Shiveluch volcano, one of Russia’s most active volcanoes, has erupted spewing plumes of ash 5 kilometres into the sky over the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

The Shiveluch volcano, in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, began sputtering shortly after a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off Kamchatka’s east coast on August 18, according to volcanologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Kamchatka Peninsula

• Kamchatka is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features.

• Kamchatka is home to 29 active volcanoes, part of a vast belt of Earth known as the “Ring of Fire” which circles the Pacific Ocean and is prone to eruptions and frequent earthquakes.

• The peninsula, lying between the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean to the east, is one of the most active volcanic regions along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

• Most of the peninsula’s volcanoes are surrounded by sparsely populated forest and tundra, so pose little risk to local people, but big eruptions can spew glass, rock and ash into the sky, threatening aircraft.

Shiveluch volcano

• Shiveluch is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, having erupted at least 60 times in the past 10,000 years.

• Shiveluch is a stratovolcano — a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks.

• Stratovolcanoes are also called composite volcanoes. Stratovolcanoes have relatively steep sides and are more cone-shaped than shield volcanoes. They are formed from viscous, sticky lava that does not flow easily. The lava therefore builds up around the vent forming a volcano with steep sides. Stratovolcanoes are more likely to produce explosive eruptions due to gas building up in the viscous magma.

• Shiveluch has two main parts: Old Shiveluch, which tops 3,283 metres (10,771 ft), and Young Shiveluch — a smaller, 2,800-metre peak protruding from its side.

• Young Shiveluch lies within an ancient caldera — a large crater-like basin that likely formed when the older part underwent a catastrophic eruption at least 10,000 years ago.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store