The ongoing eruption at Kamchatka’s Klyuchevskoy Volcano has produced ash and volcanic aerosol plumes that could pose a hazard to local aviation in the area. The aviation hazard code for the volcano was raised to orange.
The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team announced that the new summit eruption began on August 15. Lava fountaining continues in the summit crater, while nighttime glow and intense fumarolic activity are being observed above the crater.
Ash clouds rose 7–8 kilometers above sea level
Large-scale collapses of pyroclastic material occurred on the slopes of Apakhonchik Bay on the volcano’s eastern flank for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 23:20 Universal Time on August 16.
The ash clouds formed during these collapses reached an altitude of 7–8 kilometers above sea level. The ash plume from Klyuchevskoy expanded to 100–200 meters wide near the volcano and approximately 25 kilometers wide over the ocean.
No international air routes in the area
The volcanic aerosol plumes may pose a risk to local aviation operations in the area. However, there are no international air routes in the region where the volcano is located.
Klyuchevskoy’s location in Kamchatka
Located in eastern Kamchatka, Klyuchevskoy stands 4,850 meters high. The volcano is 360 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, while the settlement of Klyuchi lies on its slope, 30 kilometers from the summit.
Klyuchevskoy is considered one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
