Volcanoes of the Kuril Islands. Underwater volcanic group "Paramushirskaya" of the most famous volcanoes of Kamchatka

Alaid is the highest of the Kuril volcanoes, the peak of which rises above the ground at 2339 m. It is located on Atlasov Island, which stands alone in the north of the ridge and erupts every 30-40 years. The peak of Alaid in cloudless clear weather can be seen from the shores of Kamchatka, it is assumed that it was it that Vladimir Atlasov, the discoverer of the peninsula, described in his report in the 17th century.

Volcano Krenitsyn

One of the most wonderful places in the world is the North Kuril island Onekotan in the Sakhalin region with its Krenitsina volcano (1325 m) in the Tao-Rusyr caldera. It is the largest volcano in the volcano on the globe. Few people manage to see this unique pearl of the Kuriles, especially after the border guards left the island in 2005. And even fewer people have visited the volcano itself, standing in the middle of a water-filled caldera.

Volcano Curly

Volcano Kudryavy (986 m), which has become world famous, is located in the north-eastern part of the Kuril island of Iturup, in the very center of the most beautiful Medvezhiy ridge. The volcano has several craters. In calm weather, the height of vertical columns of gas and steam above them reaches 1000 m. This place is also known for the fact that a deposit of terribly expensive and little-studied metal with amazing properties was discovered here. We are talking about rhenium, the last of the discovered non-radioactive chemical elements.

Volcano Tyatya

Tyatya is the highest volcano on the island. Kunashir is its unofficial symbol. It is located in the northeastern outback, which was depopulated after the volcanic eruption in 1973. The eruption was so strong that volcanic ash reached the coast of about. Shikotan, located 80 km. from the scene of the giant mountain.

The Kuril Islands got their name from the name of the people who inhabited them before the arrival of the Russians and Japanese. They called themselves Ainu. “Kuru” in the language of these people meant “man” and in meaning did not differ much from “Ainu”. Cossacks from the first Russian expeditions began to call them "smokers" or "smokers", and then the name of the entire archipelago came from here.

The word “kuru” turned out to be consonant with the Russian “smoke” - after all, there is always smoke over the volcanoes, which are many in the Kuriles. However, it must be remembered that, after all, the word that gave the Kuriles their current name is not of Russian, but of Ainu origin.

The Kuriles are a chain of 56 islands, from Kamchatka to Hokkaido, which includes two parallel ridges - the Greater and Lesser Kuril Islands. They separate the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean.

Waterfall Ilya Muromets

The waterfall, which for a long time was considered the highest in Russia, is located on the island of Iturup. The height of the "hero" is 141 meters - about the same as a 40-story building. The name of the epic hero was given to the waterfall in 1946 by the participants of the Sakhalin research expedition.

Alaid is the highest and northernmost volcano of the Kuril Islands. Its height is 2339 m. There is a legend that Alaid used to be located in the south of Kamchatka, but other mountains expelled it: due to the fact that it was the largest, the volcano obscured the light. Since then, Alaid has been standing alone - on Atlasov Island in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. And on the Kuril Lake in Kamchatka, the island of the Heart of Alaid remained.

The most active volcano from the Kuril group is located on the island of Matua of the Great Kuril Ridge. It got its name in honor of the Russian navigator and hydrographer Gavriil Sarychev. The height of the volcano is 1446 meters above sea level.

Only in the last century, the Sarychev volcano erupted seven times. One of the most powerful eruptions was recorded in 1946: then a stream of a mixture of volcanic gases, ash and stones reached the sea. The last time the volcano erupted in 2009, this led to an increase in the island's area by 1.5 square kilometers.

Volcano Tyatya, located on the Kunashir Island of the Great Kuril Ridge, is considered one of the most beautiful on the planet. This is a “volcano within a volcano” that has an absolutely regular shape. A younger central cone protrudes above the comb-like part of the ancient volcano. The height of Tyati, by the way, recognized as one of the seven wonders of Sakhalin, is 1819 meters. It is similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris: in clear weather, the volcano can be seen from anywhere in Kunashir.

In 1973, the strongest volcanic eruption occurred, as a result of which the ashes settled within a radius of 80 kilometers. Because of this, the nearby large village of Tyatino was abandoned by people. The volcano is considered dangerous for aircraft: it is known that in different years several helicopters crashed near its summit. It is possible that the cause of the catastrophes was poisonous gases, which unexpectedly periodically eject a side crater.

Historic Tyati eruptions occurred in 1812 and 1973. The volcano is still restless now: weak activity is observed in the central crater.

Volcano! How much fear and excitement is contained in this word. Everyone knows that Russia is rich in the presence of active and extinct volcanoes on its territory. Most of them are located on the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, 28 are active.

5 most famous volcanoes of Kamchatka

1) Undoubtedly, Klyuchevskaya Sopka takes first place due to its height, equal to 4750 m, and the diameter of the crater is about 500 m. This volcano is famous for the regularity of its shape (cone-shaped). Age - approximately 5000 years. Scientists have determined that the volcano has erupted more than 50 times over the past 270 years. It is not surprising that it is considered to be the most active. A common occurrence for the inhabitants was smoke or flashes of lava above it.

