Klyuchevskaya Sopka

Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. It is the highest mountain in Siberia and the highest active volcano in Eurasia, at about 4,750 metres. It is a stratovolcano, a steep cone built from layers of lava and ash, and its symmetrical shape makes it look almost perfect. It rises about 100 kilometres inland from the Bering Sea.

The volcano is part of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It appeared about 7,000 years ago. Its first recorded eruption was in 1697, and it has been almost always active ever since, so steam and ash are often seen rising from its top. Scientists have counted 110 eruptions during the Holocene, the time since the last ice age.

What happens when it erupts?

Eruptions can throw out gas, ash, and lava. In 2007 the volcano had its largest explosions of that eruption cycle, and an ash plume rose to about 10 km high. The ash drifted east, disrupted flights between the United States and Asia, and fell on Unimak Island in Alaska. In 2010 gas plumes rose to around 7,000 metres. Scientists from Alaska traveled to Kamchatka to help watch the volcano.

Can people climb it?

The first recorded climb was in 1788, by Daniel Gauss and two others from the Billings Expedition. After that, no ascents were recorded until 1931, when several climbers were killed by flying lava on the way down. Similar dangers remain today, so only a few people try. The volcano is also ranked 15th in the world for topographic isolation, meaning there is a very long way to the nearest higher ground.

On the globe

The model shows Eurasia's tallest active volcano as a near-perfect cone that often trails steam and ash.