SPACEPHOTOS

The Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia’s far eastern frontier, is home to more than 100 volcanoes and is part of the Ring of Fire that encircles the Pacific from the southern coast of Chile in South America around the Pacific Ocean to South Island, New Zealand. An estimated 30 of the Kamchatka volcanoes are classified as active; therefore, this geologic zone of volcanic episodes continues to be very dynamic and active. This near-vertical photograph shows two prominent snowcapped volcanoes along the east coast of Kamchatka just north of the town of Zhupanovo. The taller volcano, Kronotskaya Volcano (near the center of the photograph), stands 11 570 feet (3525 meters) above sea level and casts a cone-shaped shadow. It exhibits the classic radial drainage pattern, extending downward from its crater. The volcano immediately southwest of Kronotskaya across a small valley displays a very large caldera, with several new calderas and craters within the much larger caldera. The summit of this unnamed volcano is 6 070 feet (1850 meters) above sea level. The triangular body of water between these two volcanoes to the west is Lake Kronotskoye. Numerous smaller, more eroded volcanic features are scattered throughout the view. The swampy coastal plain is dark because there is no snow cover at this time of year.