Eruption of the nameless volcano in Kamchatka. Bezymiannaya Sopka Volcano (Bezymianny Volcano, Bezymiannaya Sopka). Why was Nameless considered extinct?
The famous Bezymyanny volcano is located in the eastern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Its peak for a long time had the shape of a regular cone, the height of which at the beginning of the last century was 3085 meters. The volcano was considered extinct because it had been dormant for about 1000 years. But on October 22, 1955, an eruption began, which until March 30, 1956 was moderate. Such an eruption could be described as the awakening of a volcano.
For six months, the volcano smoked, and the hill on which Nameless woke up was what is called “shaking.” It seemed as if the hill was being shaken by convulsions. For six months, gas explosions with ash emissions and lava splashes were heard in the area. During these six months, a new crater with a diameter of 800 m was formed at the top of the volcano, from which frequent ash emissions occurred to a height of 2 to 7 km. But on March 30, the volcano simply exploded. This eruption was catastrophic according to scientific classification.
With a terrible roar, hot gases demolished the top of the old volcano cone along with the newly formed crater, so that it became 200 meters shorter, and a new giant horseshoe-shaped crater with a diameter of 1.3 km, open to the east, appeared on the eastern slope of the hill. From it into the atmosphere to a height of 35 km. a huge black cloud of volcanic ash (tephra), heated to 300 degrees, shot up. Following the explosion and the release of a black cloud of gases and tephra, huge streams of fiery lava poured onto the ground from the hole. Its speed exceeded 60 m/s, the temperature was about 300 °C. Rushing down, the hot lava tore off and pushed in front of the soil, huge boulders and vegetation from the foot of the volcano, falling and cooling hot ash, melting snow, mixing into one mass, forming mud flows that swept away everything in its path. Under the newly formed crater at the eastern foot of the volcano, over an area of about 500 km 2, trees and bushes were broken and felled in the direction from the volcano. 
Mud streams, in which ash, lumps of hardening lava and huge boulders mixed with the trunks of uprooted trees, rushed down. They traveled a distance of 22 km. Fortunately, these flows bypassed the village of Klyuchi, located near the Bezymyanny volcano, and no people were injured during this catastrophic eruption of the “extinct” volcano. But clouds of hot ash covered this village, so that its residents, returning from work, were forced to search for their homes almost by touch. But the British were lucky.
The Nameless Volcano gave them a wonderful "show", as the British were soon able to admire for some time unusually beautiful sunsets caused by atmospheric pollution as a result of emissions of volcanic ash.
It is a natural monument located on the territory included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 2001 in the “Volcanoes of Kamchatka” category.
Bezymyanny volcano is located in the central part of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes, southwest of, on the slope. The height of the volcano is 2882 m above sea level. This is a massif elongated in the latitudinal direction with a destroyed peak, which is occupied by a huge crater measuring 1.3x2.8 km. At the southern and southwestern foot of the massif there are 16 small domes of different sizes and ages. For its location, blocking the path between the upper reaches of the Studenaya and Bolshaya Khapitsa rivers, this chain of volcanic domes is named "Dam"(with emphasis on the last syllable). On the northwestern slope of the “Dam” there are two peculiar outcrops, similar in appearance to stacked firewood - woodpiles.
The history of the volcano began 10-11 thousand years ago, when the Pra-Bezymyanny volcano began to form on the spurs. Most of this volcano was destroyed by a catastrophic eruption in 1956. The Bezymyanny stratovolcano itself arose approximately 5 thousand years ago. After the disaster of 1956, the growth of the New dome began in the newly formed crater, the formation of which continues to the present day.
Since opening Kamchatka Russian explorers (1697) did not note any signs of activity at the Bezymianny volcano. And suddenly, on October 22, 1955, at about 6 a.m., an explosion followed and a cloud of gas and ash rose above the volcano to a height of several kilometers, shrouding everything around in darkness. The eruption continued until early December. The strength of the eruption was uneven, and it occurred unevenly. The strongest impulses were noted by the rise of the gas-ash cloud to a height of 6-7 km. At the beginning of the next 1956, the quiet release of gases continued, to which ash and lava emissions were sometimes mixed.
