Late Pleistocene and Holocene volcanic catastrophes in Kamchatka and in the Kuril Islands. Part 1. Types and classes of catastrophic eruptions as the leading components of volcanic catastrophism

Abstract

We advance our own definitions of the following terms: catastrophic volcanic eruption (CE), catastrophic supereruption (CSE), different-rank and different-type episodes and phases of volcanic catastrophism (VC). All eruptions are subdivided into three classes according to the volume and weight of the erupted and transported (juvenile and resurgent) material, whatever its chemical composition: class I (>0.5 km3), class II (≥5 km3), and class III, or supereruptions (>50 km3). We characterize the types and varieties of CEs and CSEs, with most of these being the main components of identified VC episodes and phases. The primary phenomena to be considered include catastrophic events of the 19th to 21st centuries, not only in the Kuril–Kamchatka region, but also in other volcanic areas. These events have been studied in detail by modern methods and can serve as approximate models to reconstruct similar past events, especially regarding their dynamics, productivity, and catastrophic impact.