Russia: Eurasia's most active Klyuchevskoy volcano erupts after megaquake
What's the story
The Klyuchevskoy volcano, the tallest and most active in the Eurasia region, has erupted on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula hours after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the region. The megaquake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, with waves as high as 3-4 meters reported in Kamchatka. It was recorded offshore at a shallow depth of 19.3km, with its epicenter located 119km southeast of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city.
Eruption after quake
Glowing lava seen descending on western slope
In a social media post, the Russian Academy of Sciences' United Geophysical Service confirmed that glowing lava was seen descending on the western slope of Klyuchevskoy volcano. Standing at 4,750 meters, the volcano also emitted a powerful glow accompanied by explosions, visible for miles. However, experts say this sequence of such seismic and volcanic activities is common in the tectonically active Kamchatka region. Notably, the Kamchatka Peninsula is home to nearly 300 volcanoes, including 29 active ones.
Earthquake impact
Tsunami warnings issued in multiple regions
The powerful earthquake off Russia's far eastern coast struck early Wednesday, damaging several buildings and injuring a few people. It prompted emergency declarations and evacuations across the Pacific, while tsunami warnings were issued in multiple regions, including French Polynesia and Chile. However, the warnings were later downgraded in Japan, Russia, and Hawaii. The earthquake is one of the strongest to hit the region since 1952.
Information
Volcano has been showing signs of eruption
The Klyuchevskoy volcano has erupted several times in recent years. In fact, scientists predicted an eruption weeks ago as the volcano's crater had been filling with lava and ash plumes were being emitted from the mountain.