Tolbachik

Tolbachik is a volcanic complex on the Kamchatka Peninsula made up of two principal cones and extensive associated volcanic fields. It is part of the larger Klyuchevskaya volcanic group and is noted both for its twin-cone morphology and for recent fissure eruptions.

The complex’s two main summits are a sharper, stratified cone and a broader, flatter cone; surrounding the cones are lava fields, cinder cones and fissure systems that record multiple eruptive phases. The 2012-2013 Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption produced large basaltic lava flows and many new scoria cones and is the most recent major event to reshape the landscape.

Tolbachik has been studied intensively by volcanologists and is also visited by experienced hikers and mountaineers when conditions allow, though access is remote and weather can be severe. The lava fields and cones form distinctive, often stark terrain that records recent volcanic processes.

The volcanic complex lies in southern Kamchatka on the eastern side of the Russian Far East, within the active volcanic belt of the peninsula and several hours’ travel from the nearest regional settlements by road or air.

• Volcanic setting: The Tolbachik complex comprises two main volcanic cones and is part of the Klyuchevskaya volcanic group on Kamchatka's central volcanic belt.
• Recent major eruption: The 2012-2013 fissure eruption created wide lava fields and numerous cinder cones, and is a key recent event for volcanic study and visitation planning.

What to See #

• Plosky Tolbachik: Plosky Tolbachik - the broader, flatter volcanic cone characterized by extensive lava plateaus and the principal site of recent fissure eruptions.
• Ostry Tolbachik: Ostry Tolbachik - the sharper, more conical summit that forms the second principal peak of the Tolbachik complex.
• 2012-2013 fissure eruption area: The 2012-2013 Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption lava fields and cinder cones, a large, well-documented fissure event that produced extensive basaltic flows and scoria cones.