Вулкан Шивелуч является самым северным active volcano of Kamchatka and one of the largest on the peninsula. The diameter of its base is fifty kilometers. It consists of two parts - Old and Young Shiveluch.
Dimensions of an old volcano
The old Kamchatka volcano Shiveluch isstratovolcano. It is composed of coarsely clastic material, which is interbedded with lava. This natural structure is crowned with a large caldera, the diameter of which is nine kilometers. Its ledges are very well preserved, their height varies from hundreds of meters to one and a half kilometers in the area of the main peak. In the course of its formation, more than sixty cubic kilometers of pyroclastic material, spread over a fairly large area, were ejected from the Earth’s interior: it reaches the Kamchatka River and even further.
Sizes of a young volcano
At the bottom of this caldera is closer to its northwesternedge is a young volcano Shiveluch. It is represented by several extrusive fused domes (Double, Suelich, Central and others) with insignificant lava flows, which have andesitic and andesithodacite compositions. The diameter of the base of this formation is seven kilometers. In 1964, the eruption of the volcano Shiveluch occurred, as a result of strong explosions, these domes were almost completely destroyed, and in their place formed a huge double crater. Its diameter was 1.7 kilometers for the north and 2 kilometers for the south. As a result of the eruption, material was thrown out of the depths, which was deposited in a continuous cloak on the southern slope, its thickness - from one to fifty meters. The coverage area was more than a hundred square kilometers, and the volume - one and a half cubic kilometers. In 1980, a new extrusive dome began to form inside the northern crater, which consists of andesite. The growth of this education continues to this day. It is accompanied by a variety of power explosions. The most active squeezing of the dome took place in 1993. Then he occupied almost the entire territory of the northern crater.
History of the volcano
Given the above structure, volcano Shiveluchattributed to the volcanic structures of the class Somma-Vesuvius. This formation is the largest structure of this type. The origin and development of the volcano, according to geologists, occurred in the era of the Upper Pleistocene, about seventy thousand years ago. The most serious catastrophic eruptions occur with a frequency of one hundred to three hundred years. The last of them was noted in 1854 and in 1964, that is, the interval was 110 years. Medium strength and weak eruptions occur much more frequently, usually accompanied by the growth of extrusive domes. This is observed now.
General Information: Where is Shiveluch Volcano?
По массе и объему изверженных продуктов, частоте strong eruptions, the speed of matter removal; this natural formation is one of the most unique volcanoes in Kamchatka, as well as in the Kuril Islands. This active ancient geological object is one of the largest on the peninsula. Shiveluch is located eighty kilometers north of the Klyuchevsky volcano. It is located on the Kamchatka River, in the middle of a lowland covered with swamps stretching for many tens of kilometers. If the artist had a goal to portray in the guise of a natural object an angry, wicked old man offended by life, then for nature the Sheveluch volcano should have been taken. This is a huge natural object consisting of conical formations of different types and ages, riddled with gorges, craters and collapses, which existed for many thousands of years, still continuing from time to time to erupt into catastrophic eruptions, destroying all life.
Forming parts
After the formation of the main cone of the volcano inAs a result of failures and explosions in its southern part, an extensive caldera was formed. A young cone appeared inside. Later, another caldera crater grew in the primary caldera. She destroyed part of a young cone. Here in this place, as the most subtle, and subsequent eruptions began to occur. The part of the ancient cone that has survived to our day is called the “Main peak”; it is the highest point of this geological object. A younger cone is called "Crater peak". The height of the volcano Shiveluch at the highest point is 3335 meters, and in its young part - 2700 meters.
Eruption history
The eruption of the volcano Shiveluch in Kamchatka wearsexplosive nature. In the last century, emissions occurred in 1925, 1944, 1950, 1964. The last eruption was very short, but extremely strong. As a result, the explosive cloud was raised to a height of fifteen kilometers and moved towards the ocean. Vivid lightning constantly cut through its thickness. The whole territory east of the volcano, right up to Ust-Kamchatsk and even further, plunged into darkness. An extremely large amount of blasted rock was thrown at a distance of 15 kilometers, it covered the ground with a thick layer, which in places reached from several to tens of meters. All shrubs and forests were either buried or burned, all living things that could not run away or fly away in advance died. It is known that many birds and animals may have a premonition of the approach of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions: they crawl out of their burrows, begin to show anxiety, tend to get out of the premises. Thus, the catastrophic eruption of the volcano Shiveluch in November 1964 was preceded by seismic tremors, which began a month before the emissions themselves. Every day their intensity increased. And two days before the eruption, the amount reached more than a hundred per day. How did the animals behave at this time?
From the stories of old-timers
Here is what the local hunter A.M.Chudinov (at that time he was nineteen). Two or three days before the eruption, it was possible to observe a massive and very unusual transition of bears from the left bank of the river to the right-bank valley of Kamchatka. And this is despite the fact that in November all the animals lay in hibernation, but the foreboding of the impending disaster forced them to leave their habitable warm dens and go into the hungry and cold forests for them in winter. At the same time, the number of other animals, such as hares, foxes, significantly increased on the right bank. Apparently, they also migrated from under Shiveluch.
Непосредственно перед самым началом извержения one could visually observe increased seismic activity. Thus, according to the stories of the Klyuchey residents, located rather high above the sea level, it was evident how a series of waves passed on the surface of the large ice-covered Lake Kurchazhnoe, lying on the other side of the river.
After the eruption of 1964, only fumarolic activity was observed on Shiveluche. The volcano itself is located in a difficult area, rare expeditions visit it.
2014
On the morning of June 1, 2014, the volcano Shiveluch committedpowerful ash discharge. Its height was more than seven kilometers. Then the plume began to spread in the southeast direction to the Kamchatka Bay. Today, this geological object is assigned an orange code (one of the most dangerous). Its activity began to increase from 2009, at this time a crevice 30 meters deep formed at the top. Based on the growth of seismic activity, scientists conclude that at the moment there is “preparation” for another powerful eruption of Shiveluch.
