The Russian peninsula of Kamchatka is a land of volcanoes. During my journey there between October 14 to 26, 2013, I visited the active volcanoes Klyuchevskoy and Sheveluch. The former erupted for the first time in 3 years. During its strongest eruptive phase (shown above), lava fountains rose up to 0.6 mi (1 km) above the summit dome, and explosions could be heard at a distance of 19 mi (30 km) away. Note the funnel-shaped cloud of steam and smoke above Klyuchevskoy's concealed, volcanic cone.


Photo taken at a distance of approximately 9.5 mi (15 km). Klyuchevskoy, Russia Coordinates: 56.03, 160.39

On February 18, 2021, a flank eruption started on the north-western slope of the Klyuchevskoy Volcano (Kamchatka, Russia). Cinder cone was formed at the altitude of 2 850 m above sea level, from which a lava flow was spreading north-west. Having moved 1.2 km downslope, the lava flow entered the Ehrmann Glacier, which resulted in the formation of huge mud-stone flows. The latter made their way further north-east along the Kruten'kaya River bed and reached the length of about 30 km. The eruption brought onto the surface high-aluminous basaltic andesites typical of the Klyuchevskoy Volcano. By March 21, the flank eruption ended. It has been named after G.S. Gorshkov, associate member of USSR Academy of Science, famous Russian volcanologist.