NEWS – Krasheninnikov Volcano Erupts for the First Time in Recorded History

HIGHLIGHTS

First-Ever Recorded Eruption

• Eruption Date: August 2, 2025
• Ash Plume: Emissions reached 20,000 ft (6,000 m) above sea level
• Aviation Hazard: Assigned an “orange” code, indicating a heightened risk to air traffic

About Krasheninnikov Volcano

• Type: Stratovolcano (also called a composite volcano)
• Height: 1,886 meters
• Location: Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
• Structure:
  • Sits within a 9 km wide caldera
  • Composed of two eruptive cones
  • The southern cone features an 800 m wide, 140 m deep crater
• Previous Eruption: Estimated 400–600 years ago
• Trigger: Possibly linked to a nearby magnitude 8.8 earthquake three days prior

Kamchatka’s Volcanic Context

• Situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”
• Home to 114 Holocene volcanoes
• Region known for high seismic and volcanic activity

WHAT IS A STRATOVOLCANO?

• Shape: Steep, tall, cone-shaped
• Composition: Alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic material
• Eruption Style: Often explosive due to high-viscosity and gas buildup
• Prevalence: Make up ~60% of Earth’s volcanoes
• Common in: Subduction zones, especially the Pacific Ring of Fire