Kurile Islands, July 2019: Ebeko Volcano

Kurile Islands, July 2019: Ebeko volcano

Impressions from our pilot tour to the northern Kurile Islands in July 2019: we spent a few days in Severo-Kurilsk at the feet of active Ebeko volcano. Ebeko has been in continuous eruption for several years, consisting in intermittent mild to moderate explosions and ash emissions. During our visit, it erupted approx. once every 1-2 hours. Ebeko has a highly developed hydrothermal system with intense fumarolic activity, producing very impressive and active fumaroles near its summit cone.

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View towards the complex volcano Ebeko from Severo-Kurilsk town. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Rusting remnants of a Soviet-time abandoned drilling project. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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View across Shumshu island towards the southern tip of Kamchatka in the background. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

View across Shumshu island towards the southern tip of Kamchatka in the background. (Photo: Tom Pfei... [info]
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Summer tundra with purple flowers (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Moderately strong ash eruption from Ebeko's active crater (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Paul taking photos of the eruption (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Ongoing intermittent explosive activity has coated the areas near the active crater with a thick layer of gray ash. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Ongoing intermittent explosive activity has coated the areas near the active crater with a thick lay... [info]
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Plants struggle to break through the ash layer. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Effect of rainfall on the ash deposit makes ripple structures. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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View back towards Severo-Kurilsk on our second hike to Ebeko volcano. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Trail leading to Ebeko volcano. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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New life from the ash (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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On our way up one of the last ridges, we see an ash plume from another eruption, which were occurring about once every hour. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

On our way up one of the last ridges, we see an ash plume from another eruption, which were occurrin... [info]
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The ash plume rises approx 1 km above the crater, which is still hidden behind the next ridge. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

The ash plume rises approx 1 km above the crater, which is still hidden behind the next ridge. (Phot... [info]
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Weak fumarole forming a mound on the ground. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Several small fumarole vents with sulphur deposits around them (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Yellow sulphur deposits on the slope of the summit cone (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Very active fumarole (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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The yellow sulphur color is in strong contrast to the foggy atmosphere. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Sulphur hornito; this one had reached several meters height before it collapsed some months before. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Sulphur hornito; this one had reached several meters height before it collapsed some months before. ... [info]
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Zoom onto the top of the sulphur hornito showing small sulphur tubes formed by sublimation at the strong degassing current. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Zoom onto the top of the sulphur hornito showing small sulphur tubes formed by sublimation at the st... [info]
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Marina taking pictures close-up, protected by the fumes with a gas mask... (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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...while Paul doesn't care about the fumes. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Nearby, a boiling mud pond is found. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Occasional whiffs of wind clear views onto the boiling surface of the pond. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Greenish-gray boiling mud (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Boiling mud (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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View of the whole mud pond (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Diffuse degassing and sublimation of sulphur coats the surface of a small depression with yellow sulphur. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Diffuse degassing and sublimation of sulphur coats the surface of a small depression with yellow sul... [info]
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View of the boiling mud pond. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Martin taking pictures (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Mud pond (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Mud pond (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Bright sulphur fumarole (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Another very active fumarole higher up on the slope of the summit cone (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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This structure is about 1.5 meters tall. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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The lower mouth of the fumarole (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Zoom onto the interior of the fumarole, showing a surface coated with semi-molten sulphur (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Zoom onto the interior of the fumarole, showing a surface coated with semi-molten sulphur (Photo: To... [info]
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Strong gas currents create horizontal sulphur stalactites. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Bright needle-shaped sulphur crystals (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Sulphur fingers (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Thousands of small monoclinic sulphur crystals cover the surfaces. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
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Activity of Ebeko at night was disappointing this evening - only little incandescence and weak lightnings. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Activity of Ebeko at night was disappointing this evening - only little incandescence and weak light... [info]
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Eruption of Ebeko seen at noon from Severo-Kurilsk town; note a lower ash cloud going to the left, as a small pyroclastic flow was formed. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Eruption of Ebeko seen at noon from Severo-Kurilsk town; note a lower ash cloud going to the left, a... [info]
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Kurile Islands, July 2019: Ebeko volcano

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