Report on Klyuchevskoy (Russia) — 24 December-30 December 2008
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 24 December-30 December 2008
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2008. Report on Klyuchevskoy (Russia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 24 December-30 December 2008. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Klyuchevskoy
Russia
56.056°N, 160.642°E; summit elev. 4754 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
KVERT reported that seismic activity at Kliuchevskoi was above background levels during 19-26 December. Gas-and-steam plumes containing ash rose to an altitude of 7 km (23,000 ft) a.s.l. during 20-24 December. Lava effusion on the NW flank continued and Strombolian activity was noted during 21-25 December. Analysis of satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly in the crater. Ash plumes drifted 270 km E and NE during 20-25 December.
Geological Summary. Klyuchevskoy is the highest and most active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Since its origin about 6,000 years ago, this symmetrical, basaltic stratovolcano has produced frequent moderate-volume explosive and effusive eruptions without major periods of inactivity. It rises above a saddle NE of Kamen volcano and lies SE of the broad Ushkovsky massif. More than 100 flank eruptions have occurred during approximately the past 3,000 years, with most lateral craters and cones occurring along radial fissures between the unconfined NE-to-SE flanks of the conical volcano between 500 and 3,600 m elevation. Eruptions recorded since the late 17th century have resulted in frequent changes to the morphology of the 700-m-wide summit crater. These eruptions over the past 400 years have originated primarily from the summit crater, but have also included numerous major explosive and effusive eruptions from flank craters.