2) Volcano Tolbachik belongs to the Klyuchevskaya chain of volcanoes. It belongs to the type of Hawaiian volcanoes. It has two equivalent peaks - Ostry Tolbachik (3600 m) and Plosky Tolbachik (3100 m). As for the type of cone, it belongs to stratovolcanoes. Not so long ago, this place attracted tourists, and many people came here, but on November 27, 2012, an eruption occurred, after which travelers bypass Tolbachik. You will find even more interesting information about this and other volcanoes on the website.

3) In the east of Kamchatka is located Kronotskaya Sopka- an active volcano (although it erupts quite rarely). Its height is 3550 m. The dimensions of the volcano are really impressive. For such a powerful creation of nature to be born, powerful eruptions had to happen. However, that is how it was in the past. One gets the impression that the volcano is divided into two zones: the top is covered with ice, and the bottom is covered with forest. Near the volcano is Kronotskoye Lake, as well as the famous Valley of Geysers.

4) Active Avachinskaya Sopka, which is called among themselves Avacha, stands near the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It would seem that it is a high and impregnable volcano (2700 m), but many comers are happy to conquer it in the summer. The diameter of the crater is 400 m. In 1991, this volcano erupted for the last time, which caused significant damage to the surrounding area.

5) Volcano Shishel is located in the northern part of the Kamchatka Range and has a height of 2500 m. By its type, it belongs to the shield group. The shape is like an ellipse. The volcano does not show activity, therefore it is classified as extinct.

6) Karymskaya Sopka, perhaps one of several volcanoes that can compete with Klyuchevskoy in terms of the number of eruptions. Scientists have noted 20 eruptions in the past 50 years. The height of the volcano is 1536 m. It is located in the central part and belongs to the young ones.

The volcanoes of Russia are harsh giants that have proven their great strength more than once, sweeping away everything in their path. In the eastern part of the country, an echo from recent eruptions can still be heard. Extinct or active volcanoes - they will always attract the eye with their majesty and indescribable picturesque landscape.

21 active volcanoes are known on the Kuril Islands, of which five stand out for their more active activity, among the most active volcanoes of the Kuril ridge, these include Alaid, Sarychev Peak, Fuss, Snow and Milna.

Among the active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands, the most active volcano is Alaid. It is also the highest among all the volcanoes of this ridge. As a beautiful cone-shaped mountain, it rises directly from the sea surface to a height of 2,339 m. At the top of the volcano there is a small depression, in the middle of which the central cone rises.

It erupted in 1770, 1789, 1790, 1793, 1828, 1829, 1843 and 1858, that is, eight eruptions in the last 180 years.

In addition, near the northeastern shores of Alaid, an underwater eruption occurred in 1932, and in December 1933 and January 1934, eruptions occurred 2 km from its eastern shore. As a result of the last eruption, a volcanic island with a wide crater was formed, called Taketomi. It is a side cone of the Alaid volcano. Taking into account all these eruptions, we can say that over the past 180 years, at least 10 eruptions have occurred from the Alaid volcanic chamber.

In 1936, a spit formed between Taketomi and Alaid volcanoes, which connected them. The lavas and loose volcanic products of Alaida and Taketomi are basaltic.

Sarychev Peak is in second place in terms of the intensity of volcanic activity and is a stratovolcano located on the island of Matua. It has the form of a two-headed cone with a gentle slope in the lower part and with a steeper one - up to 45 °, in the upper part.

On the higher (1497 m) peak there is a crater with a diameter of about 250 m and a depth of about 100 - 150 m. There are many cracks near the crater on the outer side of the cone, from which white vapors and gases were emitted (August and September 1946).

On the south side, the cliff surrounds Sarychev Peak in a semicircle, which, most likely, is a remnant of the crest of the original volcano. To the southeast of the volcano are, apparently, small secondary cones.

From the 60s of the XVIII century to the present, its eruptions occurred in 1767, around 1770, around 1780, in 1878-1879, 1928, 1930 and 1946. In addition, there are numerous data on its fumarolic activity. So in 1805, 1811, 1850, 1860. he "smoked". In 1924, an underwater eruption occurred near it.

Thus, over the past 180 years, there have been at least seven eruptions. They were accompanied by both explosive activity and outpourings of basaltic lava.

The last eruption occurred in November 1946. This eruption was preceded by a revival of activity of the neighboring volcano Rasshua, located on the island of the same name. On November 4, it began to rapidly emit gases, and a glow was visible at night, and from November 7, an increased release of white gases from the crater of the Sarychev Peak volcano began.

On November 9, at 17:00, a column of gases and black ash rose above its crater, and in the evening a glow appeared that was visible all night. During November 10, ash was thrown out of the volcano and light, but frequent tremors occurred, and an uninterrupted underground rumble was heard, and occasionally thunder peals.