March 30, 1956 was the culmination of the volcanic eruption. A huge explosion occurred, directed to the east at an angle of 40-45° to the horizon. The explosion destroyed the top of the volcano, changing its shape and the topography of the surrounding area. The top of the volcano dropped by 200-300 m; a huge crater measuring 1.3x2.8 km was formed. A directed explosion raised a huge gas and ash cloud to a height of 34-38 km. It expanded to 50 km and rushed at a speed of 100 km/h. The force of the explosion at a distance of up to 25 km broke, felled and in some places burned large trees. The hot material was deposited over an area of about 500 km 2, destroying all vegetation, including 400 km 2 of forest.
Powerful streams of hot volcanic material poured through the gap formed in the crater ( pyroclastic streams), filling the valley of the Sukhaya Khapitsa River with a length of 18 km. They caused rapid melting of the snow, which contributed to the formation of stormy mud flows, which, having reached the Bolshaya Khapitsa stream, turned along the valley to the north, demolishing everything in their path and, having traveled about 90 km, flowed into. The mud flow was an incredible mixture of rock debris and vegetation; at its confluence it reached almost 6 kilometers in width.
One of the most powerful eruptions on the dome was in 1985. The targeted explosion destroyed the houses of volcanologists located on the northern ridge, 3.5 km from the center of the eruption. During the eruption, a fairly large collapse of the eastern slope of the dome occurred.
Starting from the building of the volcano and at a distance of 10-12 km from it, the surface of explosive deposits is visible. It is an extraordinary chaos of volcanic material (mutilated blocks, bombs, lapilli, sand and ash) thrown out by an explosion.
Used sources:
Ilyushkina L. M., Zavadskaya A. V. Natural monuments of Kamchatka. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Kamchatpress Publishing House, 2008.
Rudich K. N. Stone torches of Kamchatka. Publishing house "Science", Novosibirsk, 1974
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One of the greatest Peleian-type eruptions was the eruption of Bezymianny volcano in Kamchatka (USSR) on March 30, 1956. It occurred without recorded casualties. The huge Bezymyanny explosion on the Kamchatka Peninsula (USSR) went largely unnoticed, as there were no fatalities. But in terms of intensity it ranks with the most violent Peleian eruptions and as such deserves mention.
Considered extinct, with no record of eruptions in historical times, Bezymyanny Volcano attracted little attention even after it became the epicenter of a series of earthquakes in September and October 1955. Then they decided that the nearby Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano was to blame for everything.
But on October 22, 1955, Bezymyanny erupted with medium strength, and ash fell until March 29, 1956.
Then, on March 30, 1956, at 17.10, a monstrous explosion split the top of the snow-covered Bezymyanny, which had previously risen to a height of 3048 meters above sea level. Within a matter of seconds, 183 meters of the peak were “cut off” from the volcano, and volcanic dust rose from the crater to a height of 45 kilometers.
Russian volcanologist G. O. Gorshkov, who was nearby in the village of Klyuchi, described this scene as follows:
“The cloud swirled strongly and quickly changed its shape... It seemed very dense and almost tangibly heavy. Along with the cloud, the roar of thunder arose and intensified, accompanied by incessant flashes of lightning. At about 17.40, when the cloud had already passed its zenith, ash began to fall... and by 18.20 it became so dark that it was impossible to see one’s own hand, even if one raised it to one’s face. People returning from work wandered around the village in search of their homes. The thunder rumbled with deafening force and did not stop. The air was saturated with electricity, telephones were ringing spontaneously, loudspeakers on the radio network were burning out... There was a strong smell of sulfur.”
A hot layer of ash, covering an area of 482 square kilometers, melted the snow and formed rapid mud flows in the valley of the Sukhaya Khapitsa River and valleys located on the slopes of adjacent volcanoes. These streams washed away huge boulders weighing hundreds of tons and carried them through the valley, sweeping away everything in their path. Trees were uprooted or burned. Three weeks after the eruption, Gorshkov discovered thousands of streams of fumarolic gases rising from the surface of a 30-meter layer of ash over an area of 47 square kilometers. This area was called “the blast furnace of 10,000 smokes of Kamchatka.” A similar eruption of Mount Katmai occurred in 1912.
