The Shiveluch volcano in northern Kamchatka has become extremely active and threatens a powerful eruption, said the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team.
"The growth of the lava dome continues, we have large fumes as well as the incandescence of the dome, explosions and hot avalanches accompanying this process," the observatory said, as reported by Reuters.
"Ash explosions 10 to 15 kilometers high can occur at any time. This can affect international flights and low-flying aircraft," the observatory said.
Russia's state news agency RIA quoted Alexei Ozerov, director of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as claiming that the dome of the volcano was glowing.
"At night, the dome shines over almost the entire surface. Hot avalanches with a temperature of 1000 degrees Celsius roll down the slopes, as well as pyroclastic flows," said Ozerov.
As he says, "as a rule, this condition is noticed before a strong paroxysmal eruption".
Apart from the far east of Russia, Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes in Kamchatka, with a peak that reaches 3.283 meters, and it is also one of the most active volcanoes on the peninsula, with about 60 significant eruptions in the last 10 thousand years.
According to NASA data, the last strong eruption of the volcano occurred in 2007.
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