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Shiveluch volcano (Kamchatka): massive eruption with huge ash cloud up to 16 km, heavy ash rain darkened sky, Aviation Color Code raised to Red

The massive eruption formed the billowing ash plume from Shiveluch this morning (image: Kirill Bakanov)

A major eruption took place at the volcano this morning at about 08:30 local time.

The sizeable explosion created a spectacular grey ash-rich eruption column which reached up to 52,000 ft (15,800 m) altitude and drifted about 340 km to the north-northwest and about 240 km to the west-southwest of the volcano. Its sound was heard in Klyuchi village and the sky is dark of ash, local volcanologists reported.

Soon after the eruption, a heavy fall of grey ash fine particles affected all surfaces, including urban areas. The local ground is being covered by a thick ash tephra blanket with a width of about 6-8 cm.
The eruption culminated in a massive and dilute pyroclastic flow as well, scooting across the vast edifice area. Whether the powerful explosion destroyed the actively growing lava dome area is not clear yet, we might to conclude it later on from upcoming taken images or satellite images.
A huge amount of fine ash particles, released from the eruption, might present a danger for aviation and precautions with air traffic must be taken. Therefore, the KVERT local observatory raised the Aviation Color Code to „Red“.

The massive eruption formed the billowing ash plume

Heavy ashfall occurred in towns and villages soon after the eruption

It seems the pyroclastic flow appeared from the explosion this morning (image: Kirill Bakanov)