Ebeko Volcano on Russia's Kuril Islands Erupts Ash Up 1.2 Miles

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia (Sputnik) - Ebeko volcano on the Paramushir Island, part of Russia's Kuril Islands archipelago in the northern Pacific Ocean, has disgorged a column of ash 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in height on Wednesday, the regional branch of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

"On 30 December afternoon, the crisis management center of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Sakhalin Region was informed of an ash eruption from Ebeko volcano up to 2 kilometers in height," the authority said in a press release.

The ash cloud traveled east over 5 kilometers and resulted in mild ashfall in the Severo-Kurilsk town, the ministry said. According to the press release, the incident has not posed any risks for human activity.

Ebeko's ash eruptions have been regular since October 2016, ranging from mild to medium. The record eruption dates back to August 2018, when the 1,156-kilometer volcano disgorged an ash column 6 kilometers in height from a new mouth that emerged a year earlier.