In 2012, I traveled to Kamchatka for the first time. I wanted to see the volcanoes and give me a general overview of the country. One of the highlights on my tour was the volcano Mutnovsky. I wanted to visit him since the mid-1990s. The special feature of this volcano is the interaction of fire and ice. In the Crater lies a large glacier and ice is melting by hot fumaroles.
Background:
Mutnovsky is one of the most active volcanoes of southern Kamchatka. It is formed of four coalescing stratovolcanoes of basaltic composition. Multiple summit craters cap the volcanic complex. Growth of the youngest cone began during the early Holocene. An intracrater cone was constructed along the northern wall of the summit crater. The crater is 3 x 1,5 km wide. Holocene activity was characterized by mild-to-moderate phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions. Historical eruptions have been explosive, with lava flows produced only during the 1904 eruption. The latest eruption was recorded in 2000. Geothermal development is planned at Mutnovsky, which has the highest heat capacity of any volcano in the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. A first geothermal power plant was established in 1997.
Watch the video about the ice caves at Mutnovsky volcano: [ Ссылка ]
Мутновский вулкан на Камчатке
