New lava dome growing at Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Kamchatka

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. May 2 (Interfax) - A new lava protrusion is forming west of the active dome of Kamchatka's Shiveluch volcano, in the Young Shiveluch crater, the press service for the Volcanology and Seismology Institute of the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

The scientists have spotted a fumarole that appeared at the foot of the ancient dome, which is visible on a satellite image dated May 1.

"This is a probable location of a new lava dome, which manifests itself with intensive seismic activity in the volcano's area," the statement said.

As reported, an intense phase of eruption of the Shiveluch volcano began on the night of April 11. It reached maximum intensity by morning, and the volcano spewed ash to a height of 20 kilometers. The Ust-Kamchatsk, Milkovo and Bystrinsky districts of Kamchatka saw ash falls.

Shiveluch is continuing to erupt, but on a much lesser scale.

Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes in Kamchatka. It has three main elements: the Old Shiveluch volcano, the ancient caldera and the active Young Shiveluch volcano. The lava dome of Young Shiveluch is 2,500 meters high. The volcano is located at the intersection of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island arcs at a distance of 50 kilometers from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsk district and 450 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Its age is estimated at 60,000-70,000 years.