Volcanoes of Kamchatka

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are a large group of volcanoes situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in eastern Russia. The Kamchatka River and the surrounding central side valley are flanked by large volcanic belts containing around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them still active. The peninsula has a high density of volcanoes and associated volcanic phenomena, with 29 active volcanoes being included in the six UNESCO World Heritage List sites in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka group, most of them on the Kamchatka Peninsula.[1]

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Koryaksky volcano rising above Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Location	Kamchatka Krai, Russia
Includes	Kronotsky Strict Nature Reserve Southern Kamchatka Wildlife Reserve Nalychevo Regional Nature Park Bystrinsky Regional Nature Park Southern Kamchatka Regional Nature Park Kluchevskoy Regional Nature Park
Criteria	Natural: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x)
Reference	765bis
Inscription	1996 (20th session)
Extensions	2001
Area	3,830,200 ha (14,788 sq mi)
Coordinates	56°20′N 158°30′E
Location of Volcanoes of Kamchatka in Russia

This astronaut photograph illustrates some of the volcanoes on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

This Landsat photo illustrates volcanic features of recent flows at Zhupanovsky and Dzenzursky volcanoes.

Geography

The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4,750 m or 15,584 ft), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere,[2] while the most striking is Kronotsky, whose perfect cone was said by celebrated volcanologists Robert and Barbara Decker to be a prime candidate for the world's most beautiful volcano. Somewhat more accessible are the three volcanoes visible from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Koryaksky, Avachinsky, and Kozelsky. In the center of Kamchatka is Eurasia's world-famous Geyser Valley which was partly destroyed by a massive mudslide in June 2007.[3]

Owing to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, deep-focus seismic events and tsunamis are fairly common. A pair of megathrust earthquakes occurred off the coast on October 16, 1737, and on November 4, 1952, in the magnitude of ~9.3 and 8.2 respectively.[4] A chain of more shallow earthquakes were recorded as recently as April 2006.[5]

List of volcanoes from north to south

Volcanoes of the central range

Name	Height (m)	Coordinates
Lettunup	1340	58.40°N 161.08°E
Voyampolsky	1225	58.37°N 160.62°E
Severny	1936	58.28°N 160.87°E
Snegovoy	2169	58.20°N 160.97°E
Ostry	2552	58.18°N 160.82°E
Spokoyny	2171	58.13°N 160.82°E
Iktunup	2300	58.08°N 160.77°E
Snezhny	2169	58.02°N 160.75°E
Atlasova or Nylgimelkin	1764	57.97°N 160.65°E
Bely	2080	57.88°N 160.53°E
Alngey	1853	57.70°N 160.40°E
Uka	1643	57.70°N 160.58°E
Yelovsky	1381	57.53°N 160.53°E
Shishel	2525	57.45°N 160.37°E
Mezhdusopochny	1641	57.47°N 160.25°E
Titila	1559	57.40°N 160.10°E
Gorny Institute	2125	57.33°N 160.20°E
Tuzovsky	1533	57.32°N 159.97°E
Leutongey	1333	57.30°N 159.83°E
Sedankinsky	1241	57.23°N 160.08°E
Fedotych	965	57.13°N 160.40°E
Kebeney	1527	57.10°N 159.93°E
Kizimen	2376	55.130°N 160.32°E

• Kluchevskaya group
  • Shiveluch, 3307 m
  • Klyuchevskaya Sopka
  • Bezymianny
• Kronotsky
• Avachinskaya group
  • Aag
  • Arik
  • Koryaksky
  • Avachinsky
  • Kozelsky
• Ksudach
• Ilyinsky
• Kambalny
• Karymsky Kamchatka's most active and continuously erupting volcano

Out of sequence:

• Tolbachik
• Komarov
• Zhupanovsky

See also

• List of volcanoes in Russia

References

1. World Heritage (1996). "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". UNESCO. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
2. Press Releases – Public Affairs Office – The University of Nottingham
3. The World Wildlife Fund (2007). "Natural Wonder of the World Transformed within Hours, says World Wildlife Fund". Earth Times. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
4. "The 4 November 1952 Kamchatka Earthquake and Tsunami". Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
5. Earthquake Hazards Program (2006). "Magnitude 7.6 – Koryakia, Russia". US Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2008-02-20.

• Holocene Volcanoes in Kamchatka, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Kamchatka, Russia