Russia is famous for its unique natural sites. Some of them are the active volcanoes of Kamchatka. Many tourists dream of seeing these fire-breathing mountains with their own eyes. Some of them are very active, others are extinct. More information can be found in this article.

Volcanoes in Kamchatka

More than 600 volcanoes are still active on the territory of our country. Only in Kamchatka there are more than 25 of them, three of which can be visited by tourists. These extraordinary objects of nature have always attracted the attention of travelers and scientists. Entire books have been written about volcanic eruptions in Kamchatka. At the end of the 18th century, the famous researcher Krashennikov S.P. in his scientific work completely described the lands and volcanoes of Kamchatka. Scientists from all over the world have studied these natural objects. Many books and works were written by such volcanologists as Svyatlovsky A.E., Novograblenov P.T., Piip B.I., Vladavets V.G. and others.

Active volcano in Kamchatka

Everyone dreams of seeing an active fire-breathing mountain. Kamchatka is exactly the place where you can make this dream come true. The beauty and mystery of these natural objects is simply mesmerizing. Volcano of Kamchatka with a lunar landscape and craters of mountain lakes is an unforgettable sight. These wonders of the world, created by nature itself, are rightfully considered the sights of Russia as a whole.

Some volcanoes in Kamchatka are still active. Among the most interesting natural objects are:

• Klyuchevskaya Sopka;
• Shiveluch;
• Tolbachik;
• Kronovska Sopka;
• Big Udina and Small Udina;
• Kizimen;
• Small Semyachik.

Description of Shiveluch volcano

Shiveluch is an active volcano in Kamchatka. It is located in the very north of the peninsula. We are talking about the young Shiveluch. There is also an old volcano, which is already extinct. Young Shiveluch has several lava flows. The volcano is very large, its diameter is 6x7 km. The domes of the fire-breathing mountain were completely destroyed due to large explosions. Now the young Shiveluch has a double crater. One part with a diameter of 1.7 km is located in the north, the southern crater is about the same size. The land covered with the ejected material has an area of ​​more than 100 square meters. km. Despite the fact that the volcano is called young, it appeared more than 70 thousand years ago.

Tolbachik

Tolbachik volcano is located in the southwest of the Klyuchevskoy plateau. It is a huge mountain, consisting of two parts - an extinct volcano and an active one. The shape of the fire-breathing mountain is cone-shaped. The size of Tolbachik, as well as the height of Kamchatka's volcanoes for the most part, exceeds 2000 meters above the ground. The slopes of the flat mountain are very picturesque, and the summit has a vast area with a glacier inside the caldera. Scientists attribute Tolbachik to the Klyuchevskaya group. In accordance with the works of researchers, volcanoes belong to the areas of modern glaciation.

Karymsky volcano

Karymsky is an active volcano in Kamchatka. He is one of the most active. This miracle of nature is located in the Eastern Volcanic Belt, in its central part. The structure of the Karymskaya Mountain is very complex. The cone is relatively young, and the caldera has been preserved since ancient times. Its diameter is 5 km. The last eruption was recorded in 1996. The height of the volcano has not changed since then, it is 1546 meters. Karymskaya Gora belongs to the class of old volcanoes. Eruptions are characterized by large ash emissions from the central crater and constant explosions. The lava is very viscous, so it usually does not reach the bottom. At the very base is Karymskoye Lake. In 1996, the eruption began just from there and from the central crater. The water in the lake began to literally boil. Acids and salts reached such a concentration that they killed all lake life. Since then, Lake Karymskoye has become the first natural reservoir with acidic water, unsuitable for fish and plants.

Ksudach

The volcanoes of Kamchatka differ from each other in their structure, height, frequency of eruptions, etc. Ksudach is a special shield-shaped mountain. The slopes of the volcano are gentle, and the base area is very large. The diameter of the foot is 35 km. At the top of the mountain is an oval caldera. Its parameters are 7x9 km, and the bottom is divided into two parts. Ksudach is famous for its lakes in the western part of the caldera and mountain ranges.

Maly Semyachik

The length of the volcanic ridge is about 5 km. Its crest has three craters. Special is the most southern - Trinity. Inside it, at a depth of more than 150 meters, there is an acidic lake. Its width is 500 m, and its depth is 140 m. The average water temperature varies from +25 to +42 degrees Celsius. Maly Semyachik became the owner of such an unusual lake after the eruption, which passed without consequences for the settlements of Kamchatka. Tourists visiting this unusual region are happy to climb to the top of Maly Semyachik. Before the eyes of travelers, an unforgettable picture opens up with a green lake in a two-hundred-meter failure.

Volcano Klyuchevskoy

Beautiful landscapes and mountains - that's what Kamchatka is famous for. Volcano Klyuchevskoy is also a local attraction. It is one of the largest. The height of the Klyuchevskoy volcano is 4750 meters. The shape of the hill is cone-shaped. Its correct outlines, created by nature itself, are visible from afar. Scientists consider it relatively young, 8000 years old. The conquerors of this region for the first time recorded a volcanic eruption. The researcher Vladimir Atlasov (in 1697) was then working in Kamchatka. In those days, the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted once every five years. Later, annual ash emissions and explosions could be observed. However, for the inhabitants of the city of Klyuchi, the mountain did not pose a serious danger.

Avachinsky volcano

The active volcano in Kamchatka is Avachinsky. He rose above sea level by 2751 m. This mountain differs from the rest in its complex structure and shape. Until 1991, the top of the Avachinsky volcano was the owner of a deep crater 350 meters wide. After the eruption at the end of the 20th century, a large amount of lava got into it, and now there are fumaroles that deposit sulfur.