Bezymyanny is an active volcano in Kamchatka, near Klyuchevskaya Sopka, about 80 km from the village of Klyuchi, Ust-Kamchatka region.
The height is 2882 m (until 1956 - 3075 m), it consists of the remains of an old volcano destroyed by the 1956 eruption (in the southeastern part of the massif), a young active stratovolcano and a crater on the site of the old volcano with a diameter of 1.3x2.8 km. There are numerous lava flows on the slopes, and 16 extrusive domes at the foot.
The famous catastrophic volcanic eruption on March 30, 1956 was highlighted by G.S. Gorshkov and G.E. Bogoyavlenskaya into an independent type - “directed explosion” or “Bezymianny type”, which is recognized by world volcanology (“directed blast”, “lateral blast”, “type Bezymianny”).
Eruption 1955-1956 was the first in the historical period (in this area since 1697) and occurred, according to tephrochronological studies, after a 1000-year period of rest. Before the eruption, the structure of the volcano had the shape of a regular cone with a height of 3085 m (a stratovolcano of predominantly andesitic composition, complicated by summit and side extrusive domes). The eruption began on October 22, 1955, after a 23-day swarm of earthquakes. Until March 30, 1956, the eruption was of a moderate, Vulcanic nature (pre-climax stage). During this period, a crater with a diameter of 800 m was formed at the top of the volcano, from which frequent ash emissions occurred to a height of 2-7 km. At the end of November, a dome of viscous lava began to squeeze out of the crater. Simultaneously with the growth of the intracrater dome, a strong swelling of the southeastern slope of the volcano began. The magnitude of the deformation, estimated from photographs, reached 100 m. The deformation of the slope was due to the fact that part of the magmatic melt was introduced in the form of a cryptoculol (near-surface intrusion) into the volcano edifice.
The catastrophic eruption on March 30, 1956 (culmination stage) was triggered by the collapse of the eastern slope of a volcanic structure with a volume of 0.5 cubic meters. km. The collapse transformed into a cold (< 100°С) обломочную лавину, скорость которой превышала 60 м/с. Обломочная лавина образовала три ветви, вложенные в речные долины. Максимальный путь (22 км) прошла центральная ветвь. В процессе распространения обломочная лавина сдирала и толкала перед собой вал материала подножья вулкана (снег, почву, аллювий, растительность), который образовал протяженные грязевые потоки. Сразу за обрушением последовал кастрофический направленный взрыв, вызванный тем, что обвал резко уменьшил литостатическое давление на магму, внедрившуюся в постройку на докульминационной стадии извержения. Материал, выброшенный взрывом (0,2 куб.км.), распространился вдоль восточного подножия вулкана в виде пирокластической волны (турбулентный поток горячей смеси газа и пирокластики). Скорость потока превышала 60 м/с, температура составляла около 300 градусов С. После направленного взрыва произошло извержение пирокластических потоков протяжённостью более 20 км. Высота эруптивного облака извержения достигла высоты около 35 км. В результате извержения образовался подковообразный кратер диаметром ~1,3 км, открытый на восток. У восточного подножья вулкана на площади ~500 кв. км деревья и кустарники были сломаны и повалены в направлении от вулкана. В зоне разрушений возник покров специфических пирокластическлх отложений (отложения направленного взрыва). После пароксизма (посткульминационная стадия) в подковообразном кратере начал выжиматься купол вязкой лавы, формирование которого продолжается до настоящего времени.
Once lost among its neighbors, an inconspicuous, extinct volcano with the barely visible outlines of a small crater is now one of the most famous, active and observed not only in Kamchatka, but throughout the world. It is a natural monument and is located on the territory of the Klyuchevskoy natural park.
Bezymyanny Volcano in Kamchatka, or Bezymyannaya Sopka, belongs to the Klyuchevskaya group and is located in its central part. The most famous active participants in this group are Klyuchevskaya Sopka and Plosky Tolbachik.
In its appearance, Bezymyanny is an elongated massif, the top of which was destroyed by a recent eruption. Refers to active volcanoes. The closest settlement is the village of Klyuchi, 60 km to the south, as well as the village of Kozyrevsk, 50 km.
