Main / Sights

BEZYMYANNAYA SOPKA VOLCANO (BEZYMYANNY VOLCANO)

It is located in the central part of the Klyuchevskaya Group of Volcanoes, to the south-west from the Klyuchevskoy Volcano, its height is 2882 m.

Until 1955 the Bezymyanny Volcano was considered extinct. Previously the lack of any activity caused some kind of scornful attitude to this volcano. In 1955 the seismographs of the Klyuchevskaya station registered multiple earthquake shocks in Bezymyanny direction. But the distrust to the volcano was so strong, that the shocks were considered the forerunners of the Klyuchevskoy volcano side crater formation. In 1955, October, 22, the eruption of the Bezymyanny volcano started with the powerful ash emissions for 5 km height, but then the volcano calmed, and it seemed that the activity had been over. Until 1956, March, 30. The great explosion shook the territory, and the enormous ash cloud came 35 km up. The top of the volcano was destroyed, and the crater with 1,5 km diameter was formed, the height of the volcano decreased on 250 m.

In 25 km radius the trees fell or were burnt, and the shrubs were covered with ash in the result of explosions. Hot ash, sand and fragments covered the area of 500 km2 by thick layer and erased all vegetation. The masses of winter snow rapidly melted, and mudflows rushed to the valley of the BolshayaKhapitsariver, carrying trees and all-sized fragments there. Great flow rushed into valley and formed the impassable blockage of trees, rocks and mud before the confluence with the Kamchatka River. Turbid and poisoned by sulfur dashes water of the river made the waters of the Kamchatka undrinkable for many days and caused mass fish death. After the formation of the crater a new dome of viscous lava came up from its bottom - a new cone was forming.

The eruption of 1956 is one of the greatest on the Earth in the historical time. Then there were two weak eruptions in 1961, 1966 and a stronger one in 1977. The activation was also in 1984, but in 1985 the volcano surprised again. In the end of June the shocks were registered. The group of volcanologists was urgently sent there. And in June, 29, the volcano exploded. There was a directed explosion to the east again, but it was much more powerful, it was second after the 1956 eruption in power. Nobody could suppose it. The character of the volcano considered to be rather explored, the shocks became usual, and the group had hardly died. The burning cloud went 12 km and erased new vegetation. Volcanologists buildings were also destroyed, fortunately, they were uninhabited. The new dome of 1956 remained whole, but the crater enlarged.

Now in the view of the often falls of rock avalanches and high concentration of gases the visiting of the dome top without the special equipment is not allowed. Besides, there’s still high level of volcanic activity, sometimes the volcano erupts ash up to several km.