SPACEPHOTOS

Kamchatka Peninsula in extreme eastern Russia offers a living laboratory for the study of volcanoes. Experts estimate that of approximately 80 volcanoes on Kamchatka, about 33 are classified as active. This photograph of the southeast coast of Kamchatka Peninsula shows a very rugged volcanic landscape without snow cover, which can conceal some of the more subtle volcanic features. A very large, water-filled caldera is clearly visible in the center of the photograph. The maximum elevation of the rim of this caldera is 3504 feet (1068 meters). Twenty miles (32 kilometers) northeast of this caldera stands Mount Khodutka, a stratovolcano [peak elevation is 6857 feet (2090 meters)], and 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of the large caldera stands Mount Zheltovskaya, another stratovolcano, rising 6142 feet (1870 meters) above sea level. Numerous smaller volcanoes can be identified by their dark, (forested) generally circular shapes.