Strong earthquake in Russia awakens two volcanoes; experts foresee "massive eruptions".
On the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, two volcanoes are erupting with towering clouds of ash and glowing lava, and geologists predict more significant eruptions soon.
With over 30 active volcanoes, the peninsula, which reaches into the Pacific Ocean roughly 6,600 kilometers (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, is one of the world's most
active geothermal regions.According to news reports, the abrupt new activity came after a powerful earthquake on Saturday.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Eurasia's tallest active volcano at 4,754 meters (almost 16,000 feet), was reportedly experiencing up to 10 explosions every hour,
according to the Russian Academy of Sciences' vulcanology institute.
The institute noted that the Shiveluch volcano is also producing lava flows and ash emissions.
The population of Kamchatka is minimal. 30–50 kilometers apart from each volcano is the town of Klyuchi, which has a population of roughly 5,000.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the peninsula's sole large city, is located around 450 kilometers from the volcanoes.