Tourist trains will run on new routes in the next year and a half
The press service of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve has reported on a four-year-long study conducted by scientists from the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They have been investigating one of the largest active stratovolcanoes in Kamchatka – Kronotsky. Until recently, this giant remained poorly understood in terms of the composition and evolution of the rocks that make it up, as well as its eruption history.
This year, scientists managed to reach one of the most inaccessible southern gorges of the volcano. One of the specialists' tasks was to confirm a discovery made by geologists over 50 years ago. A geological survey report on the Kronotsky and Krasheninnikov volcanoes mentioned huge crystals of a rare mineral, amphibole, found in basaltic lavas.
During field work, volcanologists discovered crystals with an average size of two to five centimeters. Moreover, they noted fragments of individual monocrystals reaching eight centimeters. Xenoliths of deep rocks were also found in volcanic bombs and slags. A similar association of megacrystals and xenoliths was found in one of the craters in the southwestern part of the volcano. It is expected that after a detailed study, these impressive finds will help to better understand the magmatic processes occurring at great depths beneath Kronotsky volcano.
In previous years, scientists have already conducted research in various sectors of the volcano. In particular, they worked on the southwestern, western, and northern slopes.
