Russian volcano explodes in 'powerful' eruption, likely intensified by 8.8 magnitude earthquake

Klyuchevskoy volcano in eastern Russia began erupting shortly after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake and several aftershocks shook the same area.

"A descent of hot lava is observed on the western slope," the Geophysical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a translated post on the messaging app Telegram Wednesday (July 30).

The Kamchatka branch of the academy captured the eruption on cameras observing the volcano. In the Telegram post, they reported seeing "explosions" as a "powerful glow above the volcano."

The ash plume from the eruption extended at least 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) above and 36 miles (58 km) east of the volcano, the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team said on Telegram. The group warned that explosions of ash up to 5 miles (8 km) high could occur at any time.

Details about the full extent of the eruption and damages are unknown at this time.

In the weeks leading up to the earthquake, "the volcano was showing signs of unrest," a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) representative told Live Science in an email. On July 21, a team of Russian scientists found a lava lake at the summit of the volcano, signaling that the volcano was primed for eruption.

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"While yesterday's large earthquake did not cause the eruption to begin, it did likely increase in the vigor of the eruption including some ash emission," the USGS representative said.

Klyuchevskoy, which rises 15,597 feet (4,754 meters) above sea level, is the tallest active volcano in Asia and Europe, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. The volcano sits on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, a hotspot for geologic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The eruption came hours after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake — tied for the sixth-most-powerful earthquake ever recorded — struck on the same peninsula Wednesday at 11:24 a.m. local time. The earthquake could generate tsunami waves higher than 10 feet (3 m) above the tide on the coasts of Hawaii, Ecuador and Russia, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center warned after the earthquake struck.

The volcano is about 280 miles (450 km) north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital city. It last erupted in late 2023, when it spewed a 1,000-mile-long (1,600 km) river of dust and ash that reached up to 7.5 miles (12 km) above Earth's surface.

This eruption is "typical activity at this very active volcano," the USGS representative said. "The volcano is in a remote area and this eruption is consistent with other recent past eruptions."