A long-dormant volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula erupted overnight into Sunday, marking what scientists believe is its first eruption in several centuries. The Krasheninnikov volcano, located within the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, spewed ash nearly 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) into the atmosphere.
Dramatic images released by Russian state media showed thick plumes of ash billowing high above the volcano. Authorities reported the ash cloud drifting eastward toward the Pacific Ocean, away from populated areas. No ashfall has been reported in any inhabited regions, according to Kamchatka’s regional emergency ministry.
The eruption was accompanied by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and initially triggered tsunami warnings for parts of Kamchatka. Those warnings were later lifted by emergency officials.
“This is the first historically verified eruption of Krasheninnikov in 600 years,” said Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, in comments to Russian media. However, the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program in the U.S. lists the last known eruption as occurring in 1550—approximately 475 years ago. The discrepancy in historical records remains unexplained.
By late Sunday, scientists reported that the volcano’s intensity had decreased, although moderate explosive activity might still occur in the near term.
The eruption followed a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia’s Far East last Wednesday. That quake generated minor tsunami waves reaching as far as Japan and Alaska and led to precautionary tsunami alerts across Hawaii, North and Central America, and Pacific island nations as far south as New Zealand.
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