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KORYAKSKY VOLCANO

The Koryaksky Volcano rises in the north-west side from the Avachinsky Volcano, separated by the saddle-like valley. Its regular cone is cut by deep barrancoes, at the bottom of which there are snowfields and glaciers. The height of the volcano is 3456 m , it’s higher than all volcanoes of Kamchatka’s south part.

The top of the volcano is a little bit truncated to the west, and there is a small 90x45 m crater in the west side of the volcano giving way to the lava flow in the south direction. There is an ancient crater with 500 m diameter in the north part of the top; the crater is covered by the glacier. To the east of this crater there is the peak of the volcano, and behind there is the high lava obelisk. Almost all north slopes are covered by glaciers descending to the bottom. The length of separate ice tongues is 3-4 km, the thickness is more than ten meters.

The last lava eruption was in 1896. Then the volcano was not active for a long period of time, if not taking into account the slight crater vapouring. But in 1955 the fumarole activity became stronger, and in the end of the year the crack with 500 m length and 10-15 m width was formed in the west slope because of the internal gas pressure. The long trail of steam and gas came out of the crack with noise. This crack is still vapouring sometimes.

The ascentto the Koryaksky volcano is rather difficult and requires alpinist practice. The volcano has already had fatal casualties.