A powerful earthquake in Russia triggered a massive volcanic eruption

Reviews of weather events, natural disasters, astronomical phenomena and wildlife around the world A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.0 occurred off the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia). Immediately after a series of tremors, the Shiveluch volcano began to erupt in this region. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kamchatka, with its epicenter located 100 kilometers from the region’s capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky felt tremors up to magnitude six. According to local media, after the main tremor, seismologists registered more than 30 aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 3.7 to 5.5. According to information received so far, 22 buildings were damaged, including an infectious diseases hospital and a maternity hospital. No major damage was detected in the region, but most buildings require cosmetic repairs. The Russian Emergencies Ministry for the Kamchatka Territory stated that there is no threat of a tsunami. There were no reports of casualties. Against the backdrop of the earthquake, the Kamchatka volcano Shiveluch awoke. The volcano emitted ash to a height of 8 km above sea level, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported. The plume from the volcanic emission stretched 492 km to the southeast of the volcano. A red aviation hazard code was introduced in the region (it means that an eruption with a significant emission of ash into the atmosphere is imminent or already underway). “The activity of the volcano is dangerous for local and international air travel,“ the institute warned. Local authorities report that in Ust-Kamchatsk “minor ash fall of up to 1 mm is observed“ and recommend that residents use protective equipment when going outside. The Shiveluch volcano is located 50 km north of the village of Klyuchi (Ust-Kamchatsky District) and 450 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Shortly before the earthquake, two volcanoes began erupting on the Kuril Islands - Ebeko and Bezymyanny, which are located in the same geographic region of Russia. #earthquake #Russia #volcano