The Krasheninnikov volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia has erupted for the first time in at least 475 years. According to scientists, there may be a connection with the major earthquake that occurred off the coast of Kamchatka last week.
Olga Girina, the head of the volcanic service in the Kamchatka region, says that an eruption of the volcano has never been officially recorded before. According to her, it is estimated that the last lava flow took place in 1463, with a margin of error of about eighty years. The American Smithsonian Institution dates the last eruption of the Krasheninnikov to 1550.
According to scientists, the eruption may be related to the earthquake near Kamchatka last Wednesday. This quake caused tsunamis that triggered warnings in Japan, French Polynesia, and San Francisco, among other places. There were no fatalities from the tsunamis.
According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, there is currently an ash cloud of about 6,000 meters high above the Krasheninnikov. The volcano itself is 1,856 meters high.
The ash cloud is drifting east towards the Pacific Ocean. So this does not come over populated areas. According to the ministry, the ash clouds do pose an increased risk to aircraft.