Mutnovsky volcano

This array has a very complex structure. The height of the Mutnovsky volcano is 2323 meters above sea level. Due to the constant gas-hydrothermal activity, large sulfur structures appeared on the surface. Their diameter reached 5 meters. In addition, these bizarre figures formed a large number of glaciers, minerals and lakes.

Mutnovsky, like other volcanoes in Kamchatka, is deservedly called a miracle of nature. It is famous for its active thermal springs near active craters. Most often, tourists visit Dachnye and Severomutnovskiye springs. There you can admire warm swamps and lakes, as well as see boiling boilers and steam-gas jets. In addition, a river comes out of the crater, which forms a waterfall. Its height reaches 80 meters.

Eruptions of active volcanoes

A volcanic eruption in Kamchatka is not a rare phenomenon. Typically, fire-breathing mountains eject lava once every 100 years. An example is the young Shiveluch. The largest and most catastrophic eruptions were recorded in 1854 and 1964.

Today, one can not be afraid of constant eruptions, which the volcanoes of Kamchatka used to frighten the local population with. Klyuchevskaya Sopka, once famous for its constant ash emissions, slowly calmed down. The most terrible eruption was recorded in 1944. It was also the longest. Emissions of ash and lava were observed from the end of 1944 to the summer of 1945. Then the ashes settled throughout the peninsula. And when the eruption began, the walls in houses trembled at a distance of 50 kilometers from the foot of the mountain. Through the cracks that went from the top of the hill to the bottom, lava began to pour out. The locals remember that time for a long time.

Nameless

The volcanoes of Kamchatka, photos of which can be seen in this article, periodically go out and become active again. This is what happened to the Nameless. This mountain has long been considered an old volcano. But unexpectedly for everyone in 1955, the Nameless Volcano woke up. A terrible earthquake began in its vicinity. Strong explosions were then heard. Ashes in huge quantities began to be thrown out. The eruption was very strong, the ashes were scattered at a distance of 100 km from the crater. There was so much of it that the sunlight couldn't get through it. Then in Kamchatka it was equally dark both day and night. After some time, the eruption began to subside, but in 1956 there was again a monstrous explosion. Ashes and red-hot fires rose 40 kilometers above the summit. All living things within a radius of 25 kilometers were burned by lava. The eastern part of the cone's surface was damaged, and streams of incandescent debris and ash poured through the hole. A river valley 100 meters deep was immediately filled with this loose volcanic material. For a long time, hot jets of gas and steam rose above the surface of the earth. The material finally cooled down only after a few months.

People observed in those years the most terrible volcanic eruption. The force of the air wave, which was formed during the explosion, exceeded the speed of sound. And the generated energy is comparable to the amount of energy that the Kuibyshevskaya HPP produces in 365 days. A few years later, lava flows could be observed that descended from the mountain. The temperature of the fiery material, according to approximate calculations, was equal to 900 degrees Celsius. After that, smoke clouds were visible above Bezymyanny, and soon the volcano died out.

Other eruptions

Avachinsky volcano erupted in 1945 for less than a day. Then a giant mushroom of smoke and red-hot bombs formed over its top. As a result of the explosion, the glacier melted on the cone, and mud flows with debris and water collapsed down.

The most recent eruption of the Ksudach volcano occurred in 1907. The explosion caused the formation of a large funnel, where a lake subsequently formed.

Scientists identify 5 volcanoes in Kamchatka that you should be afraid of. One of them is Tolbachik, the eruption of which began in 2012 and continues to the present. Lava flows are still breaking down from the top. You can get close to the basalt currents. Some tourists even manage to ride on the lava. Avachinsky, Koryaksky, Klyuchevskaya Sopka and Shiveluch are among the active and potentially dangerous ones.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are fascinating. Their mystery attracts many tourists from all over the world. It is impossible to predict their behavior, although scientists are trying to do so. The inhabitants of the Kamchatka Peninsula can only watch what is happening and hope that the destructive and deadly eruptions will not happen again.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a unique region in the east of Russia, which is distinguished by the presence of a huge number of volcanoes formed in different geological epochs. To date, there are dormant, ancient volcanoes, and active, active ones. It is not known which volcanoes in Kamchatka will manifest themselves, wake up and start erupting in one or another period of time. Some of them can sleep for centuries, and some start their work every few years. In 2014, the Karymsky, Shiveluch, Zhupanovsky and Bezymyanny volcanoes immediately became active. In 2015 - Klyuchevskaya Sopka. In 2017 - Kambalny.

Currently, there is no exact data on how many volcanoes there are in Kamchatka. Various sources indicate numbers ranging from several hundred to several thousand. Most of them have not woken up for a long time. Many have lost their original appearance under the influence of external factors. All volcanoes have their own shape and size. Some are high hills, others look like small mountains. Today there are two main volcanic belts - the East Kamchatka volcanic belt and the Sredinny volcanic belt, which is more ancient. According to the latest data, approximate figures for how many volcanoes there are in Kamchatka are as follows:

• Active volcanoes - 29;
• Extinct - 160.

