The 1935‒2024 Summit Eruptions of the Klyuchevskoy Volcano

Klyuchevskoy is one of the most powerful active basaltic volcanoes in the world. Information about its eruptions has been known since 1697. This paper describes the summit eruptions of the volcano from 1935 to 1999, and analyzes such eruptions from 1935 to 2024. Between 1935 and 2024 30 summit eruptions occurred: 11 explosive eruptions lasting from 6 to 1110 days and 19 explosive–effusive eruptions lasting from 26 to 1100 days. It was found that paroxysmal phases of eruptive events with ash ascent to the maximum height (15 km above sea level) are characteristic only of explosive–effusive eruptions of the volcano. It was noted that paroxysmal phases of eruptions were observed, as a rule, 6–15 days or 1–2.5 months (rarely 2 days or 7 months) before their end, i.e., an increase in the power of ash ascent from the volcanic crater in some cases led to the emptying of the magma reservoir (for example, the eruption of 1994) and in other cases to the rise of new portions of lava to the daylight surface (for example, the eruptions of 1944 and 1987–1990).