Kliuchevskaia Sopka

an active volcano in eastern Kamchatka; the highest (4,750 m) and most active volcano in Eurasia.

Kliuchevskaia Sopka is part of the Kliuchevskaia volcanic group. Near the base, its regular cone, with a constantly steaming crater, has 70 secondary cones, domes, and craters. The cone is composed of streams of basaltic (partly andesitic) lava. The upper part of the cone is composed primarily of loose material. More than 50 violent eruptions have occurred during the last 270 years, and there are active fumaroles and solfataras. There are frequent explosions in the crater, with the ejection of bombs and ash. Some areas of the peak are covered with snow and glaciers. A volcanological station of the Institute of Volcanology of the Siberian branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR is located in the settlement of Kliuchi, at the foot of Kliuchevskaia Sopka.