Cloudy with a chance of ash – Picture of the Day – Kommersant
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In Kamchatka, the Shiveluch volcano became more active, resulting in the largest ash emission in the last 60 years. They covered three nearby villages, which are now experiencing problems with drinking water. Volcanologists do not rule out that the ash plume, which stretches for almost 500 km, may reach Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by nightfall.
A powerful eruption of the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka, Shiveluch, occurred on the night of April 11. Video surveillance of the volcano was difficult due to bad weather, but scientists are confident that the ash column could have risen 15-20 km above sea level.
At about 6:00 am (21:00 Monday Moscow time) in the village of Klyuchi, 47 km from the Shiveluch volcano, a strong ash fall began, which lasted more than four hours.
During this time, the thickness of the layer of brown ash in Klyuchi exceeded 8.5 cm, and in the vicinity of the volcano – 11 cm. According to Alexei Ozerov, director of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, there has not been such a powerful ash fall in this area for the past 60 years. Ashes also covered the villages of Kozyrevsk and Maiskoye in the Ust-Kamchatsky region, and it also fell in a number of villages in the neighboring Bystrinsky and Milkovsky regions.
Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes in Kamchatka. It consists of the Old Shiveluch volcano, the ancient caldera and the active Young Shiveluch volcano. The diameter of the base is more than 50 km, the height of the lava dome of the Young Shiveluch is 2.5 thousand meters above sea level. The volcano is located at a distance of about 50 km from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky region and 450 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its age is estimated at 60–70 thousand years. One of the strongest eruptions was the eruption of November 12, 1964, when the volcano threw a column of ash to a height of 15 km, and streams of mud and rock debris traveled a distance of 20 km. In 2004-2005, as a result eruptions The height of the volcano has decreased by 115 m.
People were advised not to leave their homes, classes were canceled in schools. Due to heavy ashfall and the danger of mud flows from the volcano, traffic on the Milkovo-Klyuchi-Ust-Kamchatsk highway was suspended for several hours. Pyroclastic flows from Shiveluch stopped just a few hundred meters from the only road linking the area with the rest of the peninsula. In the villages of Kozyrevsk and Mayskoye, power supply was lost for several hours due to ashfall. There were problems with drinking water – according to residents, slurry with ashes flows from the taps.
During the day, the authorities ensured the supply of water to the population from the nearest military unit; the district administration announced the purchase of five tons of bottled water. On Wednesday, Rospotrebnadzor specialists are to test tap water for suitability. So far, local residents are advised to protect their respiratory organs with wet medical masks.
Volcanic ash is particles of igneous material of complex chemical composition up to 2 mm in diameter. When ingested, the ashes can cause severe poisoning and allergic reactions. Large particles can disable the mechanisms of air and ground equipment. The volcano was assigned the highest, red, aviation hazard code on Tuesday. All domestic flights in the area were canceled on Tuesday.
On Tuesday evening (local time), the district commission for emergency situations decided to cancel classes in schools from April 12 to 14. Further, from Monday to April 21, lessons in the affected villages will be held remotely.
The governor of Kamchatka, Vladimir Solodov, announced that the villages covered with ashes would be washed away with the help of fire engines. “From tomorrow, the processing and cleaning of access roads, the entrances themselves, social institutions with the help of fire equipment will begin,” he said.
The head of the region instructed the Ministry of Health to organize an in-depth medical examination of the population of the affected villages.
“He instructed to conduct a house-to-house visit of all residents, without exception, in order to identify risk groups and clarify the need for medical care on the spot or with a trip to the city,”— wrote governor in his Telegram channel.
A group of scientists currently working in the Ust-Kamchatsky region has been tasked with clarifying the parameters of the eruption to ensure the safety of the population. Last week, scientists were hit by heavy ash and rockfall while surveying the Bezymyanny volcano. At the same time, a strong eruption of Shiveluch was predicted by scientists from the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences a few months ago. They believe that a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.9 in the south of Kamchatka on April 3 could become a trigger for the paroxysmal eruptions of Shiveluch and the Bezymyanny volcano. Experts do not rule out a further increase in the activity of the volcano. Moreover, specialists from the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told Kommersant that the plume could reach Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by nightfall.
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