News is filtering in that Koryak (aka Koryaksky) Volcano in Kamchatka might be heading towards an explosive eruption. The details are scarce, but it seems that a breach on the northwest slopes of the volcano might cause an explosive eruption, however, it is not clear why this is. All this talk has caused the Petropavlosvk-Kamchatsky Airport (~13 miles northeast) to close in fears of this potential activity.
Koryak is yet another potentially active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, along with currently active BezymiannyKliuchevskoi, Karymsky and Shiveluch. The last eruption at Koryak was in 1956-57 that produced pyroclastic flows and lahars, a VEI of ~3 event. Beyond that, there isn’t too much known about the volcano’s past activity.
{Hat tip to reader Oakden Wolf for pointing us towards the activity.}

4 responses to “Potential Russian eruption closes airport”

  1. Thomas Donlon

    More accurately, the recent pictures at the top of the page that I linked to in my above comment, shows a mixture of steam and ash.
    The several pictures from yesterday don’t capture the reported 4km high ejection of ash – but do show an increase in ash. The pictures could have been taken before – or perhaps after the dispersal of the ash ejection.

  2. Thomas Donlon

    The Volcanism blog had a link to this Russian site with up to date pictures.
    The pictures are clear and show a hole in the side of the snow covered volcano ejecting steam.
    http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current/krk/index.html

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“It’s not far-fetched that almost everywhere in the world where you have volcanoes you have mythologies or new gods being created.”

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