The largest Plinian eruption of our era and the latest caldera-forming eruption in the Kuril-Kamchatka region occurred about cal. A.D. 240 from the Ksudach volcano. This catastrophic explosive eruption was similar in type and characteristics to the 1883 Krakatau event. The volume of material ejected was 18–19 km3 (8 km3 DRE), including 15 km3 of tephra fall and 3–4 km3 of pyroclastic flows. The estimated height of eruptive column is 22–30 km. A collapse caldera resulting from this eruption was 4 × 6.5 km in size with a cavity volume of 6.5–7 km3. Tephra fall was deposited to the north of the volcano and reached more than 1000 km. Pyroclastic flows accompanied by ash-cloud pyroclastic surges extended out to 20 km. The eruption was initially phreatomagmatic and then became rhythmic, with each pulse evolving from pumice falls to pyroclastic flows. Erupted products were dominantly rhyodacite throughout the eruption. During the post-caldera stage, when the Shtyubel cone started to form within the caldera, basaltic-andesite and andesite magma began to effuse. The trigger for the eruption may have been an intrusion of mafic magma into the rhyodacite reservoir. The eruption had substantial environmental impact and may have produced a large acidity peak in the Greenland ice sheet.

Реконструированы и датированы 14С-методом четыре плинианских извержения вулкана Ксудач, сформировавших три кальдеры обрушения: KCi и кальдеру V - 1700-1800 л. н.; КС2 + КС3 и кальдеру IV - 6000-6100 л. н.; КС4 и кальдеру III 8700-8800 л. н. Самым мощным было извержение KCi: 18-19 км3 пирокластики, высота эруптивной колонны до 23 км. Объем продуктов извержений КС2 + КС3 - 10-11 км3, КС4 - не менее 1,5-1,7 км3. Размеры кальдер: V - 4 X 6,5 км, IV - 5x6 км, поперечь III - предположительно 2-3 км. Вынос ювенильной пирокластики в ходе извержений было ритмичным. Каждый ритм начинался выбросом тефры, а завершался формированием пирокластических потоков. Состав продуктов варьировал от андезитов до риодацитов: КС2 и КС4 - преимущественно андезиты, КС3 - дациты и риодациты, KCi - риодацит. Предполагается, что "спусковой механизм" для начала всех кальдерообразующих извержений - внедрение свежей сильно нагретой магмы основного состава и смешение ее с остывающей кислой магмой существовавшего ранее очага. В соответствии со своими масштабами извержения должны были оказать влияние на климат и озоновый слой 3емли и найти отражение в виде кислотных пиков в Гренландском ледниковом щите.

Remnants of five catastrophic lahars have been discovered, described, and dated by the carbon-14 method. They occurred during eruptions of Avacha (violent explosions with voluminous juvenile pyroclastics) and Koryakskiy (large fissure lava flows): 3500 to 3200 14C years ago or 1900-1500 years B.C. These lahars were much higher in vigor, hazard, and effect on the environment than the lahars generated by the historic eruptions of these volcanoes. -from Journal summary

The paper continues the series of papers that describe activity of the volcanoes of Northern group of Kamchatka since 1935. Activity of Kluchevskoy, Bezymianny and Shiveluch volcanoes in 1990—1992 is described.

The explosive-effusive eruption of 1895-1896 which has been supposed to occur on Koryakskiy Volcano, Kamchatka did not occur at all. It therefore is to be eliminated from the list of the volcano's eruptions, as well as from regional and worldwide catalogs of eruptions on active volcanoes and from other reference publications.