Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka (Russia)

As promised I am starting my posts on the decade volcanoes. Today is the turn of Avachinsky-Koryaksky. 

Despite being listed as one volcano, they are actually separate from each other. Avachinsky and Koryaksky are both part of the Avachinskaya volcanic group which is a group of stratovolcanoes which are orientated in a NW-SE direction. The other prominent volcano in this range is Kozhel. These volcanoes are the result of the Pacific plate subducting beneath the North American plate at a rate of ~ 78 mm a year. Due to the climate in the area and the amount of ice and snow on the volcanoes the main hazard posed from Avachinsky and Koryaksy is by lahars with Pyroclastic Density Currents a close second.

The town present in the foreground of the photos below is Petropavlovsk.
 
Avachinsky is a stratovolcano which stands at ~2741 m high. The last eruption of this volcano was a tiny eruption in 2001 with another small eruption in 1991.  An event in 1945 was much larger and was rated at VEI 4. The eruptions produced by Avachinsky are generally smaller in scale at ~VEI 2. Avachinsky also houses an active crater with regular degassing and fumarolic episodes.

Avachinsky -From the Global Volcanism Program and taken by Oleg Volynets

Koryaksky is the taller of the volcanoes in the range, standing at ~3456 m. Overall it is less active than Avachinsky and less is known about its past eruptions. The last eruption of Koryaksy occured in 2008/2009 and was rated at VEI 2, in general this eruption was characterised by steaming with small amounts of ash within the column.  

Koryasky - From the Global Volcanism Program and taken by Vera Ponomareva

Avachinskaya Volcanic Group, from the Global Volcanism Program and taken by Vera Ponomareva. Koryasky is on the left, next on the right is Avachinsky and on the far right is Kozhel.