Karymsky (Russia)

Status Minor Eruption 2019 1513m
Stratovolcano (Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km))

Karymsky, the most active volcano of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during the early Holocene. The caldera cuts the south side of the Pleistocene Dvor volcano and is located outside the north margin of the large mid-Pleistocene Polovinka caldera, which contains the smaller Akademia Nauk and Odnoboky calderas. Most seismicity preceding Karymsky eruptions originated beneath Akademia Nauk caldera, located immediately south. The caldera enclosing Karymsky formed about 7600-7700 radiocarbon years ago; construction of the stratovolcano began about 2000 years later. The latest eruptive period began about 500 years ago, following a 2300-year quiescence. Much of the cone is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Historical eruptions have been vulcanian or vulcanian-strombolian with moderate explosive activity and occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

Karymsky, one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes, is a symmetrical stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera that formed during a major explosive eruption about 7500 years ago. Much of the youthful cone, seen here from a volcanological field camp on the SW flank, is mantled by lava flows less than 200 years old. Frequent historical eruptions have produced long-term explosive activity with occasional lava flows from the summit crater.

Photo by Nikolai Smelov, 1996 (courtesy of Vera Ponomareva, Institute of Volcanic Geology and Geochemistry, Petropavlovsk).

Last updated 2022-05-20 00:00:01