Berutarubesan [Berutarube]

Geography & Climate

Berutarubesan [Berutarube] is located in Japan - administered by Russia, within the Kuril Volcanic Arc of the broader Northwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions. Situated at 44.46° N, 146.93° E in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a temperate climate zone. With a summit elevation of 1,221 meters above sea level, Berutarubesan [Berutarube] is a moderately sized peak that remains accessible to hikers and researchers for much of the year. The volcanic landform is characterized as a composite, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Berutarubesan [Berutarube] sits in a subduction zone, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, creating intense heat and pressure that generates magma. Subduction zones are responsible for many of the world's most explosive volcanoes and deadliest eruptions. For communities in Japan - administered by Russia near Berutarubesan [Berutarube], this tectonic setting means the volcano is capable of producing powerful explosive eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that can threaten populated areas within tens of kilometers of the summit. The dominant rock type is andesite / basaltic andesite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Berutarubesan [Berutarube] has 1 recorded eruption in the geological database, spanning from 1812 CE to 1812 CE. The most powerful recorded event was a gentle, effusive event in 1812 CE, reaching VEI 1 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.

GVP Reference Summary

The Berutarubesan andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcano forms the SW tip of Iturup Island in the southern Kuriles. The flanks are deeply dissected by wide glacial valleys; a low saddle on the NE side separates it from the slopes of the Moekeshiwan [Lvinaya Past] caldera. The only known Holocene activity produced a small pyroclastic cone that was superposed on the intersecting headwalls of U-shaped valleys and cirques on the broad eroded summit. The hydrothermally altered summit cone was the source of two small lava flows. Gorshkov (1970) estimated that eruptions ceased only a few hundred to at most 1,000 years ago. No confirmed eruptions are known, although there are fumarolic areas near the summit with sulfur deposits.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program