Russia's Shiveluch volcano, one of the nation's most active, erupted shortly after a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday. The eruption sent ash clouds soaring 5 kilometers (3 miles) into the sky, briefly triggering a "code red" alert for aircraft in the region.
According to volcanologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the tremors set off the volcanic activity. They also warned that a stronger earthquake might be on the horizon. A video released by the academy’s Institute of Volcanology and Seismology showed the ash cloud stretching over 490 kilometers (304 miles) east and southeast of Shiveluch.
In addition to Shiveluch, the Ebeko volcano on the Kuril Islands also erupted, sending ash clouds 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) into the air. While the exact connection between the earthquake and the eruptions is unclear, scientists are closely monitoring the situation.
The ash cloud prompted an immediate "code red" warning for aircraft, although the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team later reported that no commercial flights had been affected and no damage was done to aviation infrastructure.
Experts from the Institute of Volcanology also warned that another earthquake, potentially reaching a magnitude of 9.0, could strike the area within the next 24 hours. Sunday's quake, which struck at a depth of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) beneath the seabed, had its epicenter 108 kilometers (67 miles) southeast of the nearest city. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries.
Residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a port city with over 181,000 inhabitants located near an important Russian submarine base, described feeling some of the strongest tremors they’ve experienced in years.
Historical records recall a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka on November 4, 1952, which caused significant damage and generated 30-foot waves in Hawaii, though no fatalities were reported.
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