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USHKOVSKY VOLCANO (FAR FLAT VOLCANO)

It occupies the north-west and the west parts of the Klyuchevskaya Group of Volcanoes. It is a typical stratovolcano joined with the Krestovsky Volcano (the Close Flat volcano) into the united volcano massif.

The Ushkovsky Volcano is the truncated cone with the height of 3943 m. There is a round 4,5x5,5 km caldera at the top with two 0,5-1,5 km craters. The whole flat top of the volcano is covered by the thick glacial shell, and 6 glaciers descend on the slopes. One of them (the Bilchonok glacier) is the longest glacier of Kamchatka (17,6 km). Besides, there are two shield-like cones in the caldera – the Herz cone and the Gorshkov cone. The tops of the cones have 800-1000 m diameter craters. The south edges of the south-west crater overhang the ice cover, and there are five hot grounds with the area from 15 to 100 m². There is a nested funnel with the diameter of 250 m in the north-east crater. In the east and south parts of the funnel there are many small solfataras.

The Ushkovsky Volcano formation was preceded by the powerful volcanic activity which had formed a shield volcano, the age of which is approximately 50-60 thousand years. The actual volcanic activity started in 1980. It is presented by the fumarole activity at the area of 5000 m. The highest temperature of the gas emissions is 78,3o C.

The Krestovsky volcano is joined to the Ushkovsky Volcano separating only in the top part by the saddle. Its top is domed. The absolute height is 4057 m. In the north-east part there is a great glacial circus with the Eulchonok glacier of 10,3 km length. Nowadays the volcano is considered extinct.