Dormant Russian volcano may be waking up and could spark devastating eruption ‘at any moment’
A VOLCANO in Russia may be active again and scientists are worried that it could have “catastrophic” consequences. The volcano was previously thought to be extinct but results from tests last year have indicated that it may have woken up in 2017 and could be at risk of erupting. Russia’s Bolshaya Udina volcano is around […]
A VOLCANO in Russia may be active again and scientists are worried that it could have “catastrophic” consequences.
The volcano was previously thought to be extinct but results from tests last year have indicated that it may have woken up in 2017 and could be at risk of erupting.
Russia’s Bolshaya Udina volcano is around 10,000 foot high and is part of a mass of other volcanoes that are still considered to be inactive.
The researchers said: “Since late 2017, continuing seismic activity beneath Bolshaya Udina has been recorded, which may indicate the possible awakening of this volcano complex.”
They have published their findings in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.
Lead author of the study geophysicist Ivan Kulakov has warned that a volcanic eruption from Bolshaya Udina could be “catastrophic” and affect countries all over the world.
Kulakov told CNN that there is around a 50% chance of Bolshaya Udina erupting and said that it could occur at “any moment”.
His international research team recorded 559 earthquake like events at the volcano last year.
This is vastly higher than the 100 weak events recorded over the 18 years between 1999 and 2017.
The researchers concluded in their paper that the volcano should no longer be considered inactive.
They wrote: “[The findings] may indicate the presence of magma intrusions with a high content of melts and fluids, which may justify changing the current status of this volcano from ‘extinct’ to ‘active’.”
How do volcanoes erupt?
Here's the basic facts...
- Volcanoes are formed when a hot liquid like substance called magma breaks through the Earth’s crust
- Once the magma reaches the surface and gushes into the air, this is known as a volcanic eruption
- Volcanic eruptions can release lava, rocks, dust, volcanic ash and toxic gases into the atmosphere
- Some eruptions are huge and kill lots of people but other eruptions can be small flows of lava that are easily avoided
- Volcanoes normally give off warning sides before an eruption occurs, such as tremors or gases, and this gives people nearby time to evacuate
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What do you think about this volcano coming back to life? Let us know in the comments…
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