Volcanic eruptions are hardly a rarity. It seems that a new one goes off every few weeks or so somewhere in the world. But a string of four volcanoes erupting in close proximity to one another is virtually unheard of.
That, though, is what has taken place in recent weeks on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east. Four different cones and mountains, all within 180 kilometers (110 miles) of each other, have been active simultaneously since late November. Given that volcano experts don't believe that the four volcanoes are being fed from the same magma source, the parallel eruptions would seem to be the geological equivalent of winning the lottery.
And, as a photography team from the Moscow-based Airpano discovered, the phenomenon presented a fantastic opportunity to produce some awe-inspiring images and videos. Indeed, the quartet of lava and ash-spewing peaks are so close to one another -- they lie within 180 kilometers (110 miles) of each other -- that that the film crew recently visited all of them in a single day. (Use your mouse or arrow keys to change your viewpoint once you click in to the video below.)
That volcanoes erupt in Kamchatka is, of course, hardly news. The peninsula, which has a total land mass that is slightly larger than Germany, is one of the most active parts of the infamous "Ring of Fire," the zone of volcanic and seismic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Three tectonic plates -- the North American Plate, the Okhotsk Plate and the Pacific Plate -- collide beneath Kamchatka, with the peninsula's coastal range boasting 30 active volcanoes.
All four of the volcanoes now erupting have shown significant activity in recent years. Most recently, Tobalchik began spewing lava on Nov. 27 of last year, creating the impressive lava flows visible in the 360 degree video taken by Airpano. Shiveluch, the northernmost of the four, prefers shooting columns of ash high into the air, which it has been doing on a regular basis during the last four years since a magma dome in its crater exploded. Besymjanny awoke with a bang in the 1950s following 1,000 years of dormancy and has been active since then, with huge clouds of ash rising on a regular basis. Finally, the southernmost of the quartet, Kisimen, has been erupting regularly since 2010, and there is concern that it could perform a repeat of the violent explosion which sheered off half of the mountain some 1,300 years ago.
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Tolbachik volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east. This volcano is one of four that is currently erupting in close proximity to one another.
It is seldom that four volcanoes erupt so close to each other at the same time. They are also likely fed by four different magma sources.
Tolbachik is a 3,600 meter (11,800 foot) mountain and began erupting last November, spilling rivers of lava down its flanks. The eruption was recently captured in all its 360-degree glory by a video team from Airpano, a company based in Moscow.
Shiveluch is the northernmost of the four volcanoes. It became active four years ago when a dome in its crater burst. Since then it has regularly been sending clouds of steam and ash into the atmosphere. The four volcanoes currently active are separated by just 180 kilometers (110 miles).
Besymjanny awoke with a bang in the 1950s following 1,000 years of dormancy and has been active since then, with huge clouds of ash rising on a regular basis. The explosion in 1956 was one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in the 20th century. These days, it is much more peaceful.
The southernmost of the quartet is Kisimen, which has been erupting regularly since 2010. There is concern that it could perform a repeat of the violent explosion which sheered of half of the mountain some 1,300 years ago.
Tolbachik began erupting at the end of November, inspiring a film team from Moscow to fly to the remote Kamchatka Peninsula to create an astounding 360-degree video of their flyby. This image was taken on Jan. 6.
An image of Tolbachik from Nov. 29, 2012. The Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the most active parts of the infamous "Ring of Fire," the zone of volcanic and seismic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean.
Tolbachik last November. Three tectonic plates -- the North American Plate, the Okhotsk Plate and the Pacific Plate -- collide beneath Kamchatka, with the peninsula's coastal range boasting 30 active volcanoes.
Lava flowing from the Shiveluch volcano in October of 2010.