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Maly Semyachik

Caldera in Russia

Last Eruption: 1952

Key Facts

Elevation

1,527 m (5,010 ft)

Type

Caldera

Location

54.135°, 159.674°

Region

Eastern Kamchatka Volcanic Arc

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Maly Semyachik is a compound stratovolcano located in a 10-km-wide caldera within the 15 x 20 km mid-Pleistocene Stena-Soboliny caldera. Following construction during the late Pleistocene of the Paleo-Semiachik volcano beginning about 20,000 years before present (BP), activity migrated to the SW, forming Meso-Semiachik (about 11,000-9,000 BP) and Ceno-Semiachik (about 8,000 BP to the present). An initial stage lasting about 3,500 years was dominantly explosive, constructing the present cone.

A second stage beginning about 4,400 years ago was marked by alternating constructive and destructive processes. A crater lake fills the historically active Troitsky Crater, which formed during a large explosive eruption about 400 years ago.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows and surges
  • Large explosive eruptions (VEI 4+)
  • Ash fall and tephra deposits
  • Lahars and debris flows

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Silica Content
Low (45-52% SiO₂)

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Formed by oceanic plate subduction, typically producing explosive eruptions due to water-rich magmas.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Holocene
Evidence
Eruption Observed

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity74 years agoHistoricalRecently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Normal
No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity
The Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

  • Smithsonian ID: 300140
  • Evidence: Eruption Observed
  • Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

Maly Semiachik is located within several nested Pleistocene calderas and composed of three overlapping edifices along a NE-SW line. Activity migrated to the SW, eventually forming the youngest cone, Ceno-Semiachik. It contains the historically active Troitsky crater, which formed during an explosive eruption about 400 years ago. It contains a hot, acidic lake this 1972 photo.

Photo by Oleg Volynets, 1972 (Institute of Volcanology, Petropavlovsk).

Basic Information

This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.