On the morning of September 18, the Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka ejected a column of volcanic ash reaching an altitude of up to 4,000 meters. The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported that the ensuing ash cloud stretched for 40 kilometers westward from the volcano. As a result, an "orange" code aviation hazard warning has been issued for the area.

Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes. Its structure comprises three main elements: the Old Shiveluch volcano, an ancient caldera, and the active Young Shiveluch cone, whose lava dome stands at 2,500 meters. The volcano is situated at the convergence of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island arcs, approximately 50 km from the town of Klyuchi and 450 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Shiveluch is estimated to be around 60,000-70,000 years old.

Photo: Yuri Demyanchuk, IVS FEB RAS (archive)