A volcano previously labeled extinct could now erupt at any moment
A volcano previously believed to be extinct is back and more threatening than ever.
The Bolshaya Udina volcano in the far eastern corner of Russia has a 50 percent chance of erupting at any moment, geophysicist Ivan Koulakov told CNN. Koulakov, who led a study on the volcano, believes it should be reclassified as active after finding "elliptical clusters" of activity around the volcano.
Koulakov says the volcano could potentially slowly release energy over time, or it could disappear with no eruption. But if it does boil over, nearby low-populated villages could be significantly impacted.
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An eruption could also have effects on the climate around the world and has the potential to disrupt air travel, per CNN.
The volcano has had an increasing magma-tude since 2017. 2,400 seismic events were reported from Oct. 2017 to Feb. 2019, compared to 100 from 1999 to Sept. 2017. An earthquake under the volcano with a 4.3 magnitude was reported in February, reports CNN.
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Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.