Volcanic Eruptions Triggered by 8.8 Kamchatka Earthquake
Columns of Ash Rise Several Kilometers into the Sky
The whole world is on edge as a volcano that had been dormant for centuries has awakened following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. In particular, the Krasheninnikov volcano, which had remained quiet since the end of the 15th and 16th centuries, began erupting for the first time in hundreds of years after the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck at the end of last month. Multiple volcanoes in the region erupted simultaneously, sending columns of volcanic ash several kilometers into the sky.
The whole world is on edge as a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East, awakening a volcano that had been dormant for centuries. Photo by EPA and Yonhap News
On August 6 (local time), Yonhap News, citing TASS and other sources, reported that the Klyuchevskaya volcano spewed ash up to 7 kilometers high that day, and the previous day, an ash column reached as high as 9 kilometers. The Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences stated that the Krasheninnikov volcano also emitted an ash column 6 kilometers high, with the ash traveling 160 kilometers to the east and southeast.
Local media reported that several volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, including Klyuchevskaya, Krasheninnikov, Bezymianny, Kambalny, Karymsky, Mutnovsky, and Avachinsky, are currently active at the same time. Notably, one of the stratovolcanoes of Klyuchevskaya erupted for the first time since the 16th century, following the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the sea near the Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30. Russian authorities warned that active volcanoes in the area could emit ash plumes 6 to 10 kilometers high and advised people to stay at least 10 kilometers away from these volcanoes.
Meanwhile, tsunami warnings were issued in Japan, Hawaii, Ecuador, and other regions as a result of this earthquake, prompting millions of people to evacuate urgently. The Severo-Kurilsk port suffered damage as fishing grounds were flooded by the tsunami. On the day of the Kamchatka earthquake, hundreds of birds were seen filling the sky in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan, while dozens of startled sea lions were observed diving into the water all at once along the Kuril coast near the Kamchatka Peninsula. These unusual animal behaviors reignited rumors of a major earthquake prophecy that circulated in July.
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