Kikhpinych
Stratovolcano in eastern Kamchatka, Russia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kikhpinych (Russian: Кихпиныч) is a stratovolcano located in the eastern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula,[1] which feeds the famous Valley of Geysers.
| Kikhpinych | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,515 m (4,970 ft) |
| Coordinates | 54.487°N 160.253°E |
| Geography | |
  Kikhpinych Location in Kamchatka Krai, Russia | |
| Location | Kamchatka, Russia |
| Parent range | Eastern Range |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcanoes |
| Last eruption | 1550 |
At its foot is a 2-by-0.5-km (1.2-by-0.3-mi) area known as the "Valley of Death" (also known as Dolina Smerti (Russian: Долина Смерти)), where volcanic gases accumulate and kill birds and mammals that enter the valley. Research in the 1970s and 1980s showed that a mix of hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon disulphide was produced by the volcano, gathering in a valley area where it could not be easily dispersed by winds, creating a predator trap. The gas forms in spring when the snow melts, first killing birds and rodents which drink at the river, followed by foxes, bears, lynxes and other carnivores which are attracted to the carrion.[2] The place is so infested with toxic gases that even bacteria die here, which is the cause why carrion on the valley doesn't dissolve.
The Valley of Death was firstly discovered in 1975, as volcanologist and seismologist Vladimir Leonidovich Leonov found a place full of carrion.