List of volcanoes in Kamchatka

1. Klyuchevskoy: height - 4.75 km, age - 8 thousand years, active.

2. Nameless: height - 2.882 km, young active volcano.

3. Avachinsky : height - 2,741 km, current.

4. Vilyuchinsky : height - 2.175 km, extinct.

5. Mutnovsky: height - 2,323 km, current.

6. Burnt: height - 1,829 km, current.

7. Karymsky: height - 1,536 km, current.

8. Ksudach: height - 1 km, volcanic massif declared a natural monument.

9. Maly Semyachik : 3 km volcanic ridge with acid lake, active volcano.

10. Kronotsky: height - 3,528 km, current.

11. Kizimen: height - 2.485 km, operating.

12. Tolbachik: volcanic massif from Ostroy Tolbachik - 3.682 km (extinct) and Plosky Tolbachik 3.14 km (active).

13. A rock: height - 4,579 km, extinct.

14. Udina Big (2,923 km) and Udina Malaya(1,945 km) - extinct volcanoes.

15. Uzon Caldera - the ring-shaped failure of the Uzon volcano, which appeared 40,000 years ago. The diameter of the funnel reaches 12 km. The area of ​​the Caldera is about 100 km2. The combination of volcanism and wild nature of Kamchatka.

16. Koryak: altitude 3,456 km, active.

17. Dzenzur: height - 2,159 km, destroyed volcano.

The list of volcanoes in Kamchatka includes all currently known geological objects. There is also a separate list of active volcanoes, which indicates the years of the eruption and other characteristics. Given the fact that it is in Kamchatka that the largest number of active volcanoes are concentrated, which are in different modes of activity, it is quite extensive. Here are collected reliable data about each object.

Among the volcanoes there are many active ones, the eruption of which causes admiration and fear at the same time. Volcanoes attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Kamchatka volcanoes are not as bloodthirsty as some describe them. There are practically no eruptions here. And those that do happen do not pose any danger to local residents. If the volcano has a dark shade in the morning, this does not mean that trouble will come soon, on the contrary, it is a sign of good weather throughout the day. It is clear that almost every tourist who is near them is in a state of alarm, although in fact they do not pose any danger. Volcanoes are an amazing sight, it seems as if you are in a completely different world with its own laws and attitude.

Which volcano can be called the most beautiful in Kamchatka

No one can give objective assessments, since they are all special and beautiful in their own way. But most of all, the volcanoes Klyuchevskoy, Koryaksky and Kronotsky stand out, claiming to be the symbols of the Kamchatka Peninsula. All three stand out for their size and unusual cone shape. In general, all the volcanoes of Kamchatka are unique and have their own special history.

Uzon Caldera

This unusual name was given to the ring-shaped failure on the territory of the Uzon volcano. It was formed 40 years ago on the site of a huge volcano, destroyed by a terrible eruption. The latest natural disaster created a crater in the caldera with a diameter of one kilometer. And finally, over the course of several decades, an amazing natural formation was formed, which was recently classified as a protected area.

The diameter of the entire caldera is 10 kilometers. Its entire territory is simply strewn with the numerous riches of Kamchatka: mineral springs, mud baths, lakes, tundra and a beautiful birch forest. Many scientists and researchers want to get to Uzon. The hot springs are rich in minerals, which have become a favorable environment for amazing algae and microorganisms. Terrible bears roam the forests on the territory of the volcano, and swans swim in the lakes. Amazing scenery, don't you think?

I doubt there is another place like this in the world. The autumn landscape on the volcano is an amazing sight. Birches and the whole tundra are painted in unusual shades of gold, red and other autumn colors. Every morning in the birch grove you can hear the music of nature, created by the rustle of leaves and the singing of birds.

Volcano Klyuchevskoy

Volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka is considered the most famous natural formation in Russia. It was formed about 7 thousand years ago in the Holocene. The volcano is a huge cone created by layering basalt lava. It is precisely this clarity of lines and the correct form created by nature that strikes all tourists. If you look at it from the side, it seems as if Klyuchevskaya Sopka rises in splendid isolation. However, this is not at all the case. When approaching, you can see the small volcanoes Kamen, Ploskaya Near and Ploskaya Far, fused with a large formation.

The volcano has barrancos - small furrows that border the entire cone of Klyuchevsky. Its feature is considered to be a column of smoke constantly rising from the vent. This is due to numerous explosions inside the volcano.

Scientists have found that its height is 4750 meters. But it can vary depending on the power of the explosions. The foot of Klyuchevskaya Sopka is covered with coniferous forests, in which spruce and Okhotsk larch grow mainly.

The first inhabitants appeared here during the Stone Age. They were Koryaks and Itelmens. According to some reports, the first people appeared in the Neolithic era. For many centuries, the main way to survive was fishing and hunting.

The 17th century was marked by the beginning of the development of Kamchatka. It all started with the discovery of springs with clean water. Then the researchers created the Klyuchi settlement here and named the volcano by the same name.

The volcano was first mentioned by Russian traveler Vladimir Atlasov in 1697. The first conqueror of the summit was the military Daniil Gauss, who arrived on the territory of Kamchatka as part of a Russian expedition. According to historical data, he and two of his comrades (names unknown) climbed to its very top without special equipment. The idea was very risky, but everything went well. Some time after the ascent, the national park, together with Klyuchevskaya Sopka, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Today it is one of the few volcanoes active on the territory of Russia. At its foot is the station of the Institute of Volcanology. The locals call the volcano the home of the dead. According to them, when it erupts, it means that the dead are drowning the whales caught in the underground sea.

