Russia’s Shiveluch volcano has erupted in the wake of a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake, causing significant geological and environmental impacts
One of the most active volcanoes in Russia recently erupted and released ash plumes that reached 5km (3 miles) above the Kamchatka Peninsula situated towards its far east. This volcanic activity briefly caused a “code red” alert for airplanes flying over the area.
After a strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Kamchatka on Sunday, experts at the Russian Academy of Sciences noted that Shiveluch volcano had started to emit small explosions. They cautioned that an even stronger seismic event could be impending.
A video released by the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology at the academy demonstrated an ash cloud encompassing Shiveluch, extending beyond 490km (304 miles) towards east and southeast directions from its epicenter.
The Kuril Islands’ Ebeko volcano discharged ash to a height of 2.5 km (1.5 miles), as per the institute’s report, and it remains unclear if the earthquake was responsible for triggering these eruptions.
According to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, an alert was issued for all aircraft in the vicinity due to a “code red” ash cloud warning. However, no aviation infrastructure was damaged and commercial flights remained unaffected as reported by TASS news agency on Sunday.
Russian scientists have issued a warning that the tremors detected in southeastern Kamchatka could be an indication of a more powerful earthquake. The Institute of Volcanology has predicted that another quake, potentially with a magnitude close to 9.0, may occur within the next twenty-four hours.
Russian emergency officials reported that Sunday’s earthquake occurred at a depth of 6km (3.7 miles) beneath the sea bed, with its epicentre located 108km (67 miles) southeast of the nearest city. At present, there have been no reports indicating any immediate injuries resulting from it.
According to reports from Russian news sources, individuals residing in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky observed some of the most intense tremors “in a while”. The port town has a population exceeding 181,000 and is situated on the opposite end of an essential Russian submarine hub.
Despite triggering 30-foot waves in Hawaii, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred on November 4, 1952, in Kamchatka resulted only in damages with no reported casualties.