Most of the volcanoes of Kamchatka received their names from the local Itelmen tribes, and some of them were named in honor of distinguished hunters and scientists. Nameless is considered an exception. During the development of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the hill “slept”, so the absence of a name as such is associated with a long period of peace. In addition, compared to its neighboring volcanoes Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Tolbachik and Kamen, Bezymyanny did not stand out very much.
The formation of the building dates back to the Ice Age, which began more than 2.5 million years ago. In its place were several domes formed by squeezing lava onto the surface of the Earth. When studied by scientists, they were given names such as Smooth, Correct, Dismembered, etc. More than 10,000 years ago, an old building began to take shape, which was called Pra-Nameless, and about 5,000 years ago, Nameless itself. The “remains” of the Great-Bezymyanny are preserved on the eastern side of the modern volcano, and the dome, formed more than 5,000 years ago, is shifted half a kilometer to the west.
The activity of Bezymyanny in Kamchatka was observed in all periods. The dates of the eruptions, which were reconstructed from the debris and the volcanic structure itself, indicate that in some time cycles it was active for 400 years. Thus, activation occurred in the periods from 2400 to 1700 years ago, from 1350 to 1000 years ago and from 1955 to the present. The culminating moments of eruptions usually coincide with the beginning and end of the period. Such long-term eruptions with subsequent catastrophic consequences are usually similar to each other in the nature of the eruptions and the decrease in relief.
Currently, the height of the Bezymyanny volcano in Kamchatka is 2882 m. Before the catastrophic eruption that occurred in 1956, its height reached more than 3050 m. It consists of part of a destroyed old building located on the southeastern part of the young formation and a crater reaching a diameter of 1.3 by 2.8 m. Before the incident, there was only a faint crater on its top and the volcano was considered extinct. The slopes are filled with numerous lava flows, and at the foot there are 16 domes. One of them has been preserved from the time of early activity and is called the Dam. The walls of the dome are very similar to logs, which is why this place is called “Woodpile” and has the status of a natural monument.
The 1956 eruption placed Bezymyanny among the most famous giants on the planet. The study of the geological structure of the volcano began in the 1980s by G.S. Gorshkov, and its history over the last couple of thousand years was obtained from the research of O.A. Braitseva and V.Yu. Kiryanov. Later, scientific research was carried out in more depth, because his activity grew, but the information received was not enough.
One of the most powerful eruptions in the entire history of the volcano and all of Kamchatka was the disaster of 1956. Hundreds of earthquakes a day, columns of fire and gas up to 40 km high. Lightning and deafening noise. Impenetrable darkness from the ashes. The 1956 eruption was truly destructive not only for the volcano itself, but also for the entire surrounding natural complex as a whole. After the incident at Bezymyanny, this type of eruption was identified by the Society of International Volcanology as independent and to this day is called a “directed explosion.”
The volcano may pose a danger to international and local airlines visiting the airspace of Kamchatka, i.e. its ash emissions can grow up to 15 km, and ash clouds can stretch in different directions for hundreds of kilometers. The volcano currently carries a yellow aviation danger code. There is also constant visual, seismic and satellite monitoring.
An interesting fact is the presence on the planet of the giant St. Helens, which has a very similar nature of eruptions (directed explosion). It is located in the USA. According to scientists, volcanoes St. Helens and Bezymyanny may be somehow connected. It was after the eruption in 1980 at St. Helens that close monitoring of this “couple” began. Its neighbors, Klyuchevskaya Sopka and Kamen, also have a direct influence on the formation of the character of the Bezymyanny volcano. Thus, collapses or movements of the subsoil on these buildings directly increase the pressure in Bezymyanny and also contribute to the collapse of debris avalanches. The entire Klyuchevskaya group is characterized by volcanic processes with striking manifestations. The composition of the rocks here is constantly changing. Sometimes researchers find gold and platinum group metals. The uniqueness of this group attracts both scientists, tourists and climbers. Many tourists pass along the routes every year. However, in the eastern sector of Bezymyanny there is little natural attractiveness. There are scorching clouds, lifeless fields, covered lava flows and heaps of boulders. However, subject to weather conditions, the state of the volcano and safety precautions, it is possible to climb to the edge of the crater, from where you can admire the very impressive panoramas of these places.
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