New eruption starts at highest volcano in Eurasia

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Klyuchevskaya Sopka is one of the planet's most active volcanoes.

The volcano, the highest mountain in the Kamchatka peninsula - Russia's Land of Fire and Ice - is active again after one year's relative calm.

'The crater is filling up with fresh lava and volcano's activity is steadily growing. There is a constant volcanic trembling, thermal anomaly and glow above the crater', said the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

There is a warning to aircraft flying at 6,000 metres altitude.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka, also known as Klyuchevskoi - which rises some 4,750 meters above the sea level - is one of the planet's most active volcanoes. Its last active phase was from August to December 2013. Increased seismic activity was noted from 19 December.

A small plume was detected from 2 January. A thermal anomaly is visible on satellite data and during clear weather, glow can be seen from the summit at night.

Late last month the Sheveluch volcano in Kamchatka spewed out a cloud of ash some 35 km eastwards.

'The volcano has ejected cinders to the altitude of 6,000 meters above sea level,' said the Kamchatka Volcano Eruptions Reaction Team.

The Sheveluch, which is 3,283 meters tall, is the northernmost of Kamchatka's volcanoes. The nearest populated locality, the township of Klyuchi, is located 80 kilometres away. The Sheveluch, which is also spelt as Shiveluch or Sopka Shiveluch sometimes is a hyperactive volcano. The recorded disastrous eruptions occurred in 1854 and 1956.

The current eruption started on August 15, 1999, and continues to this day. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is considered sacred by some indigenous peoples, seen as the location at which the world was created. Other volcanoes in the region also have spiritual significance, but Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the most sacred.