnovsky Volcano is also famous for the fact that on its slope there is the only geothermal station in Kamchatka, and not far from it you can see a kind of mini-valley of geysers, which many consider no less beautiful than its more famous original. Also not far from the active craters are thermal springs, the most notable of which are Severo-Mutnovskie and Dachnye with steam-gas jets, boiling boilers, warm lakes and heated swamps. The Vulkannaya River, emerging from the crater, forms a waterfall 80 m high and forms a deep “Dangerous” canyon in the loose sediments. The combination of these features gives Mutnovsky uniqueness and allows it to be considered on a par with the most outstanding thermal manifestations of the world.

On the banks of the Ozernaya River, there are the famous “Kutkhiny Bati” - pumice “obelisks” that resemble vertically placed giant boats. According to the Itelmen legend, Kuthu - the God and Creator of Kamchatka - before leaving the peninsula, he lived for some time near the Kuril Lake and fished in the sea and on the lake in these stone boats. Leaving Kamchatka, Kuthu placed his bats on the shore, and since then this place began to be considered sacred by the Kamchadals.

After an eruption, many volcanoes become silent for many years, entering the stage of fumarole activity. A fumarole is a stream of gas with a very high temperature: 300-500 degrees C and even 800 degrees C. Releases of vapors and gases with a lower temperature are called solfatars. Most of Kamchatka's active volcanoes are in the fumarole and solfataric phases of activity. The volcano is like a giant flask in which, according to the mysterious laws of nature, chemical substances are mixed, heated and reacted.

Mud pots and mud volcanoes are the small wonders of Kamchatka. They are found in different areas, but most of all in the Uzon caldera and the Valley of Geysers. You just need to inspect them with great care. Getting into boiling clay is much worse than just getting scalded: the clay is not boiling water, it cools slowly, and you can’t wash it off right away. One can only admire and envy the bears, watching how they dashingly cross the steaming thermal areas.

Mud volcanoes act almost like real ones: they smoke and “erupt,” only the intensification of their “volcanic activity” occurs after rain, and in dry, hot weather the volcanoes “fall asleep.”

Kamchatka is famous not only for its natural resources, the beauty of its landscapes and such natural phenomena that amaze the average person as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, geysers gushing water and steam, and salmon running. Kamchatka is also famous for its history.