Fissure eruption on the slope of Plosky Tolbachik volcano continued from November 27th, 2012 until September
2013. It was named as The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology 50th Anniversary Fissure Tolbachik Eruption.
The eruption started from the 5 km-long fissure opening and continued with the intensive lava effusion from it.
During the first two days of eruption the length of the lava flows was 9 km, and lava covered the area of 14.4
km2 (Gordeev et al., 2013). Lava discharge rate at this period was about 400 m3/sec. Two eruptive centers were
formed on the fissure – upper (Menyailov vent) and lower (Naboko vent), and lava gushed from them to the height
up to 200-300 meters. On December 1st, the Menyailov vent activity ceased, and the eruption concentrated at the
Naboko vent. Cinder cone was formed here, and lava flows effused from the base of the cone. Lava erupted from
the Menyailov vent, is different from the Naboko vent lava by higher silica content (SiO2 55.35 wt.% vs. 52.5
wt.%, respectively). That may be caused by the discharge of two levels of the magma chamber, fractionated to
a different extent. Morphologically, lava flows from the beginning of eruption until April 2013 were dominantly
aa-lava type, and from April until September 2013 pahoehoe type dominated.
For distinguishing of the dynamic of the lava flows the following methods were applied. As remote sensing methods
we used different satellite data – for specification of the area covered by lava flows, their length, temperature we
used Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8, ASTER, EO-1 ALI and HYPERION. For time averaged discharge rate (TADR)
and lava flow area determination we used AVHRR data. We detected that in December 2013 lava discharge rate
varied from 120 to 40 m3/sec, and then it gradually decreased to average values 5-15 m3/sec and remained on this
level until the end of eruption. These data are confirmed by the ground-based observations, which were conducted
during the entire period of eruption. At the end of eruption in September 2013, lava flows area was about 36 km2, the maximum length of the lava flow – 15 km.

The 1800 14C yr BP Ksudach KS1 rhyodacite deposits present an opportunity to study the effects of caldera collapse on eruption dynamics and behavior. Stratigraphic relations indicate four Phases of eruption, Initial, Main, Lithic, and Gray. Well-sorted, reverse-graded pumice fall deposits overlying a silty ash compose the Initial Phase layers. The Main, Lithic, and Gray Phases are represented by pumice fall layers interbedded with pyroclastic flow and surge deposits (proximally) and co-ignimbrite ashes (distally). Although most of the deposit is <30 wt.% lithics, the Lithic Phase layers are >50 wt.% lithics. White and gray pumice are compositionally indistinguishable, however vesicle textures and microlite populations indicate faster ascent by the white pumice prior to eruption of the Gray Phase. The eruption volume is estimated as ∼8.5 km3 magma (dense rock equivalent) and ∼3.6 km3 lithics. Isopleth maps indicate mass flux ranged from 5–10×10^7 kg/s during the Initial Phase to >10^8 kg/s during the Main, Lithic, and Gray Phases. Caldera Collapse during the Lithic Phase is reflected by a large increase in lithic particles and the abrupt textural change from white to gray pumice; collapse began following eruption of ∼66% of the magma, and finished when ∼72% of the magma was erupted. Stratigraphic, granulometric, and component analyses indicate simultaneous eruption of buoyant plumes and non-buoyant flows during the Main, Lithic, and Gray Phases. Although mass flux did not change significantly following caldera collapse, the Gray Phase of eruption was dominated by non-buoyant flows in contrast to the earlier Phases that erupted mostly buoyant plumes.