046 RUSSIA - Volcanoes of Kamchatka (WHS)

Kamchatka is a peninsula in the Russian Far East. It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the eat and the Sea of Akhotsk to the west. Although Kamchatka lies at similar latitudes to Great Brittain, cold arctic winds from Siberia combined with the cold Oyashio sea current result in the peninsula being covered in snow from October ot late May. The volcanoes of Kamchatka are a large group of around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them are still active. The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4 750 m), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere, while the most striking is Kronotsky, whose perfect cone was said by celebrated volcanologists Robert and Barbara Decker to be a prime candidate for the world's most beautiful volcano.

The volcano on the postcard is the Koryaksky which lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding under the Eurasian Plate at about 80 mm/year. A wedge of mantle material lies between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overlying Eurasian Plate in the source of dynamic volcanism over the whole Kamchatka Peninsula. Together with the neighbouring Avachinsky, it has been designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of particular sttudy in light of its history of explosive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. The volcano has probably been active for tens of thousands of years. Koryaksky erupted for the first time in recorded history in 1980. On December 29, 2008, Koryaksky erupted with a 20 000 foot plume of ash, the first major eruption in 3500 years.

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waterbutterfly1990 (postcrossing) sent from Stravropol (Russia) on 04.09.2013