In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Russia’s Shiveluch volcano, located in the remote Kamchatka region, erupted violently, sending ash soaring up to 20 kilometers above sea level. The local branch of the Russia Academy of Sciences (RAS) Geophysical Survey reported the event.
Seismic activity was initially detected at 12:54 a.m. local time on Tuesday (8:54 a.m. ET on Monday), according to the Geophysical Survey’s statement on Telegram. The volcano continued to erupt for nearly 15 hours after the first signs of activity were observed.
Social media posts from the region showcased the enormous ash cloud in the sky, as well as ash blanketing roads and vehicles in the town of Ust-Kamchatsky, situated approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) from the volcano. Satellite data indicated that the plume cloud, measuring 400 by 250 kilometers, has expanded to the west and south of the volcano, as per the Geophysical Survey.
The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of RAS has assigned a “red” hazard designation—the highest level—for aviation, with Russian state news agency TASS reporting potential risks of hot lava flows obstructing roads. The institute warned that molten lava flows could travel up to 20 kilometers and potentially block the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Ust-Kamchatsky highway.
🌋 The mighty #Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Kamchatka has gone full eruption mode – volcanic ash emissions has reached 20km, right into the stratosphere. #HappeningNow
Gorgeous video of the ash cloud to remind us of the beauty and the force of nature 👇 pic.twitter.com/eQ6TNgfLR1
— Russia 🇷🇺 (@Russia) April 10, 2023
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