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Kambalny

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 51.306°N
  • 156.875°E

  • 2,116 m
    6,942 ft

  • 300010
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

Most Recent Weekly Report: 17 May-23 May 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

On 19 May KVERT reported that the eruption at Kambalny likely had ended, with only gas-and-steam activity observed during the previous month. The explosive phase began on 24 March and ended on 10 April. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Green.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


Most Recent Bulletin Report: July 2017 (BGVN 42:07) Citation IconCite this Report

First major eruption in over 600 years consists of large ash explosions during March-April 2017

The last major eruption at Kambalny volcano was around 1350, although younger undated tephra layers have been found; there are also five Holocene cinder cones on the W and SE flanks. According to the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), a new eruption began began at about 2120 UTC on 24 March 2017. Satellite data showed an initial ash plume at about 5-6 km altitude drifting about 35 km SW from the volcano.

Explosive activity was strong during 24-27 March, generating ash plumes up to 7 km high that drifted downwind as far as 2,000 km (table 1). Activity then decreased, with only minor ash emissions through 6 April, followed by ash plumes that drifted 50 and 170 km on 9 and 10 April, respectively. Only gas-and-steam plumes were reported after that time.

Table 1. Chronological details of the March-April 2017 eruption of Kambalny. Data from KVERT reports.

Date Time (UTC) Plume height (km) Drift (km) Other observations
24 Mar 2017 2250 5-6 35 SW Aviation Color Code Orange
25 Mar 2017 0053 5-6 100 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 0240 5-6 163 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 0409 5-7 255 SW --
25 Mar 2017 1250 5 550 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 1807 6 870 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 2250 5.5 930 S --
26 Mar 2017 0530 5 1,350 SSE --
26 Mar 2017 2131 3.5-4 670 SE --
27 Mar 2017 0041 5 830 SE --
27 Mar 2017 0347 4-4.5 425 SE --
27 Mar 2017 2119 4-5 51 W --
27-31 Mar 2017 -- 5-6 2,000 W to SE --
01 Apr 2017 -- -- 200 E, SE Quiet.
02-04 Apr 2017 -- 7 -- Minor ash emissions thru 6 Apr; satellite thermal anomaly 3-4 Apr.
09 Apr 2017 -- 7 50 NE --
10 Apr 2017 -- -- 170 SE --
12 Apr 2017 -- -- -- Gas-and-steam activity.
21-28 Apr 2017 -- -- -- Moderate activity.
05 May 2017 -- -- -- Aviation Color Code Yellow. Moderate gas-steam activity.
19 May 2017 -- -- -- Aviation Color Code Yellow Green. Only gas-steam activity during last month; explosive phase began 24 Mar, ended 10 Apr 2017.

On 25 March satellite imagery showed an ash plume stretching about 100 km SW of the Kamchatka Peninsula (figure 1). A dark stain is visible to the W of the plume, where ash has covered the snow. By 26 March ashfall had covered the ground on both sides of the volcano. The eruption was also observed on the ground by staff at the South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary (figure 2). The Ozone Monitoring Instrument on the Aura satellite observed an airborne plume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) trailing S of Kamchatka on 26 March 2017 (figure 3).

Figure (see Caption) Figure 1. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured a natural-color image of Kambalny and its plume on 25 March 2017, the day after it began to erupt (N to top of photo.) By 0134 UTC (1334 local time) that day, the plume stretched about 100 km SW. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; image prepared by Jeff Schmatlz and Joshua Stevens using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response, and caption by Pola Lem.
Figure (see Caption) Figure 2. Eruption of Kambalny on 25 March 2017. Photo by Liana Varavskaya, South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary (URL: http://www.kronoki.ru/news/1187).
Figure (see Caption) Figure 3. Sulfur dioxide in the 26 March 2017 plume from Kambalny eruption. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; map by Joshua Stevens using data from the Aura OMI science team.

On 28 March 2017, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired a natural-color image of an ash plume from Kambalny (figure 4), including a large area of ash-covered snow. When photographed by scientists on 12 April (figure 5), the entire edifice was covered by ash and there was a gas-and-steam plume rising from a crater fumarole.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 4. Ash plume from Kambalny moving WNW on 28 March 2017. A large area of ash-covered snow is visible across the southern portion of the image. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; image by Joshua Stevens using Landsat 8 OLI data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure (see Caption) Figure 5. A small gas-and-steam plume rises from a fumarole in the Kambalny crater on 12 April 2017. View is from the S. Photo by A. Sokorenko; courtesy of IVS FEB RAS.

