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VERHNE-SEMYACHIKSKIYE SPRINGS

The springs are located near two volcanoes - the Burlyashchiy and the Central Semyachik. The wide thermal fields are located in the heavy destroyed volcanic edifice: the Paryashchaya (Vapouring) Valley and the Verhneye (Upper) thermal field at the Burlyashchiy volcano and the north crater of the Central Semyachik.

The Burlyashchiy volcano is 1164 m over the sea level, but the relative height is only 200 m. It is an ancient volcano, and it is one of the three active volcanoes in the Semyachik volcano group. Gases come up through the crater lake waters, and it seems that the water is boiling, that’s why the volcano is called Burlyashchiy (Boiling). The fumaroles are concentrated at the bottom of the crater (in the Paryashchaya Valley) and at the east slope of the volcano (at the Verhneye Field). The bottom of the Paryashchaya Valley is coloured yellow-green and is densely covered by boiling pools, vaporing holes, wellheads, and small mud cones. There are also diminutive models of all volcano types composed by clay, and instead of lava, smoke and volcanic bombs they release vapour, hot water drops and mud flows. The ground is filled with sound. Only the small vapour trickles are soundless, everything else is hissing, slopping, gurgling and bubbling.

The most prominent hydrothermal activity is registered in one of the Verhneye Field gully. There are tens of great and small vapour streams at the very small ground. The invisible streams of the overheated vapour come out from the cracks between rocks with the deafening roaring. The temperature is about 140o C.

The Central Semyachik is an active volcano. It consists of 18 dome-shaped structures. The Central Semyachik itself is a two-cratered volcano of 1294 m height. The north crater is more interesting. It is a wide hole with about 2 km diameter surrounded by high steep edges. In the north part of the crater there are active fumarole grounds. The Sulphur hollow is the example of the strongest fumarole activity. Its arching and walls are covered by the bright yellow coat of the crystalline sulphur, asphyxiating gas puffs, which sometimes obscuringly close the hollow, gush from the depth. There is a Black Lake not far from the hollow. It is the lake with vapouring and bubbling surface of dark-steel (even black) colour. The water is coated by the black film of ferric sulphide. It is supposed that the black film substance was carried up from the bottom during the water mud emission from the crater. Sometimes thick vapouring is observed over the lake, sometimes fountaining. The surface temperature is almost 88o C.