A 6,000-meter column of ash: a Russian volcano erupts for the first time in 450 years

The Kracheninnikov volcano, located on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, erupted for the first time in more than 450 years, a few days after a powerful earthquake struck this region of the Russian Far East, local authorities said.

The volcano, which is over 1,800 meters high, is emitting a column of ash reaching 6,000 meters, according to a Telegram post by the local branch of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. “The plume spread eastward toward the Pacific Ocean,” the same source said, adding that no residential areas or tourist groups were in its path.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, which has around 30 active volcanoes, is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet, located at the meeting point between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

This virtually uninhabited territory nevertheless welcomes tourists who come to explore its spectacular mountainous landscapes and natural parks teeming with bears and salmon. According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, the last recorded eruption of Kracheninnikov dates back to 1550.

“We are currently observing a crack on the flank and the formation of a lava dome, accompanied by powerful gas activity,” Guirina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), told Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

This is the latest manifestation of intense geological activity in this region since Wednesday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, which triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific.

On Wednesday, the highest volcano on the peninsula, Klyuchevskoy (4,750 meters), erupted. The region recorded more than 65 earthquakes on Saturday, according to Russian geophysical services.