Klyuchevskaya Sopka is an active volcano in the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Administrative affiliation: Ust-Kamchatsky District, Kamchatka Territory, Russian Federation. Located 60 km from the Pacific coast. Mountain system - Eastern ridge. Belongs to the type of stratovolcanoes.
It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Over the past, about 300 years, there have been more than 50 strong eruptions. Only in the XX century the volcano showed strong activity 15 times!
Folded with andesite-basaltic lava. The regular cone with an all-time smoking crater is complicated by 84 side cones and craters. At the foot of the volcano, in the village of Klyuchi, there is a volcanological station.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka - coordinates
The geographical coordinates of the volcano are 56 ° 04 ′ north latitude; 160 ° 38 ′ East
Description of the volcano
Promotional video:
The Kamchatka Peninsula is considered a land of volcanoes, located at the junction of two large tectonic plates, the Eurasian and the Pacific, the movements of which cause volcanic processes. Volcanoes stretch in a chain across the entire peninsula. There are more than 140 of them, but only 28 are active. Among the volcanoes of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, significant sizes are distinguished.
Occupies an area of 5 km, a height of about 4750 - 4850 meters, can change with the next eruption. The base diameter is about 15 km, the diameter of the crater is 550–600 m, the steepness of the slopes is 32–33 °.
The volcano has a pretty picturesque view. Here is how the geologist VI Lebedinsky described it: “Among the hills and wooded valleys, gigantic conical peaks, covered with eternal snow and ice, rise. In the center there is an amazingly regular cone of Klyuchevskoy volcano, which gradually emits white vapors, then violently throws out formidable dark gray clouds of gas and dust. The volcano is especially beautiful on a clear sunny day, when snow and ice glitter, covering the round lifeless slopes."
The lava emitted by most of Kamchatka's volcanoes has a viscous and thick consistency, so from time to time corks appear in the vent. During subsequent explosions of the volcano, they are thrown to the surface along with ash and volcanic gas.
During the eruption of Klyuchevskaya Sopka in 1907, in two days the volcano erupted 3 billion m3 of loose matter, which filled the entire space around. It got dark as night at that time in Petropavlovsk, although the city is located at a decent distance from Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Snow on the streets covered such a thick layer of ash that the sleigh got stuck in it.
Volcanic eruption (eyewitness account)
The eruption of Klyuchevskaya Sopka is an eerie and at the same time amazing, exciting sight. This is how an eyewitness described the explosion of this volcano, which occurred in 1945: “From the crater, almost continuously, now weakening, now gaining strength, a majestic fountain of liquid lava rose to a height of up to 300 meters, which seemed fiery red during the day, and blindingly golden at night. yellow. The lava in the throat initially swelled, and then, with the sound of a splash of heavy liquid, it swiftly flew up in a huge lump with torn outlines, which in the air crumbled into numerous bizarre flakes of fire.
Along with the gushing of lava, its abundant outpouring took place. A stream, bursting with heat, red and white in the middle and dark crimson at the edges, with a rumble, hiss and crunch, smoothly rolled down the gully, at times crossing streams, and then the steam generated caused explosions, throwing out pillars of red brown ash that looked like cauliflower, and dull red chunks of cooling lava."
From the history of the volcano
The volcano is approximately 7,000 years old. The name of the volcano, in all likelihood, comes from the name of the river flowing near its foot. Klyuchevkoy was the name of the river, settled in this area by the Cossacks, who founded the village of Klyuchi, near hot springs, non-freezing even in winter.
The first ascent of Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, which was officially registered, dates from 4 to 8 August 1788. Then the Russian expedition, led by Billings, approached the base of the mountain, and the mountain conductor Daniil Gaus, driven by curiosity, was able to climb to the top of the volcano along with several of his companions …
Note for tourists
The best time to visit Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the second half of July, August, September.
The volcano is very popular with active tourists and climbers. Many of the travel agencies of the Kamchatka Territory offer tours of varying degrees of difficulty with a visit to the vicinity of the Sopka and the ascent to the top. There is also an opportunity to fly around the volcano by helicopter or combine a walking tour and a helicopter tour.
On a walking tour to the volcano, you can, if you wish, collect a wonderful collection of interesting samples of volcanic rocks. In the vicinity of Sopka you can fish, pick berries and mushrooms. In the village of Klyuchi, located on the right bank of the Kamchatka River, about 30 km from the volcano, you can buy local souvenirs, postcards depicting the volcano, etc.
The village of Klyuchi also offers a wonderful view of the volcano. All major tourist routes to the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes originate from this village.
This volcano has collected the largest number of victims in comparison with other volcanoes in Kamchatka. The main reason for them is carelessness and disregard for the rules of mountaineering safety. There is only one known case of the death of a young glaciologist A. Ivanov in August 1978, not through the fault of the people themselves, when in the middle of the night a volcanic bomb landed in the tent where he slept with his comrades, which flew out during a strong explosion.
Interesting Facts
• In our time, of all the volcanoes of Eurasia, Klyuchevskaya Sopka is second only to Karymskaya Sopka in activity, but to a large extent surpasses it in power.
• It happened that the volcano spewed flame continuously for 4 years (1727-1731)
• The 2012 eruption received a yellow aviation color code: it warns of the potential danger of volcanic ash and gas for engines flying in the area of the eruption of aircraft. The eruption of 2013 was assigned the highest - "red" - hazard code.
• 2005 - an ash explosion rose to a record height of 8,000 meters.
• On the southern slope of the volcano, at the source of the Studenaya River, there is a natural monument "Glade of Edelweiss" - this is the only place where these flowers grow in Kamchatka.