Russia (4,750 m) – Tallest Active Volcano in Eurasia
Mount Klyuchevskaya is not only one of the world’s tallest and most prominent volcanoes, it is also one of the most active. Located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, it is one of the northernmost volcanoes of the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire. It was sacred to local inhabitants of the area prior to the arrival of Russian explorers from the west.
Although known since ancient times, Klyuchevskaya was not visited by Europeans, or likely even other travelers from the major Asian states, until the 17th century. It was first climbed in 1788 by the Daniel Gauss. However, subsequent ascents have been few do to the extremely dangerous volcanic conditions on the mountain. At least one group of climbers were incinerated by an unexpected lava flow.
Like several other prominent volcanoes of the Ring of Fire, Mount Klyuchevskaya is nearly continuously active, and has been so since the 1690s. Two major eruptions were recorded as recently as 2007 and 2010, with ash clouds large enough to obstruct air traffic in the north Pacific. These eruptions have triggered smaller eruptions in other nearby volcanoes, making the region extremely volatile.
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