Scientists have studied the volcano for a long time and found that it erupts about once every 6 years. Larger and more destructive eruptions occur every 25 years. Over three millennia, 50 lava ejections have been recorded. At this point, huge columns of dust and smoke disperse throughout the surrounding area, and the flames last for a week. There is a case when a week turned into three years.

One settlement, Klyuchi, remained near the volcano. Local residents are engaged in agriculture, livestock and fish. The most ordinary life, despite the proximity to a huge active volcano. Every year, it gathers thousands of tourists around it, who are attracted by an unusual phenomenon in addition to its history: sometimes a strange cloud forms over the volcano, completely covering the crater, like a mushroom cap.

Volcano Karymsky

This volcano is the most active among all the others. There have been more than twenty eruptions in a century. Moreover, many of them continued for years, replacing one after another. Eruptions here are explosive. In 1962, the most powerful of them occurred, lasting for three whole years. More than 3,000 cubic meters flew out in one explosion. meters of dust and gases. In just a day, about nine hundred such emissions could occur. Before climbing to the top, it is worth stopping at the Maly Semyachik ridge, as it offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding area.

The eruption at night looks unusual. Glowing clouds of smoke, fire and ash burst upward, illuminating everything around. With especially strong explosions, the spectacle looks even more exciting.

The history of its origin is quite complicated, but it is worth understanding it in order to understand the specificity of the mountain formation. Prior to Karymsky, there was the Dvor volcano. It ceased to develop after the strongest eruption, which destroyed it almost completely. In the caldera, which appeared immediately after the explosion, the Karymsky volcano formed over time. But he also met with a sad end. Due to a similar eruption, the central part of the volcano was destroyed. Over time, a new cone rose on the new caldera, which has been preserved to this day. At its foot, a volcanological station was built to maintain safety.

Volcano Maly Semyachik

This volcano stretches for three kilometers and is famous for its three craters. In one of them, an acidic lake formed over time. Its temperature ranges from 27 to 45 degrees. A large number of salt and other minerals made its composition similar to sulfuric acid. lakes also surprise with a mark of almost a kilometer. According to assumptions, the lake was formed relatively recently during one of the eruptions.

Today, the volcano is considered one of the wonders of Kamchatka. If you still got to him, then you simply have to climb to the top. There you will see a huge acid green lake. In sunny weather, you can go down directly into the crater to the beach and have a closer look at the waters of the lake. But soon you will have to go back, as it will begin to spit out its waters.

Volcano Gorely

It would be more appropriate to call the volcano Gorely Ridge. This name most accurately describes its structure. It is elongated in a western direction, and is considered a typical volcano formed from a caldera. Gorely rises to 1829 meters and has 11 craters. They intersect so interestingly that a funny picture is created. Those craters that have ever erupted are ring-shaped and filled with acidic lakes. In one of its parts, the caldera sank due to faults and formed a kind of gate on its walls. In these places, lava flowed freely outside the volcano. Later, these holes were plugged with lava.

Volcano Avachinsky

It has a complex structure similar to the Vesuvius volcano. It rises at an altitude of 2751 meters. The Avachinsky crater has a diameter of 350 meters and a depth of 220. But at the end of the 20th century, during a strong eruption, the crater funnel was almost completely filled with lava with the formation of fumaroles depositing sulfur.

Volcano Koryaksky

This is a stratovolcano with a surprisingly regular, even cone, rising to 3256 meters. Numerous glaciers descend from its summit. Fumaroles form near the summit, warming the interior of the crater. The volcano is amazing with an abundance of numerous rocks and volcanic rocks.

Volcano Dzenzursky

The Dzenzursky volcano has long been destroyed. A glacier formed in its crater. A 100 sq. meters. Thanks to him, the temperature of internal waters is almost 100 degrees.

Volcano Vilyuchinsky

It is located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The volcano is believed to have been extinct for a long time. Its top is, as it were, cut off, forming small areas filled with ice. The lava that flowed from the volcano became multi-colored due to the fumarole. Volcanic slopes are completely covered with barrancos filled with ice and firn.

Volcano Ostry Tolbachik

It has a sharp roof formed by a glacier. Its height is 3682 meters. The foot of Tolbachik is covered with glaciers. The most prominent of them is the Schmidt Glacier. From here you can clearly see the barrancos cutting the ledges of Tolbachik. In the west they have unusual dikes of basaltic origin. They are of interest to both researchers and ordinary tourists. From the side, dikes closely resemble battlements and stocks.

Volcano Ksudach

The volcano is a cropped cone, the craters of which are filled with acidic lakes. They have a small height of only 1000 meters. The volcano formed during the Pleistocene and then had a height of 2000 meters. Volcanic activity continued with some stops. In this regard, numerous calderas of different age and size were formed.

Ksudach is considered the most unusual volcano in Kamchatka. And all because there are lakes with clean water on its territory, alder forests grow, and a waterfall originates from the caldera.

Volcano Mutnovsky

This is a volcanic massif of complex structure, 2323 meters high, surrounded by fumarole zones. It has several craters, next to which there is a hot mineral spring, famous for its seething boilers and warm reservoirs. Not far away is the Vulkannaya River, which forms a huge waterfall.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is the most unique mountainous region in Russia. The Kamchatka Territory is located in the northeast of Russia. It occupies the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the part of the mainland adjacent to the north of the peninsula, as well as the island of Karaginsky and the Commander Islands (Bering and Medny). It is washed from the west by the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the east - by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and its Bering Sea. There are many sights in Kamchatka, but the most important and impressive thing for which it is famous is volcanoes, its “stone torches”. There are few places on the planet where you can see so many volcanoes at the same time.

