AGES OF CALDERAS, LARGE EXPLOSIVE CRATERS AND ACTIVE VOLCANOS IN THE KURIL-KAMCHATKA REGION, RUSSIA

The ages of most of calderas, large explosive craters and active volca noes in the Kuril-Kamchatka region have been determined by extensive g eological, geomorphological, tephrochronological and isotopic geochron ological studies, including more than 600 C-14 dates. Eight 'Krakatoa- type' and three 'Hawaiian-type' calderas and no less than three large explosive craters formed here during the Holocene. Most of the Late Pl eistocene Krakatoa-type calderas were established around 30 000-40 000 years ago. The active volcanoes are geologically very young, with max imum ages of about 40 000-50 000 years. The overwhelming majority of r ecently active volcanic cones originated at the very end of the Late P leistocene or in the Holocene. These studies show that all Holocene st ratovolcanoes in Kamchatka were emplaced in the Holocene only in the E astern volcanic belt. Periods of synchronous, intensified Holocene vol canic activity occurred within the time intervals of 7500-7800 and 130 0-1800 C-14 years BP.