Russia's remote far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula was hit with one drama after the other on Wednesday when a powerful earthquake was followed within hours by a volcanic eruption.
The drama started with a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit off the Pacific coast of Kamchatka, setting off tsunami warnings and emergency evacuations around the region. While the quake was strong, no significant damage or loss of life was reported. The tsunami alert, which had sparked a lot of worry, was issued some 11 hours later after the danger of huge waves eased. Luckily, the earthquake spared the remote areas for the most part, and the closest major city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre.
Shortly afterward, the tallest and most prolific volcano in the region, Klyuchevskoy, erupted. Russian geophysical authorities announced the eruption, adding that bright lava was observed running down its western flank. Photos released by the Geophysical Survey of Russia depicted a fiery orange flame illuminating the top of the 4,700-metre (15,000-foot) volcano. "A strong glow and explosions can be seen, with red-hot lava flowing," the agency said on Telegram.
Klyuchevskoy is familiar with volcanic action. The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program reports that it has erupted at least 18 times since 2000. Although the twin events raised alarm, officials pointed out that eruptions like these do not ordinarily cause significant disruptions because the volcano is far removed.
Despite the dramatic coincidence of the earthquake and the eruption, professionals have not established a direct link between the two events. Still, both are a grim reminder of the volatile seismic and volcanic nature of the area. Officials continue to keep an eye on the situation for possible developments.