Tourists are attracted by the exotic. These are landscapes of unique beauty; rafting on fast mountain rivers; climbing volcanoes and observing the eruption of one, and sometimes two or three of the 30 active Kamchatka volcanoes; skiing and snowboarding in the summer from the snow-covered slopes of the mountains; bathing in healing thermal mineral springs; visiting bird markets, rookeries of sea animals, the caldera of the Uzon volcano and the most beautiful Valley of Geysers - one of the seven wonders of Russia, as well as the opportunity to get acquainted with the most interesting ancient culture of the indigenous peoples of the North - Koryak, Itelmen, Even and Chukchi. But still, back to volcanoes….

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are an unforgettable sight. In Kamchatka, there are several active and many extinct volcanoes, which occupy about 40% of the peninsula. Active volcanoes mean not only active, ejecting magma, but also showing fumarolic activity. In general, during the historical period there were not so many eruptions dangerous to human life. Volcanoes and the areas around them are constantly changing.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are not known for their bloodthirstiness: in the memory of the people living here, there are not so many eruptions that could become deadly. The dark silhouette of the volcano in the clear pre-dawn sky does not pose a threat - for the inhabitants of Kamchatka, this is usually a sign of good weather. And yet, being close to volcanoes, it is difficult to convince yourself that these are nothing more than geological objects.

Each of the Kamchatka volcanoes is beautiful in its own way. There are more than three hundred of them on the peninsula, and twenty-nine of them continue to operate!

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Uzon Caldera

The caldera (this term refers to the ring-shaped failure) of the Uzon volcano was formed about 40 thousand years ago on the site of a huge volcano, destroyed by a series of explosive eruptions.
The last cataclysm inside the caldera (8500 years ago) left a trace in the form of an explosive funnel about a kilometer in diameter. Over the following centuries of active hydrothermal activity, a unique symbiosis of volcanism and wildlife has formed on the Uzon. The bottom of the caldera is a fairly flat lowland, raised above the sea by 650 meters. The sides, composed of black basalts, rise another 500-960 meters. The lowest parts of the caldera are swampy and tundra areas in the southwest and west. There is a large, but shallow and cold Central Lake, a warm, non-freezing Fumarole Lake and a lot of small and medium warm and cold lakes and swamps. From the south, the swampy, swampy tundra with areas of dry glades, abundantly overgrown with berries - blueberries, honeysuckle and shiksha, also approaches the thermal field.

In the east and northeast, there is a slight increase in the level of the caldera floor. Here, as well as on the low hills in the western part of the caldera, the evergreen elfin cedar grows. In the central part, closer to the northern side of the caldera, there are rare clumps of fairly tall birch trees. There are both Kamchatka stone birches with curved branches disfigured by outgrowths, as well as straight-trunked ones.

Being on the territory of the Kronotsky Reserve, Uzon is classified as a specially protected natural site.

The diameter of the caldera is about 10 kilometers, and in it, behind the steep walls, as if in a museum, almost everything that Kamchatka is famous for is “collected”: hot springs and cold rivers, poisonous mud pots and clear lakes full of fish, berry tundra and birch forest, mountains and swamps, animals and birds. Geologists and botanists, geochemists and microbiologists, zoologists and volcanologists - scientists of various specialties strive to get to Uzon. Here, in hot springs, as if in laboratory retorts, natural minerals are born; incredible algae and bacteria live in the burning solution, for which poisonous boiling water is the most desirable environment; huge bears, shrouded in steam, roam the hot Uzon clay; swans call to one another on warm lakes:

There is hardly a place on Earth where autumn beauty would be as bright as it is short. Autumn Uzon is unforgettable: the tundra furiously turns red, stone birches sparkle with gold, columns of steam, like the smoke of sacrificial fires, rise vertically into the blue sky. In the mornings, soft music sounds in the birch groves: it is falling, ringing, frosty leaves. But with the very first flurries of autumn storms, foliage flies around, the tundra fades under frosts, and only mud pots boil and boil multi-colored clay.

Volcano Klyuchevskoy

The largest active volcano in Eurasia. Height - 4750 meters above sea level. It has an almost perfect, unusually beautiful cone. It is part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes along with Kamen, Bezymyanny, Plosky Tolbachik and others. The age of the volcano is about 8000 years.
The first eruption of the Klyuchevskoy volcano was recorded in 1697 during his famous campaign by Vladimir Atlasov, the conqueror of Kamchatka. On average, volcanic eruptions occurred once every five years, in some periods - annually, sometimes continuously for several years. However, they never posed a serious danger to the city of Klyuchi, which is located 30 kilometers from the volcano. Eruptions are accompanied by explosions, gas-ash emissions and ash falls.

Grayish clouds of vapors and gases swirl over its top without ceasing. When there is no wind, they rise in a column to the sky and, having reached the atmospheric current somewhere, they stretch out into the distance in a giant plume. The soaring either weakens or intensifies, and then explosions are heard, a reddish glow flashes above the top.

This usual state for it can last for years, but once every 5–6 years, and sometimes less, having accumulated a reserve of energy, the volcano enters the next active phase of its activity. Powerful explosions continuously follow each other, thousands of red-hot volcanic bombs fly out, luminous lava flows flow along the slopes, ash clouds rise for many kilometers, covering the surroundings with a gray coating of ash, turning a sunny day into twilight or a dark night.