Information Contacts: Kamchatka Volcanic Eruptions Response Team (KVERT), Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 9 Piip Blvd., Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006, Russia (URL: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/); Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, (IVS FEB RAS), 9 Piip Blvd., Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 683006, Russia (URL: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/eng/); South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Kamchatka Territory 684000, Russia (URL: http://www.kronoki.ru/); NASA Earth Observatory, EOS Project Science Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard, Maryland, USA (URL: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), Global Sulfur Dioxide Monitoring Page, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Goddard, Maryland, USA (URL: https://so2.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

Weekly Reports - Index


2017: March | April | May


17 May-23 May 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

On 19 May KVERT reported that the eruption at Kambalny likely had ended, with only gas-and-steam activity observed during the previous month. The explosive phase began on 24 March and ended on 10 April. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Green.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


3 May-9 May 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

On 5 May KVERT reported that conditions at Kambalny were quiet the previous week. The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Yellow.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


26 April-2 May 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

KVERT reported that moderate levels of activity at Kambalny continued during 21-28 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


19 April-25 April 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

KVERT reported that moderate activity at Kambalny continued during 15-21 April. Observers in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary noted minor ashfall in the Kurilskoe Lake area on 19 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


12 April-18 April 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

KVERT reported that observers in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary noted an ash plume from Kambalny rising to an altitude of 7 km (23,000 ft) a.s.l. on 9 April. Ash plumes identified in satellite images drifted 50 km NE on 9 April and about 170 km SE the next day. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


5 April-11 April 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

Based on satellite data, KVERT reported that Kambalny was quiet on 1 April. Explosions on 2 April generated ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 7 km (23,000 ft) a.s.l., and then minor ash emissions occurred at least through 6 April. Ash plumes drifted 200 km E and SE during 2-4 April, and a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images during 3-4 April. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


29 March-4 April 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

KVERT reported that the eruption that began at Kambalny at 2110 on 24 March continued through 31 March. Observers reported that explosions generated ash plumes that rose 5-6 km (16,400-19,700 ft) a.s.l. Satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 2,000 km W, SW, S, and SE during 24-30 March. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Source: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)


22 March-28 March 2017 Citation IconCite this Report

KVERT reported that the onset of an eruption at Kambalny, witnessed by staff at the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve, began at 0950 on 25 March. Satellite data showed an ash plume drifting 35 km SW at altitudes of 5-6 km (16,400-19,700 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale). The eruption intensified later that day, with ash plumes rising as high as 7 km (23,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifting as far as 255 km SSW. Ash plumes continued to be generated at least through 28 March, varying in altitude from 3.5-6 km (11,500-19,700 ft) a.s.l. and drifting as far as 1,350 km SSW, S, SSE, and SE during 26-27 March, and 51 km W on 28 March.

Sources: Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT); Kronotsky State Nature Reserve


Bulletin Reports - Index

Reports are organized chronologically and indexed below by Month/Year (Publication Volume:Number), and include a one-line summary. Click on the index link or scroll down to read the reports.

07/2017 (BGVN 42:07) First major eruption in over 600 years consists of large ash explosions during March-April 2017




Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


July 2017 (BGVN 42:07) Citation IconCite this Report

First major eruption in over 600 years consists of large ash explosions during March-April 2017

The last major eruption at Kambalny volcano was around 1350, although younger undated tephra layers have been found; there are also five Holocene cinder cones on the W and SE flanks. According to the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), a new eruption began began at about 2120 UTC on 24 March 2017. Satellite data showed an initial ash plume at about 5-6 km altitude drifting about 35 km SW from the volcano.

Explosive activity was strong during 24-27 March, generating ash plumes up to 7 km high that drifted downwind as far as 2,000 km (table 1). Activity then decreased, with only minor ash emissions through 6 April, followed by ash plumes that drifted 50 and 170 km on 9 and 10 April, respectively. Only gas-and-steam plumes were reported after that time.

Table 1. Chronological details of the March-April 2017 eruption of Kambalny. Data from KVERT reports.

