Volcano with no name packs punch with ash eruption spewing 17 km high

The Bezymianny volcano in Kamchatka spewed ash to a height of 17 kilometres above sea level, presaging a new eruption, its third this year,  reported the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

A rash of seismic activity was registered on 17 December before the eruption a day later. Bezymianny literally means 'no name', yet it is currently one of the planet’s most active volcanoes. 

An academic interrupted a meeting after he 'heard some rumbles'.

He said: 'I went out and saw that the volcano erupted. And now the ash emissions can be seen. It is likely that there will be ash-fall tomorrow. And maybe even today.'

The emissions were seen as the largest since 2006. The settlements of Klyuchi and Ust-Kamchatsky were at risk.  

The volcano burst back into life in 1955 having been dormant for a millennium. Previous eruptions in 2017 were in March and June.

The 2.882 metre peak is in Kamchatka - known as Russia’s land of Fire and Ice - due to its prolific volcanoes and glaciers. 

The volcano has been monitored daily since 1992. There were 44 strong eruptions between 1965 and 2012.