This is a relatively low (1486 meters) and relatively young volcano - the most active volcano in Kamchatka. In the 20th century alone, 23 eruptions occurred, the last one began in 1996 and, gradually fading, lasted more than two years. Karymsky eruptions are accompanied by explosions, ash emissions, and bombs from the central crater. As a rule, the lavas of the Karymsky volcano are so viscous that the fiery streams do not always reach the foot of the volcano. And although the height of the volcano is small compared to the volcanoes of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, nevertheless, it is clearly distinguished by its relief with its regular, slightly truncated cone-shaped top, on which there is a shallow (about 30 meters) bowl-shaped crater.

The last eruption of Karymsky differed in that simultaneously with it, an underwater eruption began in Karymsky Lake, which is located 6 kilometers from the volcano. During those 18-20 hours that the eruption lasted, more than 100 underwater explosions occurred, accompanied by "tsunami" waves up to 15 meters high. The lake literally boiled: its temperature rose sharply, and the content of salts and acids quickly reached such a concentration that all lake life perished, including the herd of "kokan" - lake sockeye salmon, specially settled in Karymsky Lake by ichthyologists. As a result of this eruption, Karymskoye Lake turned from an ultra-fresh reservoir into the world's largest natural reservoir with acidic water.

Volcano Maly Semlyachik(Small Semyachik)

This is a volcanic ridge about three kilometers long, on the crest of which there are three craters. The site of modern activity is the southwestern part of the summit of the volcano, which is a deep oval funnel with a diameter of about 860 m - the Troitsky crater. The Troitsky crater was formed about 400 years ago as a result of a powerful explosion with subsequent collapses. Modern eruptions of the Troitsky crater occurred in 1804, 1852-1854.

At the bottom of the crater is a lake with light green water. The unusual color of the water is caused by small particles of sulfur carried by underwater fumaroles.

In the crater lake, the deposition of sandy layers was found, which was interrupted by the outpouring of lava. But later, in the same crater, the formation of sandstone began again, cemented then by iron oxides. Scientists believe that this combination can lead to the formation of new life.

Maly Semlyachik is the only active volcano in the area with known eruptions. Today, Maly Semyachik is one of the wonders of Kamchatka's nature, and anyone who has managed to reach its foot is simply obliged to climb to the edge of the crater. The spectacle that opens up to the eyes is unforgettable: a two-hundred-meter crater sinkhole, a steaming green lake, a riot of colors on the inner walls. In clear windy weather, you can go down into the crater. You can stand on the slate-black beach, admiring the emerald, poisonous surf and tornado-like "genies" rising above the surface of the lake. But the coastal "breeze" that causes coughing will soon force you to leave this abode of underground "spirits".

Volcano Gorely

60 km in a straight line from Petropavlovsk, on the high Gorelinsky Dole, 900–1000 meters above sea level, there is an active Gorely volcano. The volcano is a ridge-shaped massif 1829 meters high, rising from the bottom of an elliptical caldera. Previously, there was a large shield volcano with a base diameter of about 30 km. Its top part sank, forming a 9 × 14 km caldera, from the bottom of which eruptions began through a chain of craters that appeared at different times. The craters overlapped each other, the growing cones merged. As a result, a modern elongated massif was formed.

The remains of an old volcano surround the caldera with a low ridge. The bottom of the caldera in the northern and southern parts is flat, covered with sand, slag and lava fragments. Gorely volcano, which is a chain of 11 craters superimposed on each other, with lakes, fumaroles, and also with many (about 40) secondary cinder cones with lava flows. During volcanic eruptions in the past, lava eruptions alternated with ejections of loose materials. Lava flows and blocks cover almost the entire bottom of the caldera and the slopes of the central cones. Lava flows also flowed outside the caldera. One of them - the northwestern one - stretched to the Levaya Karymchina River for 9 km, the other - the southwestern one, 15 km long, filled a large section of the valley Left Opal. Apparently, for the abundance of lava - "burnt rock" and the volcano got its name. In the last two centuries, only ash eruptions have occurred. Eruptions are clearly visible from Petropavlovsk.

Despite the nondescript appearance of this volcano, a kind of collection of various craters on its summit is completely unique.

Avachinsky is an active, complexly built beautiful volcano of the Somma-Vesuvius type, with a perfect regular cone 2751 meters above sea level. There is no consensus on the origin of the word Avacha. According to one of the versions, the word "Avacha" takes its roots from the Itelmen name of the Avacha Bay "Gshuabach". "Kshchu" - "bay", "Apache" - "father". According to another version, the Itelmens called the Avacha River "Suaacha", marked on the maps of the pioneers as "Vavacha" or "Avacha". And according to the third version, the word “Avachkh” means “fiery”, as the Itelmens called the Avachinsky volcano and the red-haired Russian Cossacks. What Itelmen word became the primary source in the formation of the word "Avacha" remains unknown.

Until recently, Avachinsky volcano was one of the most active in Kamchatka. It arose several tens of thousands of years ago, and its regular cone rose higher than the Koryak cone. But giant explosions demolished its upper part and formed a caldera with a diameter of almost 4 km. The last eruption of Avachinsky occurred on February 25, 1945.

The active volcano Koryakskaya Sopka (Streloshnaya Sopka) is a true handsome man, whose height surpasses all other volcanoes in the Avacha group, its height is 3456 meters. The cone of the volcano is also remembered because deep incisions are clearly visible on it, even if they are covered with snow. Koryaksky and Avachinsky are a magnificent panorama of the area, clearly visible for tens of kilometers.

