Sights of SOUTH Kamchatka

The "Avacha" Volcano (2751 m)

This volcano is one of most active volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula.
Some of its prehistoric eruptions were of catastrophic nature.
Later, a new cone of the Avacha was formed there. Its last strong eruption took place in 1945 and continued for 7 hours. About three hundred million tons of slag was thrown out of the crater during a short period of time covering the eastern sector of the volcano. The height of the coating amounted to 1-1,5 miters. It was this very slag that was then used for the construction of new districts within Petropavlovsk.
In January of 1996 the volcano bothered the inhabitants of Petropavlovsk again. The town was covered with a thin coating of ashes. Lava filled the cone and ran over the slopes. At the present time you may see a lava dome instead of the crater well of the depth of 200 m. When will it be broken? Volcanologists who are constantly watching the Avacha had better let us know beforehand.

The "Koryaksky" Volcano (3456 m)

It is rather quiet neighbor of the city Petropavlovsk. Locals experienced its last eruption was between 1955 and 1956. A split (500 m long and 10 up to 15 m wide) appeared its western slope. Even at the present time steam and volcanic gases are very often emitted.

The "Vilyuchinsky" Volcano (2173 m)

The "Vilyuchinsky" Volcano is closest volcano to the city of Petropavlovsk, located in the south. It does not present any danger its local people because it may be considered an extinct volcano.

The "Mutnovsky" Volcano (2324 m)

The "Mutnovsky" Volcano is famous for its crater, which has the shape of an ellipse and its dimensions are 2x1,5 km. It shows strong fumarole activities.
Its last gas eruption was seen in 1961. However, even in the form of fumarole gases and numerous powerful thermal springs. It is one of the largest geothermal deposits in the world. Its total power may be evaluated with a total of 300-400 MW. At the present time there are constructions taking place on the north-western slope of the volcano to set up a geothermal electric station of an output of 150 MW.

The "Gorely" Volcano (1829 m)

It is an active volcano. Its last eruption was in 1980 causing an ashfall onto the city of Petropavlovsk. However, the volcano has been quiet for a while now. Numerous craters on the summit, fresh lava streams up to a length of 15 km as well as a huge caldera (more than 10 km in diameter) narrate about complicated and moving history of the Gorely. It is interesting to know that there is a volcano carring the very same Russian name in the Aleutan volcanic range.

The "Khodutka" Volcano (2090 m)

It does not belong to the category of active volcanoes. By its foothills there may be found the Khodutka hot springs, which give birth to a warm river. The water at the very beginning of the springs shows a temperature 65-670C. Thus, downstream the temperature gradually gets lower so everyone may choose the most comfortable temperature for himself.

The "Ksudach" Volcano (1076 m)

The Ksudach volcano is one of the greatest caldera volcanoes of Kamchatka. Its caldera is about 9 km in diameter is partly occupied by a lake. In 1907, on the Shtubel cone there was a catastrophic eruption. In regards to its power it may be included into ten largest eruptions on earth within the 20th century. More than 2 cubic kilometers of purmice and ash were thrown out turning the enviroment of the volcano into a stone wilderness. It was felt in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and father in the north in distance of 1000 km. As a result of the break out the Shtubel crater (1x1,5 km) was being formed.

The "Koshelevsky" Volcano (1812 m)

It presents a volcanic mass. Large deposits of thermal water are connected with its magmatic center. Drilling for the constructing of a geothermal station is held here as well.

The "Kambalny" Volcano (2160 m)

It is last southern within the seemingly endless volcanic chain of Kamchatka. Not in vain it was refereed to by name "First Hill" in old sailing directions. It was the peak that was used as the most important reference point while sailing along the Kamchatka shores. In historical times the volcano was famous for its fumarole activity. Large geothermal deposits are connected with the Kambalny mountain ridge including Pauzhetka. Since 1964 the first geothermal electronic power station in Kamchatka has been operating here.

Sights of NORTH Kamchatka

The "Zhupanovsky" Volcano (2958 m)

It is situated between the rivers Zhupanova and Nalychave within 70 km form Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The volcano presents a mountain ridge and is covered with eternal snow and ice. It consisits of 4 cones - the Western, the Active, the Old crater and the Eastern. The highest peak (2958 m) belongs to the Eastern cone. The last eruption of lava took place in 1882. Within this century there were 5 eruptions throwing up ash. In 1957 (the last one) ash was thrown out to a height of 2 km.

The "Karymsky" Volcano (1486 m)

It is one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka.
But it is rather small. In the 20th century there were a total of 22 eruptions. The last one happened in 1982. Gas and ash eruptions followed a considerable earthquake. At the foot of the volcano a volcanological (seismological) station was put up.

The "Maly Semyachik" Volcano (1560 m)

The Maly Semyachik volcano has been declared a monument of nature
The most disastrous eruption took place in 1800. The last eruption however was in 1952. The crater of Maly Semyachik volcano contains an acid lake, of which the water holds many mineral components. An especially large content of aluminum is being held there. The diameter of the lake amounts to 500 m, its depth to 140 m.

The "Burlyachy" Volcano

It presents a white hill and is very difficult to notice due to the ancient half-destroyed serrate mass of the Bolshoy Semyachik volcano, closely located to this volcano. Hot springs, clouds of stream and fumaroles are very characteristic for the Burlyachy.

The "Central Semyachik" Volcano

Central Semyachik is in fact a group of active volcanoes. Its shape changed many times by eruptions. The last large eruptions were in the test century. On the northern slope of it there is a boiling mud lake.

The "Kluchevskoy" Volcano (4850 m)

Kluchevskoy is the highest active volcano in both Europe and Asia.
The eruptions assume an explosion or discharge of molten lava. Often this does not come out of the summit crater but through the side ones. There are 69 side craters altogether. A hardened lava stream and a slag cone mark each of them. Here and there are smoking fumaroles to be seen. In October-November of 1966 the Kluchevskoy volcano was in action. As a result of it a new slag cane was created.

The "Kamen" Volcano

It is an extinct sharp peaked volcano situated near Kluchevskoy. It is more like a half of a volcano. At some point of its history it split in two from top to bottom. One half of it collapsed while the second one still stands amazing everyone with its vertical wall.

The "Bezymyanny" Volcano (3000 m)

The name Bezymyanny - Russian for "nameless'
It is very eloquent. For several hundred years the volcano has been quiescent. It used to be an ordinary mountain of about 3000 meters, located on the foothills of an extinct volcano called Kamen. In 1955-56 The Bezymyanny volcano came to life: tremors and earthquakes began, ash and gases were ejected. On the 30th of March of 1956 the volcano eventually erupted. Ir was even considered one of ejected. The height of the ash cloud it throw up was judged to stretch for 34 to 38 km. The cloud was accompanied by growing rumbling and constant lightning. The cloud moved to Kluchy (small town). As it was passing over the town it rained ashes. It was impossible to see your own hand before your own eyes. The area of tens of kilometers around the volcano had been transformed. In about 25 km around the site large trees (some of which are 25-30 cm in diameter) were brought down! Hot magma of almost 1000 C rose from the crater. After the eruption the landscape
reminded of that of the Moon.