The April 11, 2023 Catastrophic Explosive Eruption of Sheveluch Volcano, Kamchatka

Abstract

This paper provides data on the April 11, 2023 eruption of Sheveluch Volcano. The impact of the eruption has been assessed. The directed explosion destroyed the lava dome which took over 42 years to grow. According to the data acquired just before the eruption, the lava dome had a volume of about 0.53 km³. The eruption produced a field of explosive ejecta ∼70 km² in area and 0.49 km³ in volume. The directed explosion was accompanied by pyroclastic flows which traveled for distances of 25–30 km from the volcano. The associated ashfall had a length of over 200 km. The weight of an ash sample varied between 1.2 and 43.9 kg/², depending on the distance to the volcano. The area of ash deposits (with the weight of ash samples over 50 g/m²) was about 17 thousand m², the volume of the ash deposits was 0.09 km³. Considered in relation to the total volume of ejecta (over 0.60 km³), the April 11, 2023 eruption of Sheveluch should be termed a great catastrophic eruption of this century.