The most active activity of the Koryaksky volcano coincided with Avachinsky, that is, it took place 7 and 3.5 thousand years ago. Volcano Koryakskaya Sopka has its own characteristics. They lie in the fact that it is very rarely in the active stage. Unlike its indefatigable neighbor Avachinsky, the Koryaksky volcano has awakened only three times in historical time and is still active, but its activity is very moderate.

To the northwest of the Zhupanovskaya Sopka volcano is the Dzendzur volcano. This is a large, but heavily destroyed stratovolcano, which is somewhat inferior in height to Zhupanovsky (its height is 2285 meters). On the south side of the crater, a passage was formed with frozen lava flows of a rare rope shape, along which the Zhelob stream flows.

There is no reliable information about the volcanic eruption in historical time. Of interest to tourists is the inspection of the Dzendzur fumarole field, the panorama that opens from the top of the volcano.

Volcano Vilyuchinsky

The Vilyuchinsky Volcano is located southwest of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, immediately behind the Avacha Bay. Volcanoes of Kamchatka. On three sides, the volcano is surrounded by the picturesque valleys of the Vilyucha, Paratunka and Bolshaya Sarannaya rivers. The volcano got its name from Vilyuchinskaya Bay.

The volcano is extinct, represented by a regular cone, 2,173 meters high above sea level. To the north of Vilyuchinsky volcano there are volcanic formations represented by numerous small cinder cones and lava domes. Among them are two lakes - Green and Poplar, which owe their appearance to the activity of these volcanoes. At the base of the volcano, more acidic rock varieties are also noted, and hot springs are located in the southeastern part.

The volcanoes Ostry Tolbachik and Plosky Tolbachik (Tolbachik, Tolbachinskaya Sopka, Tuluach) form a large volcanic massif that occupies the entire southwestern part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. The base of the massif is represented here by a Middle-Upper Pleistocene shield volcano. The diameter of this shield volcano is 22 km and the height is 1500 meters. By the end of the Upper Pleistocene, the Ostry and Plosky Tolbachiki volcanoes formed on this pedestal. These are two fused stratovolcanoes with characteristic features of structure, morphology and completely independent centers of eruptions.

Ostry Tolbachik Volcano is a stratovolcano with a sharp, icy peak. The southeastern part of the peak is represented by a large open cirque of collapse. The volcano reaches a height of 3682 m. Its lower part is covered by a thick cover of ice and firn, which has also spread to the western part of the Plosky Tolbachik volcano. They are interesting both for scientists and for tourists, climbers. The volcano is dormant. It may have operated in the Holocene, in parallel with the Plosky Tolbachik volcano.

The caldera of the Ksudach volcano is a natural monument located on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park, which was included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996 in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka nomination.

The ancient Ksudach volcano formed at the turn of the early and middle Pleistocene and reached a height of 2000 m. Its activity was rhythmically renewed several times, resulting in the formation of several calderas of different ages and volcanic cones.

The entire eastern part of the caldera of the Ksudach volcano is occupied by two lakes - Klyuchevoe and Nizhnee. Lake Klyuchevoe has an oblong shape, its size is 4x2 km. From almost all sides it is surrounded by steep walls 400-500 meters high; on the northwestern shore are thermal springs that form the Hot Beach. The heated sand and pumice platform stretches for a distance of up to 200 meters. The outlets of thermal water are dispersed and seep through the fine pumice of the shore of Lake Klyuchevoe. Lake Nizhnee, 2 km long, has a runoff through the Teplaya River, which, a kilometer from the source, falls into a narrow gorge with a beautiful waterfall 10 meters high. natural complex unique flavor. Currently, Ksudach is in the stage of weak fumarolic and hydrothermal activity.

Ksudach, one of the most exotic sites in Kamchatka, has been declared a natural monument of a landscape-geological nature.

Mutnovsky Volcano (Mutnovsky Sopka, Mutnaya Sopka, Povorotnaya Sopka) is a natural monument, which is located partly on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park, which was included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1996 in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka nomination.

Mutnovsky Volcano is one of the largest volcanoes in South Kamchatka, located 70 km from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The Vulkannaya River, cutting through the bottom and western walls of the Northeast Mutnovsky Crater, forms a powerful eighty-meter waterfall at its exit, and below it forms a deep canyon - Opasny. The canyon and waterfall give the volcano a unique aesthetic value and, along with other criteria, put it among the natural monuments of world importance.

Mutnovsky volcano is a unique object and for this reason attracts close attention of researchers and tourists.

Mutnovsky volcano is also famous for the fact that on its slope there is the only geothermal station in Kamchatka, and not far from it you can see a kind of mini-valley of geysers, which many consider to be no less beautiful than its more famous original. Also, not far from the active craters, there are thermal springs, the most remarkable of which are Severo-Mutnovsky and Dachny with steam-gas jets, boiling boilers, warm lakes and heated swamps. The Vulkannaya River, leaving the crater, forms a waterfall 80 m high and forms a deep canyon "Opasny" in loose sediments. The combination of these features makes Mutnovsky unique and allows us to consider it on a par with the most outstanding thermal manifestations of the world.

On the banks of the Ozernaya River, there are the famous "Kutkhin Baty" - pumice "obelisks" resembling vertically placed giant boats. In accordance with the Itelmen legend, Kutkhu, the God and Creator of Kamchatka, lived for some time near the Kuril Lake before his departure from the peninsula and fished in these stone boats at sea and on the lake. Leaving Kamchatka, Kutkhu put his baty on the shore, and since then this place has been considered sacred by the Kamchadals.

