Hydrothermae and volcanoes of Kamchatka

Abstract

Hydrothermae and volcanoes of Kamchatka are concentrated in the Mid-Kamchatka, East-Kamchatka volcanic belts oriented in NE∼50° direction subparallel to the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench. A similar direction is also typical for modern open fault zones accompanying Planetary fault at the eastern coasts of Kamchatka [8]; it corresponds to the direction of the Thermal Rift and the zones of depressions controlling geothermal objects. Such coincidences are clearly not accidental. Having regard to the above, it became necessary to consider the features of the most studied Paratunka geothermal field relative to the existing volcanic belts of Kamchatka. Based on the actual data, the possibility of forming a standard Paratunka field as a result of post-caldera volcanism manifested at the boundary of volcano tectonic structure is shown. By analogy with the Paratunka field, the hypothesis of the peninsula formation as a result of the confluence of two super volcanoes with a common crater structure in the Klyuchevskoi group of volcanoes was suggested. The formation of the volcanic belts of Kamchatka is considered from the perspective of the manifestation of the post-caldera volcanism.