Erupting Shiveluch volcano throws ash to a height of 8.5 km

The Shiveluch volcano erupting in Kamchatka ejected a column of ash to a height of 8.5 km above sea level on Friday morning, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Monitoring Team (KVERT) of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (IVS) of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.

The ash plume extended 120 km to the east of the volcano.

Meanwhile, the threat of Shiveluch to aviation has slightly decreased. The color code of the volcano's aviation hazard has been changed from red to orange.

The explosive eruption of the Shiveluch volcano occurred on the evening of November 7, with several powerful ash emissions to a height of up to 11 km above sea level. The emissions are continuing, but weaker.

According to IVS, a powerful explosive event occurred in the area of ​​the new lava dome named after the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which is located next to the old Karan dome.

Satellite images (infrared spectral channel of the VIIRS satellite) show hot pyroclastic deposits that formed as a result of this eruption. The flow of hot deposits is clearly visible on the western slope of the volcano. The length of the flow is more than 10 km.

In turn, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences believes that Shiveluch has become even more dangerous.

According to geophysicists, before the eruption on November 7, seismicity at Shiveluch was at a background level; a weak thermal anomaly and steam-gas activity were observed on the volcano. Previously, such events were not typical for Shiveluch; usually, the preparation of an eruption was quite clearly reflected in seismic signals.

"This situation should now be taken into account. Shiveluch has become even more dangerous," the scientists believe.

The height of Shiveluch is 3,283 meters. It is the northernmost active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The giant is located 450 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The nearest settlement, the village of Klyuchi, is 50 kilometers from its foot. Shiveluch is one of the most active volcanoes on the peninsula.

Photo kamchatinfo.com