After the eruption, many volcanoes fall silent for many years, passing into the stage of fumarolic activity. A fumarole is a jet of gas with a very high temperature: 300-500 degrees C and even 800 degrees C. The outlets of vapors and gases with a lower temperature are called solfataras. Most of the active volcanoes of Kamchatka are in the fumarolic and solfataric phases of activity. The volcano is like a giant flask in which, according to the mysterious laws of nature, chemicals are mixed, heated and react.

Mud pots and mud volcanoes are small wonders of Kamchatka. They are found in different areas, but most of all - in the Uzon caldera and the Valley of Geysers. Just look at them with great care. Getting into boiling clay is much worse than just getting scalded: clay is not boiling water, it cools down slowly, and you can’t wash it off right away. One can only admire and envy the bears, looking how famously they cross the smoking thermal sites.

Mud volcanoes act almost like real ones: they both smoke and “erupt”, only the activation of their “volcanic activity” comes after rain, and in dry, hot weather, volcanoes “fall asleep”.

Kamchatka is famous not only for its natural resources, the beauty of landscapes, and such natural phenomena that amaze the average person, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, gushing water and steam from geysers, salmon running. Kamchatka is also famous for its history.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are an unforgettable sight. On the Kamchatka there are about 30 active and about 1000 extinct volcanoes (figures differ in different sources), which occupy about 40% of the peninsula. Active volcanoes mean not only active, ejecting magma, but also showing fumarolic activity. In general, during the historical period there were not so many eruptions dangerous to human life. Volcanoes and the areas around them are constantly changing.

In total, there are currently about 600 active and many thousands of extinct volcanoes on Earth. No one can name the exact number.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is part of the Pacific volcanic ring. To the east of it there is a subduction zone - the subsidence of the Pacific plate under the continental one. In Kamchatka, you seem to be transported into the geological past of our planet - similar processes were going on everywhere millions, billions of years ago. However, the bowels of the peninsula are geologically young.

During geological history, volcanic activity in Kamchatka shifted from west to east, resulting in the formation of two volcanic belts, running almost parallel to each other: the older Sredinny and the young East Kamchatka. The median volcanic belt was formed in the Pleistocene (2.5 million - 11.7 thousand years ago), and the East Kamchatka - in the Pleistocene and Holocene (11.7 thousand years ago - up to the present). Most of the volcanoes are concentrated in the East Kamchatka belt. In Kamchatka, volcanoes are called "hills", and sometimes - just mountains.

In 1996, the volcanoes of Kamchatka were included in the list of natural sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2001 it was supplemented. Volcanoes of Kamchatka include not only volcanoes themselves, but also the territories adjacent to them, as well as more than 150 mineral and thermal springs. "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" is divided into 6 sites with a total area of ​​3.7 million hectares.

Maly Semyachik- a volcanic ridge that stretches for 3 thousand meters. It contains three craters. Southern (Trinity crater) is filled with an acidic lake - a solution of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. Solution temperature from +27°С to +42°С.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, view of the "home" volcanoes

Volcano Koryaksky (Koryakskaya Sopka)- one of the most beautiful stratovolcanoes, whose height is 3456 m above sea level. Its slopes are cut by barrancos, and even in summer the glaciers do not melt. It is located just 35 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The last eruption occurred at the end of December 2008.

Avachinsky volcano, Avacha- a symbol of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The height of this active volcano is 2751 m. Previously, there was a crater on its top, which, after the 1991 eruption, was filled with lava. Active processes continue: fumaroles are active, depositing sulfur.

Kamchatka, Nalychevo, travertines on the Goryachaya River

Along the Vilyucha there is a road to the Mutnovskaya geothermal station. Further there are two interesting volcanoes -. Volcano Gorely is a chain of 11 craters. There are lakes, fumaroles, side cones.

Kamchatka, Gorely volcano and caldera in front of it

Mutnovsky volcano called the "small valley of geysers", because it contains fumarole fields, sulfur deposits. When I was in Kamchatka, the volcano was active, the top was covered with a cloud of steam.

At the foot of Mutnovka - Canyon Dangerous where a waterfall falls from a height of 100 meters.

I told about a small part of the volcanoes of Kamchatka - only those that I personally had a chance to see, and even then, not all. Each of them has its own temper. Volcanoes give us the opportunity to look into the bowels of our planet, to understand what processes are going on in the mantle, under a thin layer of the earth's crust. We owe the emergence of life on Earth to volcanoes: they are the creators of the continents and the ocean, the creators of the air. Volcanic gases containing carbon are the starting material for the formation of coal, oil and combustible gas. The basis of all living organisms is carbon, the initial source of which on the Earth's surface is volcanoes. After all, we are the children of volcanoes.

I would like to finish my story about the volcanoes of Kamchatka with a quote from the book by E.K.

... we cannot but come to the following conclusion: the entire geochemical evolution of the current shells of the Earth - the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, as well as the emergence and development of life, is ultimately the transformation of primary volcanic products.
Mighty Pluto - the lord of the underworld - appears before us as a great creator. And the words of the great philosopher of Ancient Greece Heraclitus of Ephesus, said by him almost 2500 years ago, receive a new sound: “The origin of everything that exists is Fire.”

If you have the opportunity, be sure to go to Kamchatka. I talked about how to save on a ticket in the article "".

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