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Report on Klyuchevskoy (Russia) — April 1994


Klyuchevskoy

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 19, no. 4 (April 1994)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Klyuchevskoy (Russia) Weak fumarolic activity, seismicity, and tremor

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1994. Report on Klyuchevskoy (Russia) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 19:4. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199404-300260



Klyuchevskoy

Russia

56.056°N, 160.642°E; summit elev. 4754 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Seismic stations continued to register both deep and shallow weak earthquakes (average of 6 events/day) and weak volcanic tremor (0-1.5 hours/day) through the end of April. On 29 April there were 11 events/day, but the number of events decreased to 4/day by 5 May. Weak volcanic tremor decreased to 0.1-0.3 hours/day. Seismicity increased during the second week of May when 11-18 earthquakes/day were recorded. As of 18 May, both deep and shallow earthquakes (8-22 events/day) and weak volcanic tremor were continuing beneath the volcano. When the volcano was not obscured by clouds, weak fumarolic activity above the crater was observed in late April and May with a steam plume to <=1 km above the crater.

Geological Summary. Klyuchevskoy (also spelled Kliuchevskoi) is Kamchatka's highest and most active volcano. Since its origin about 6000 years ago, the beautifully symmetrical, 4835-m-high basaltic stratovolcano has produced frequent moderate-volume explosive and effusive eruptions without major periods of inactivity. It rises above a saddle NE of sharp-peaked Kamen volcano and lies SE of the broad Ushkovsky massif. More than 100 flank eruptions have occurred during the past roughly 3000 years, with most lateral craters and cones occurring along radial fissures between the unconfined NE-to-SE flanks of the conical volcano between 500 m and 3600 m elevation. The morphology of the 700-m-wide summit crater has been frequently modified by historical eruptions, which have been recorded since the late-17th century. Historical eruptions have originated primarily from the summit crater, but have also included numerous major explosive and effusive eruptions from flank craters.

Information Contacts: V. Kirianov, IVGG.