World’s Highest Northern Volcano Erupts Hours After Earthquake

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's eastern coast on Tuesday, July 29. The quake triggered several tsunami warnings across the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, and Japan.

On Wednesday, July 30, the Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula began erupting after the earthquake. The earthquake was measured at 8.8 magnitude and is tied for the sixth-largest ever recorded. It's the world's largest since a 2011 earthquake off Japan that set off the Fukushima tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

Volcano Erupts Hours After Earthquake

Kamchatka is often referred to as the "land of fire and ice" and is one of the most seismically active volcanic regions in the world, home to around 300 volcanoes, 29 which are active, according to NASA Earth Observatory.

The Klyuchevskoy volcano is the largest active volcano in the northern hemisphere, standing 15,584 feet (4,750 meters). It's located approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers), north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital.