Shiveluch

Shiveluch
Shiveluch
	Shiveluch from space, July 2007.
Highest point
Elevation	3,307 m (10,850 ft)
Prominence	3,168 m (10,394 ft); Ranked 73rd
Listing	Ultra
Geography
	Shiveluch Location in Russia
Location	Kamchatka, Russia
Region	RU-KAM
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano (active)
Last eruption	2012 (continuing)
Climbing
Easiest route	basic rock/snow climb

Shiveluch (Russian: Шивелуч) is the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is sometimes called Sheveluch (Шевелуч) or Sopka Shiveluch. It is one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes.

History

Shiveluch began forming about 60,000 to 70,000 years ago, and it has had at least 60 large eruptions during the Holocene.^[2] During this era, the most intense period of volcanism — including frequent large and moderate eruptions — occurred around 6500–6400 BC, 2250–2000 BC, and AD 50–650. This coincides with the peak of activity in other Kamchatka volcanoes. The current active period started around 900 BC. Since then, the large and moderate eruptions has been following each other in 50–400 year-long intervals.^[3] Catastrophic eruptions took place in 1854 and 1956, when a large part of the lava dome collapsed and created a devastating debris avalanche.^[4]

The most recent eruption of Young Shiveluch started on August 15, 1999, and continues as of 2010^[update].^[2]

Characteristics

Shiveluch belongs to the Kliuchevskaya volcano group.^[4] There are three elements of the volcano: the stratovolcano Old Shiveluch (Старый Шивелуч); an ancient caldera; and the active Young Shiveluch (Молодой Шивелуч), with an elevation of about 2,800 metres (9,186 ft).^[5] Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanic structures.^[2] It is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava and volcanic rocks.^[6]

The nearest settlement from the volcano is Klyuchi, situated 50 km from the mountain.^[7] The settlement is small enough to evacuate rapidly in case of a major eruption.^[4]

Gallery

Shiveluch Volcano continued its intermittent activity on October 3, 2009. A thin plume of ash and steam streamed southeast from the volcano in this natural-color satellite image.

Shiveluch Volcano continued its intermittent activity on October 3, 2009. A thin plume of ash and steam streamed southeast from the volcano in this natural-color satellite image.
Shiveluch (red dot) becomes restless, 17 September 2002.
Shiveluch eruption on 9 May 2004.
Shiveluch releases a small plume of vapour.
Shiveluch on 13 February 2010.
Shiveluch on 7 September 2010.
The heat signature of a pyroclastic flow on Shiveluch in January 2011.
This false-colour satellite image shows the remnants of a large pyroclastic flow on the slopes of Shiveluch.