Date Time (UTC) Plume height (km) Drift (km) Other observations
24 Mar 2017 2250 5-6 35 SW Aviation Color Code Orange
25 Mar 2017 0053 5-6 100 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 0240 5-6 163 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 0409 5-7 255 SW --
25 Mar 2017 1250 5 550 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 1807 6 870 SSW --
25 Mar 2017 2250 5.5 930 S --
26 Mar 2017 0530 5 1,350 SSE --
26 Mar 2017 2131 3.5-4 670 SE --
27 Mar 2017 0041 5 830 SE --
27 Mar 2017 0347 4-4.5 425 SE --
27 Mar 2017 2119 4-5 51 W --
27-31 Mar 2017 -- 5-6 2,000 W to SE --
01 Apr 2017 -- -- 200 E, SE Quiet.
02-04 Apr 2017 -- 7 -- Minor ash emissions thru 6 Apr; satellite thermal anomaly 3-4 Apr.
09 Apr 2017 -- 7 50 NE --
10 Apr 2017 -- -- 170 SE --
12 Apr 2017 -- -- -- Gas-and-steam activity.
21-28 Apr 2017 -- -- -- Moderate activity.
05 May 2017 -- -- -- Aviation Color Code Yellow. Moderate gas-steam activity.
19 May 2017 -- -- -- Aviation Color Code Yellow Green. Only gas-steam activity during last month; explosive phase began 24 Mar, ended 10 Apr 2017.

On 25 March satellite imagery showed an ash plume stretching about 100 km SW of the Kamchatka Peninsula (figure 1). A dark stain is visible to the W of the plume, where ash has covered the snow. By 26 March ashfall had covered the ground on both sides of the volcano. The eruption was also observed on the ground by staff at the South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary (figure 2). The Ozone Monitoring Instrument on the Aura satellite observed an airborne plume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) trailing S of Kamchatka on 26 March 2017 (figure 3).

Figure (see Caption) Figure 1. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured a natural-color image of Kambalny and its plume on 25 March 2017, the day after it began to erupt (N to top of photo.) By 0134 UTC (1334 local time) that day, the plume stretched about 100 km SW. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; image prepared by Jeff Schmatlz and Joshua Stevens using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response, and caption by Pola Lem.
Figure (see Caption) Figure 2. Eruption of Kambalny on 25 March 2017. Photo by Liana Varavskaya, South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary (URL: http://www.kronoki.ru/news/1187).
Figure (see Caption) Figure 3. Sulfur dioxide in the 26 March 2017 plume from Kambalny eruption. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; map by Joshua Stevens using data from the Aura OMI science team.

On 28 March 2017, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired a natural-color image of an ash plume from Kambalny (figure 4), including a large area of ash-covered snow. When photographed by scientists on 12 April (figure 5), the entire edifice was covered by ash and there was a gas-and-steam plume rising from a crater fumarole.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 4. Ash plume from Kambalny moving WNW on 28 March 2017. A large area of ash-covered snow is visible across the southern portion of the image. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory; image by Joshua Stevens using Landsat 8 OLI data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure (see Caption) Figure 5. A small gas-and-steam plume rises from a fumarole in the Kambalny crater on 12 April 2017. View is from the S. Photo by A. Sokorenko; courtesy of IVS FEB RAS.

Information Contacts: Kamchatka Volcanic Eruptions Response Team (KVERT), Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 9 Piip Blvd., Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 683006, Russia (URL: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/); Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, (IVS FEB RAS), 9 Piip Blvd., Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 683006, Russia (URL: http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/eng/); South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Kamchatka Territory 684000, Russia (URL: http://www.kronoki.ru/); NASA Earth Observatory, EOS Project Science Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard, Maryland, USA (URL: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), Global Sulfur Dioxide Monitoring Page, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Goddard, Maryland, USA (URL: https://so2.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

2017 Mar 24 - 2017 Apr 23 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3

Episode 1 | Eruption Summit crater
2017 Mar 24 - 2017 Apr 23 Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 15 Events for Episode 1 at Summit crater