On the night of November 11-12, mainly hot bombs were thrown to a height of up to 100 m, which, falling along the slopes of the volcano, cooled rather quickly. From 22:00 12 to 14 November, the eruption reached its maximum stress. First, a huge glow appeared above the crater, the height of the flight of volcanic bombs reached 200 m, the height of the gas-ash column - 7000 m above the crater. Particularly deafening explosions occurred on the night of the 12th to the 13th and on the morning of November 13th. On November 13, the outpouring of lava began, and side craters formed on the slope.

The eruption was especially beautiful and spectacular on the night of November 13 and 14. Fiery tongues descended from the crater down the slope. The entire top of the volcano, 500 m down from the crater, seemed red-hot from a large amount of ejected bombs, debris and sand. From the morning of November 13 to 2 pm on November 14, the eruption was accompanied by various types of lightning, which almost every minute sparkled in different directions.

The Fussa Peak Volcano is located on the island of Paramushir and is a separate beautiful gkonus, the western slopes of which abruptly break into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Fuss Peak erupted in 1737, 1742, 1793, 1854 and H859, and the last eruption, i.e., 1859, was accompanied by the release of asphyxiating gases.

Snow Volcano is a small low domed volcano, about 400 m high, located on Chirpoy Island (Black Brothers Islands). At its top (there is a crater about 300 m in diameter. In the northern part of the bottom of the crater there is a depression in the form of a well, with a diameter of about 150 m. Numerous lava flows poured out mainly to the south of the crater. Apparently, it belongs to shield volcanoes. It is known an indication without an exact date of the eruption of this volcano in the 18th century.In addition, Snow volcano erupted in 1854, 1857, 1859 and 1879. Miln volcano is located on Simushir Island, is a two-headed volcano with an inner cone 1,526 m high and bordering on the western side parts of the ridge - the remains of a destroyed more ancient volcano, 1,489 m high. Lava flows are visible on the slopes, which in places protrude into the sea in the form of huge lava fields.

There are several side cones on the slopes, of which one, called the "Burning Hill", acts along with the main cone and, thus, is, as it were, an independent volcano.
There is information about the volcanic activity of the Milna volcano dating back to the 18th century. According to more accurate information, it erupted in 1849, 1881 and 1914. Some of them, in all likelihood, refer only to the eruptions of the Burning Hill.

Less active volcanoes include Severgin, Sinarka, Raikoke and Medvezhiy volcanoes.

Kurile Islands

If you look at the map of Russia, then in the Far East itself, between Kamchatka and Japan, you can see a chain of islands, which are the Kuriles. The archipelago forms two ridges: the Greater Kuril and the Lesser Kuril. The Great Kuril Ridge includes about 30 islands, as well as a large number of small islands and rocks. The Small Kuril Ridge stretches parallel to the Big one. It includes 6 small islands and many rocks. At the moment, all the Kuril Islands are controlled by Russia and are included in its Sakhalin region, some of the islands are the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. The Kuril Islands are administratively part of the Sakhalin Oblast. They are divided into three districts: Severokurilsky, Kurilsky and Yuzhno-Kurilsky.

The Kuril Islands, which are an area of ​​active volcanic activity. A significant role in the formation of the relief of the islands is played by sea terraces of different heights. The coastline is replete with bays and capes, the coasts are often rocky and steep, with narrow boulder-pebble, rarely sandy beaches. Volcanoes are located almost exclusively on the islands of the Greater Kuril Ridge. Most of these islands are active or extinct volcanoes, and only the northernmost and southernmost islands are composed of sedimentary formations. Most of the volcanoes of the Kuril Islands arose directly on the seabed. The Kuril Islands themselves are the peaks and ridges of a solid mountain range hidden still under water. The Great Kuril Ridge is a remarkable and vivid example of the formation of a ridge on the earth's surface. There are 21 known active volcanoes on the Kuril Islands. The most active volcanoes of the Kuril ridge include Alaid, Sarychev Peak, Fuss, Snow and Milna. Attenuated volcanoes, which are in the solfataric stage of activity, are located mainly in the southern half of the Kuril chain. There are many extinct volcanoes Atsonupuri Aka Roko and others on the Kuril Islands.

The climate of the Kuril Islands is moderately cold, monsoonal. It is determined by their location between two huge bodies of water - the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The average temperature in February is from -5 to -7 degrees C. The average temperature in August is from 10 degrees C. The features of the monsoon climate are more pronounced in the southern part of the Kuril Islands, which is more influenced by the Asian continent cooling in winter, from which cold and dry western winds. Only the climate of the southernmost islands is somewhat mitigated by the warm Soya current fading here.

Significant amounts of precipitation and a high runoff coefficient favor the development of a dense network of small streams on the islands. In total, there are more than 900 rivers here. The mountainousness of the islands also determines the steep slope of the rivers and the high speed of their flow; rapids and waterfalls are frequent in the riverbeds. Rivers of the flat type are a rare exception. The main food of the river is received from rains, snow nutrition also plays a significant role, especially from snowfields occurring in the mountains. Only slowly flowing streams within the flat areas are covered with ice every year. The water of many rivers is undrinkable due to high salinity and high sulfur content. There are several dozen lakes of various origins on the islands. Some of them are associated with volcanic activity.