Shvelch volcano spewing smoke on November 20, 2022 in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. (Screenshot via Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences/NTD via Reuters)
MOSCOW—Soaring clouds of ash and glowing lava erupt from two volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Extending into the Pacific about 6,600 kilometers (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, the peninsula is home to about 30 active volcanoes and is one of the most geothermally active areas in the world.
The sudden new activity followed Saturday’s strong earthquake, according to news reports.
At 4,754 meters (about 16,000 feet), Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Eurasia’s highest active volcano, records as many as 10 eruptions per hour, according to the Institute of Volcanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Lava flows and ash emissions are also coming from Sivelti volcano, the institute said.
Kamchatka is sparsely populated. The town of Klüč, with a population of about 5,000, lies between two volcanoes, 30 to 50 kilometers (20 to 30 miles) from each.
The volcano is about 450 kilometers (270 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the only major city on the peninsula.
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