Huge earthquake may have triggered volcano's first eruption in 600 years, Russian team says
'This is the first historically confirmed eruption of Krasheninnikov Volcano in 600 years,' RIA cited Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, as saying.
She added that the eruption may be connected to the earthquake on Wednesday that triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile, and was followed by an eruption of Klyuchevskoy, the most active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
On the Telegram channel of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Girina said that Krasheninnikov's last lava effusion took place in 1463 - plus or minus 40 years - and no eruption has been known since.
The Kamchatka branch of Russia's ministry for emergency services said that an ash plume rising up to 6,000 meters (3.7 miles) has been recorded following the volcano's eruption. The volcano itself stands at 1,856 meters.
'The ash cloud has drifted eastward, toward the Pacific Ocean. There are no populated areas along its path,' the ministry said on Telegram.
The eruption of the volcano has been assigned an orange aviation code, indicating a heightened risk to aircraft, the ministry said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
What to Know: Why 2 Quakes Jolted New York and New Jersey Recently
A 2.7- magnitude earthquake hit northern New Jersey on Tuesday, just days after a 3.0-magnitude quake struck the same area on Saturday, shaking parts of the state and New York City. The recent temblors were classified as 'weak,' according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Mercalli Intensity Scale. Still, they were a shock to New Yorkers and New Jerseyans generally unused to the earth shaking beneath them. But several experts consulted by The New York Times all agreed: The two quakes were not out of ordinary for the area. And a bigger one is not out of the question. Since 1900, there have been 355 earthquakes in the New Jersey area with a magnitude of 1.0 and above, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In those 125 years, only 20 earthquakes have had a magnitude of 3.0 and above that people can actually feel. But the two recent quakes are not surprising, given a larger 4.8- magnitude earthquake last year that jolted New York and New Jersey and sent tremors from Philadelphia to Boston. Andrew Lloyd, an assistant research professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, said that the two earthquakes could be aftershocks from that bigger one. And it's likely, researchers say, that the earthquake that occurred Tuesday was triggered by Saturday's event. 'I'm not concerned because I'm an expert,' said Folarin Kolawole, an assistant professor of geology at Columbia University. 'But I understand the disturbance that earthquakes like this create for common people.' Residents of New York and New Jersey can expect to feel a slight rumble from minor earthquakes in the future, according to Dr. Lloyd. He explained that California is at a tectonic plate boundary, where earthquakes occur more frequently as plates collide and slide past each other. The New York region is not, but New Jersey and New York are at an intraplate setting — at or near the center of a tectonic plate, where earthquakes are still possible. 'They should expect similar-sized earthquakes going forward,' he said. But Dr. Kolawole said major earthquakes — defined as those with a magnitude of 5.0 or above — could happen in the New Jersey and New York area, and he stressed the importance of monitoring. 'We have ancient faults in the New York/New Jersey region that are active and can sleep,' he said. 'There's a potential for a greater than magnitude 5 earthquake.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASA races to put nuclear reactors on Moon and Mars
The United States is rushing to put nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, and hopes to launch the first system by the end of the decade. A new NASA directive -- first reported by Politico and seen by AFP on Tuesday -- calls for the appointment of a nuclear power czar to select two commercial proposals within six months, framing the push as crucial to outpacing a joint Chinese-Russian effort. Signed by acting NASA chief Sean Duffy, who is also US transportation secretary, the July 31 memo is the latest sign of the agency's shift towards prioritizing human space exploration over scientific research under President Donald Trump's second term. "Since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s," it says. "The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first." The idea of using nuclear energy off-planet is not new. Since 2000, NASA has invested $200 million towards developing small, lightweight fission power systems, though none have progressed towards flight readiness, according to the directive. The most recent effort came in 2023 with the completion of three $5 million industry study contracts that focused on generating 40 kilowatts of power, enough to continuously run 30 households for ten years. Unlike solar power, fission systems can operate around the clock -- invaluable during the weeks-long lunar nights or Martian dust storms. Advances in technology have made such systems increasingly compact and lightweight. NASA formally committed to using nuclear power on Mars in December 2024 -- the first of seven key decisions necessary for human exploration of the Red Planet. Based on feedback by industry, surface power needs should be at least 100 kilowatts to support "long-term human operations including in-situ resource utilization," meaning things like life support, communications, and mining equipment to collect surface ice. It assumes the use of a "heavy class lander" that carries up to 15 metric tons of mass, and targets a "readiness to launch by the first quarter of FY30," meaning late 2029. NASA's Artemis program to return to the Moon and establish a lasting presence near the south pole has faced repeated delays. The timeline for Artemis 3, the first planned crewed landing, has slipped to 2027, a date few see as realistic given the planned lander, SpaceX's Starship, is far from ready. China meanwhile is targeting 2030 for its first crewed mission and has proven more adept at meeting its deadlines in recent years. ia/des Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
9 hours ago
- CNN
NASA wants US to be the first nation to put nuclear reactor on the moon
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has directed the agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Expediting work to place a reactor on the lunar surface to help power moon exploration efforts would keep the United States ahead of China and Russia, both of which have 'announced on at least three occasions' a joint effort to develop such a project by the mid-2030s, according to a directive dated July 31 and obtained by CNN. If another country were to achieve this feat first, it could declare a 'keep-out zone' that would effectively hold the US back from its goal of establishing a presence on the lunar surface through NASA's Artemis program. The agency's Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2027, is expected to return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time in more than five decades. But the program still has several milestones in order to reach that target. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy told reporters at a news conference Tuesday on drones. 'And to have a base on the moon, we need energy.' Duffy's orders also call for an executive within 30 days to lead the program. Politico was the first to report the new directive. NASA has previously worked on similar projects in collaboration the Department of Energy and others, including a fission surface power project that would provide the moon with at least 40 kilowatts of power — enough to continuously run 30 households for 10 years, according to the NASA website. A nuclear reactor would assist with long stays on the moon, but the newly unveiled plans do not yet specify when a base could be built. Lunar surface power needs are at least 100kWe for long-term human operations, according to estimates cited by NASA. 'Energy is important, and if we're going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,' Duffy said. The directive is Duffy's first big initiative since he was named NASA's acting administrator in July, an extra job he's been criticized for accepting alongside Secretary of Transportation, an agency that has had a tumultuous year navigating aviation safety incidents. He also issued a second directive last Thursday that could accelerate efforts to create a commercial space station to replace the International Space Station. NASA will seek more proposals within 60 days, and at least two companies will be awarded a contract within six months of the agency's request for proposals, according to the directive. The order changes the way the agency awards contracts by adding some flexibility. The aging International Space Station has experienced problems with leaks in recent years and is expected to be retired by 2030.
