Alaid volcano

Alaid, also called Atlasov due to its location or Araido in Japanese, is a volcano in Atlasov Island, Kuril Islands, Russia. It is the northernmost volcano of the islands, and one of the most active. The height is disputed between 2,285 metres (7,497 ft)^[1] to 2,339 metres (7,674 ft) tall.^[2] It is the highest peak of the Kuril Islands.^[2]

Alaid
A view of Atlasov island as a whole with the volcano in the center of the image.
Highest point
Elevation	2,285–2,339 m (7,497–7,674 ft)
Prominence	2,339 m (7,674 ft)
Naming
Native name	Алаид (Russian)
English translation	Alaid
Geography
Location	Atlasov Island, Sakhalin, Russia
Geology
Mountain type	Volcano
Last eruption	14 October 2022, depicted.
Climbing
First ascent	Never ascended.

Geographical setting

Alaid is located on Atlasov Island, one of the Kuril Islands. These are part of the ring of tectonic instability encircling the Pacific Ocean referred to as the Ring of Fire. The majority of these islands are volcanic, and that doesn't exclude Atlasov, which its main feature is the volcano.^[3]

Geology

It is formed mostly of alkali basalts, and minorly of basaltic andesite.^[4] Many rare minerals are present on the mountain. Yellow volborthite and turquoise atacamite are present on the volcano.^[5]

Eruptions

Alaid volcano is one of the most active volcanoes of the Sakhalin Oblast as a whole. The most significant eruptions were the 1793 and the 2022 eruption.^[1] Local records indicate that eruptions also happened in 1854, 1860, 1894, 1981, 1996, 2015–2016, and 2022.^[4][2][6]

Satellite image showing the eruption

2022 eruption

The 2022 volcanic eruption was one of the biggest and most significant of the history of the volcano. Local flights had to be cancelled due to this eruption. It also increased by a little the territory of the island.^{[7][clarification needed]}

Strombolian-vulcanian activity provoked two lava flows, that went onto the southern slope of Alaid. The ash plumes mainly spread to the southeast with their height reaching 300–530 km. The outflow of lava caused the formation of lahars that descended the southern slope of the volcano and reached the island's coast.^[7]

Height

Alaid is the tallest mountain of the Kurils^[2], and its peak makes Atlasov the highest island of all of Russia. Like most other mountains, the height of Alaid is disputed. Some sources state that the height is of 2,285 metres (7,497 ft);^[1][4] others, like NASA, put it at 2,339 metres (7,674 ft).^[2][6][8]