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Tolbachik Volcano

Updated: Mar 28, 2024 12:02 GMT -
Shield volcano 3682 m / 12,080 ft
Kamchatka, 55.83°N / 160.33°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 15 Dec 2021

Tolbachik is one of Kamchakta's largest and most active volcanoes. It is located in the Central depression of Kamchatka 23 km SW of Bezimianny volcano.
Tobachik is formed by 2 overlapping cones, the Ostry Tolbachik stratovolcano and the Plosky Tolbachik shield. In the past thousands of years, the volcano has produced large fissure eruptions that erupted basaltic lava flows of several cubic km in volume. Lava flows stretch to up to 40 km SE of the volcano.

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Typical eruption style: effusive fissure eruptions
Tolbachik volcano eruptions: 2012-13, 1975-76, 1973-74, 1970, 1968-69, 1967, 1966, 1965, 1964, 1962-63, 1961-62, 1959-60, 1958, 1956-57, 1955, 1954, 1947, 1940-41, 1939, 1936-37, 1931-32, 1904, 1793, 1790, 1789, 1788, 1769, 1740, 1739, 1699, 1550 (?), 1050 (?), 1000 (?), 950 (?), 900 (?), 550 (?), 450 (?), 400 (?), 350 (?), 250 (?), 150 (?), 50 AD (?), 100 BC (?), 200 BC (?), 700 BC (?), 750 BC (?), 800 BC (?), 1650 BC (?), 1750 BC (?), 2050 BC (?), 4550 BC (?), 5450 BC (?), 5600 BC (?), 6050 BC (?), 7600 BC (?)

Latest nearby earthquakes

TimeMag. / DepthDistance / Location
Mar 26, 10:34 pm (Kamchatka)
Mar 26, 10:34 GMT
4.7

190 km
24 km (15 mi) to the W 26 km NE of Atlasovo, Russia
I FELT IT
Info
Mar 26, 10:34 am (universal)
Mar 26, 10:34 GMT
4.7

190 km
24 km (15 mi) to the W 26 km NE of Atlasovo, Russia
I FELT IT
Info

Background

The massive Tolbachik basaltic volcano is located at the southern end of the dominantly andesitic Kliuchevskaya volcano group. The Tolbachik massif is composed of two overlapping, but morphologically dissimilar volcanoes. The flat-topped Plosky Tolbachik shield volcano with its nested Holocene Hawaiian-type calderas up to 3 km in diameter is located east of the older and higher sharp-topped Ostry Tolbachik stratovolcano. The summit caldera at Plosky Tolbachik was formed in association with major lava effusion about 6500 years ago and simultaneously with a major southward-directed sector collapse of Ostry Tolbachik volcano. Lengthy rift zones extending NE and SSW of the volcano have erupted voluminous basaltic lava flows during the Holocene, with activity during the past two thousand years being confined to the narrow axial zone of the rifts. The 1975-76 eruption originating from the SSW-flank fissure system and the summit was the largest historical basaltic eruption in Kamchatka.
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Smithsonian / GVP volcano information

Tolbachik Volcano Photos

Eruptions of Tolbachik volcano



2012 fissure eruption
A new fissure eruption started at Tolbachik volcano on 27 November 2012. During its climax during 28-29 November, fissures spread over tens of kilometers in the summit area and the southern slope, in the same area of the great fissure eruption in 1976. Several vents were active with strombolian activity and lava flow emissions. The eruption was heard in up to 60 kilometers distance.
After a few days, only the lower of the active remained active and continues to feed a large lava flow. The lava flows from the eruption reached more than 10 km length and destroyed a local volcano observatory and few other structures. ...more info

Latest satellite images

tolbachik satellite image sat1tolbachik satellite image sat2
Tolbachik Volcano Tours
Kamchatka (Russia)
Kamchatka - Land of Colors
volcano expedition to Kamchatka
16-19 days - Easy to Moderate
Price 0 €
no scheduled dates at present
Sun, 2 Feb 2014, 11:45

Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka): alert level lowered to green

On 31 Jan, KVERT finally lowered the Aviation Color Code of the volcano back to green, as the volcano has been calm for a while and shows no more signs of unrest that new activity could be likely in the near future. Read all
Wed, 22 Jan 2014, 08:31

Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka) activity update

Although no new eruptive activity has been recorded in the past months, the volcano continues to be at Aviation Color Code yellow. Moderate seismic activity of the volcano continues. Satellite data showed a weak thermal anomaly over the northern area of Tolbachinsky Dol. (KVERT) ... Read all

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