Age of rock 1.5 Ma Last eruption 1.5 Ma | Mountain type Supervolcano Elevation 1,300 m | |
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Location Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Similar Gorely, Kostakan, Kozielski, Bakening, Taupo Volcano | ||
Karymshina is a Supervolcano in Kamchatka, Russia. that was discovered in 2006 by Vladimir L Leonov and Aleksey N. Rogozin.
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Location
Karymshima is located about 50 km SW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Although it is towards the East side of Kamchatka, it is on Kamchatka's watershed, with rivers flowing to both the West and East coast.
Description
Karymshina is a volcanic caldera. There is little to see on the ground since due to the volcano's great age (1.2-1.5 Million years), it has been eroded and covered by younger lava flows from other volcanoes. The caldera measures about 25 km x 15 km. The highest point is Mount Tolstyi at 1300m. In the Northwest of the caldera, there is an uplifted block, indicating an abortive eruption since forming. At present, the caldera floor is dry, but in the past it contained a lake that has left a sandstone layer. There are thermal springs, apparently heated by a large magma chamber that is still warm.
Eruptive History
The earliest known eruption occurred about 1.5 million years ago. Although it is difficult to estimate ejecta volume due to erosion and more recent activity covering this eruptions ejecta, an estimate of ejecta volume has been produced by the discoverers, i.e. ~ 825 cubic km. This is easily enough to qualify as a super volcano. After this eruption, an uplifted block formed. Rhyolite domes have also formed around the rim, about 500-800,000 years ago.