Red Alert Declared over Kamchatka’s Shiveluch Eruptions
The Shiveluch volcano on Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East has erupted ash rising to an altitude of 8 km above sea level, ITAR-TASS reports. Currently there is no danger for local communities. And the eruptions was accompanied by underground shocks which lasted 3.5 minutes. And a “Red Alert” now has been declared following the eruption of the Shiveluch volcano in Russia’s Far East Kamchatka region. It is the highest aviation safety alert, meaning that the volcano presents extreme danger to all aircraft, a local geophysics agency said.
The Shiveluch volcano is the most northern and the most active volcano on Kamchatka. The volcano became active in 1980. The Shiveluch volcano on Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted ash rising to an altitude of 8 km above sea level, the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service confirmed on Friday, June 15, 2012.
As stated that currently no danger for local communities exist for the moment. However this could change after a report by the KVERT “Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team” The eruption was accompanied by underground shocks which lasted 3.5 minutes. The volcano is now on the orange aviation code. Ash emitted from its crater might pose danger to aircraft flying over Kamchatka. Ash emissions from the crater to an altitude of over ten kilometers are possible any moment.
The Shiveluch volcano is the most northern and the most active volcano on Kamchatka. The volcano became active in 1980. At least 60 large eruptions of Shiveluch have occurred during the Holocene, making it the most vigorous andesitic volcano of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Widespread tephra layers from these eruptions have provided valuable time markers for dating volcanic events in Kamchatka. Frequent collapses of dome complexes, most recently in 1964, have produced debris avalanches whose deposits cover much of the floor of the breached caldera.
Background
Shiveluch began forming about 60,000 to 70,000 years ago, and it has had at least 60 large eruptions during the Holocene. During this era, the most intense period of volcanism including frequent large and moderate eruptions occurred around 6500–6400 BC, 2250–2000 BC, and AD 50–650. This coincides with the peak of activity in other Kamchatka volcanoes. The current active period started around 900 BC. Since then, the large and moderate eruptions has been following each other in 50–400 year-long intervals. Catastrophic eruptions took place in 1854 and 1956, when a large part of the lava dome collapsed and created a devastating debris avalanche. Wikipedia
The most recent eruption of Young Shiveluch started on August 15, 1999, and continues as of 2010.