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
2017 Mar 24 2017 Mar 26 Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8, KVERT, KBGS, and UHPP information, The Tokyo VAAC reported an ash emission at 2120 UTC on 24 March that extended SW at 6.7 km altitude. At 0350 UTC the next day ash extended SSW at 7.0 km altitude. Continuing ash emissions were moving SW at 7.0 km altitude through 1440 UTC on 26 March.
2017 Mar 25 2017 Mar 31 Ash Plume KVERT reported that the onset of an eruption at Kambalny, witnessed by staff at the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve, began at 0950 on 25 March. Satellite data showed an ash plume drifting 35 km SW at altitudes of 5-6 km. The eruption intensified later that day, with ash plumes rising as high as 7 km and drifting as far as 255 km SSW. Ash plumes continued to be generated through 31 March, varying in altitude from 3.5-6 km. Satellite images showed ash plumes drifting 2,000 km W, SW, S, and SE during 24-30 March.
2017 Mar 26 2017 Mar 31 Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8 and KVERT information, The Tokyo VAAC reported ash emissions continuing from 1720 UTC on 26 March, moving SE, NW, W, and SW at 6.1 km altitude through 1120 UTC on 30 March. Possible ash emissions emissions continued moving S and SE from 1720 UTC on 30 March through 0520 UTC on 31 March at 6.1 km altitude. Ash had dissipated on satellite imagery by 1140 UTC on 31 March.
2017 Apr 2    - - - - Explosion KVERT reported that explosions on 2 April generated ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 7 km.
2017 Apr 2 2017 Apr 3 Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8 and KVERT information, The Tokyo VAAC reported a possible ash emission observed at 1850 UTC on 2 April extending E at 7.9 km altitude. Continuing ash emissions moving E at 7.9 km altitude were reported from 2320 UTC on 2 April through 1120 UTC on 3 April. Ash had dissipated on satellite imagery by 1720 UTC on 3 April.
2017 Apr 2 2017 Apr 6 Ash Plume KVERT reported that explosions on 2 April generated ash plumes that rose to an altitude of 7 km and then minor ash emissions occurred at least through 6 April. Ash plumes drifted 200 km E and SE during 2-4 April.
2017 Apr 2    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index) VEI 3
2017 Apr 3 2017 Apr 4 Thermal Anomaly KVERT reported a thermal anomaly was identified in satellite images.
2017 Apr 9    - - - - Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8 and UHPP information, The Tokyo VAAC reported ash at 0630 UTC extending N at 3.0 km altitude. At 1120 UTC possible ash was continuously observed in satellite imagery extending N at 4.6 km altitude. Ash had dissipated in satellite imagery by 1720 UTC.
2017 Apr 9 2017 Apr 10 Ash Plume KVERT reported that observers in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary noted an ash plume rising to an altitude of 7 km on 9 April. Ash plumes identified in satellite images drifted 50 km NE on 9 April and about 170 km SE the next day.
2017 Apr 10 2017 Apr 11 Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8 and KVERT information, the Tokyo VAAC reported a possible ash emission observed at 2200 UTC on 10 April extending S at 3.9 km altitude. Possible ash was continuously observed on satellite imagery at 0530 UTC the next day moving SE at 3.9 km altitude. Ash was not identifiable on satellite imagery by 1120 UTC.
2017 Apr 15 2017 Apr 21 Ash Plume KVERT reported that moderate activity at Kambalny continued.
2017 Apr 19    - - - - Ashfall Observers in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary noted minor ashfall in the Kurilskoe Lake area.
2017 Apr 21 2017 Apr 28 Ash Plume KVERT reported that moderate levels of activity continued.
2017 Apr 23 2017 Apr 24 Ash Plume Based on HIMAWARI-8 and UHPP information, the Tokyo VAAC reported ash at 2245 UTC moving S at 3.0 km altitude. At 0220 UTC the next day, ash was continuously observed on satellite imagery moving SW at 3.0 km altitude. By 0530 UTC ash was not identifiable in satellite imagery.

1350 (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1350 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Kambalny.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Kambalny.

Photo Gallery

Kambalny (left-center) and Koshelev (far right) volcanoes rise above the Kurile Lake caldera to the SW, one of the scenic highlights of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Kambalny is the southernmost large volcano in Kamchatka. Both volcanoes have produced recent lava flows from flank vents on complex older structures. The small island in Kurile Lake caldera is the "Heart of Alaid," a rhyolitic lava dome.

Photo by Nikolai Smelov, 1980 (courtesy of Vera Ponomareva, Inst. Volcanic Geology & Geochemistry, Petropavlovsk).
Kambalny (left) and Koshelev (right) rise above the SW shore of Kurile Lake caldera at the southern tip of Kamchatka. The caldera formed in two stages, the first about 41,500 radiocarbon years ago and the second about 7,600 years ago during one of Kamchatka's largest Holocene eruptions. The small island (right-center) is the lava dome referred to as the "Heart of Alaid”. The peak on the distant horizon at right-center is Alaid in the Kuril Islands.

Photo by Nikolai Smelov, 1996 (courtesy of Vera Ponomareva, Inst. Volcanic Geology & Geochemistry, Petropavlovsk).
Kambalny is the southernmost large volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula, seen here above the SW shores of Kurile Lake caldera. There are scoria cones and lava flows on the W and SE flanks that suggest the possibility of very recent eruptions. Active fumarolic areas are found on the flanks.

Photo by Nikolai Smelov, 1996 (courtesy of Vera Ponomareva, Inst. Volcanic Geology & Geochemistry, Petropavlovsk).
GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Kambalny in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites