Fly over a volcano? Let's then find out what kind of word this is - "Caldera"!
Volcanologists call Uzon a "caldera". This term (from the Spanish caldero - "cauldron") indicates a special, "failed" origin of the giant crater-basin. About three hundred thousand years ago, on the site of Uzon, a conical stratovolcano towered, reaching a height of three kilometers. After a series of grandiose eruptions, which ended forty thousand years ago, the volcano collapsed, the earth beneath it sank - a caldera was formed.
Aborigines of Kamchatka - Itelmens, who made their way to Uzon for colorful clays for paints, sacredly kept the secret of this amazing place. They brought the first civilized person here in September 1854. It was Carl von Ditmar, the official for special assignments in the mining area. Since then, people have not left the Uzon volcano sleeping for eight thousand years with their attention.
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What is a caldera anyway? This is a huge depression, and it is formed in two ways. The main thing is the failure of the overhanging roof due to the devastation of the magma chamber under the volcano. During a volcanic eruption, large volumes of volcanic products come to the earth's surface. This can go on for a long time. As a result of the eruption, the hearth under the volcano is depleted and a cavity is created. Huge volumes of rocks above this space seem to sag and eventually sag, which contributes to the formation of a depression, or caldera. Since subsidence, or a dip, occurs in the center of a volcanic edifice, an edge, or a rampart, often with sheer walls, appears around the depression.
The western edge of the caldera - Barany Peak - preserves a one and a half kilometer "shard" of the primordial volcano. Steep walls, accessible only to snow sheep, rise up like a springboard. Hollows filled with snow fall down like white lightning. The horizons of brick-red slag are reminiscent of ancient eruptions.
Eight and a half thousand years ago, Uzon experienced the last "shock". The colossal explosion left behind a funnel about a kilometer in diameter. And since then, Uzon has never erupted. According to modern concepts, if the period before the last eruption exceeded 3,500 years, the volcano can be considered inactive. But not extinguished at all. Uzon, of course, is old, but his old age is colored in an unusual way. Over the past millennia, fumaroles and solfataras - outlets of hot volcanic gases - have changed the surface of the earth, saturating it with a host of thermal springs. But Live nature did not retreat, forming a unique symbiosis with volcanism. Located on the territory of the Kronotsky Reserve, Uzon has been taken under special protection - since 1996 it has been included by UNESCO in the World Natural Heritage List in the nomination "Volcanoes of Kamchatka".
The outer slopes of the caldera are indented with ravines. Thickets of cedar and alder elfin are easily overcome only for bears. Wind, fog and slanting freezing rain are constant companions in the Kamchatka mountains. But all this will be left behind, as soon as the descent into the caldera begins. The cold fog reigning above turns here into low clouds, from which the most ordinary gentle rain pours - everything changes, as if you are crossing the invisible border of another world. This is indeed so: Uzon exists according to some of its own laws.
He lives his own life, and he does not know what confusion "scientists' heads" come to next to his hot springs, in which nature, like an obsessed alchemist, has mixed almost all known chemical elements, but not only that, she put some unimaginable bacteria and algae there, for which boiling water and toxic substances- the most favorable environment.
The height of the walls of the caldera is on average 400 meters, its diameter is about 10 kilometers. Inside - like "archived" Kamchatka: sulfur crater springs and a clear lake from which a fish river flows, groves of stone birch and bushes of elfin cedar, expanses of berry tundra and classic Kamchatka tall grass, and - the whole set of Kamchatka living creatures: bear, reindeer, fox - ognevka, whooper swan, Steller's sea eagle.
The Bear Path leading to Uzon from the north descends to Dalnee Lake. This is the so-called maar - an explosive funnel filled with cold and clear water. The Maar of Dalnee Lake is about a kilometer in diameter, its inner walls are completely overgrown with elfin cedar, and are so steep that the bear trail leading upstairs resembles a fire escape. In winter, the lake is ice-bound, the crater itself is almost completely covered with snow - the last ice floes sometimes disappear only by the beginning of August. The ring of steep walls leaves almost no space for the coast, only a narrow strip of slag, ash and volcanic bombs encircles the water with a black ribbon.
In the center of the caldera, heated by an underground magma chamber that has not yet cooled down, there is the main thermal zone - there are more than a thousand hot springs (they could feed a small geothermal power plant). The springs feed numerous lakes, the largest of which is Chloride with a diameter of only 150 meters. Its water is whitish-gray and has a sodium chloride composition. Large gas bubbles with a high content of methane and hydrogen are continuously emitted from several deep and high-temperature funnels. The bottom of the lake is abundantly populated with diatoms, which, under the influence of the sun (the average depth of the reservoir is not more than 1.5 meters), actively participate in photosynthesis, releasing oxygen. In turn, oxygen oxidizes hydrogen sulfide coming from the depths to elemental sulfur, which precipitates in shallow water in the form of small yellowish grains and forms sulfur beaches on the shores of the lake. This sulfur serves as food for thionic bacteria that produce sulfuric acid. As a result, a stream of natural sulfuric acid flows out of the lake, albeit diluted.
The water of Chloride, of course, is not suitable for swimming, they bathe in another lake - Bannom - an explosive funnel filled with sulfurous water heated to 40 °. Bathing in Bannom has always been a kind of ritual for everyone who worked on the Uzon or got there as a tourist. In the evening, when it was getting dark, strings of people with towels stretched to the lake. They carefully walked along the bear paths, illuminating the path with a flashlight, skirting mud pots and fumaroles. They descended along the echoing mounds to the sulfur stream. You could already hear the bubbles gurgling at the source. And here is Bannoye: the beam of the lantern stopped on the silent swirling wall of steam... In the spring of 1987, the water temperature in the lake suddenly rose to 47°C. Fans of Uzon baths were disappointed. And by autumn, the temperature returned to its previous limits.
In 1989, a so-called phreatic explosion occurred in the reservoir with the release of the material contained in the funnel. It was observed only by the huntsmen of the reserve. In 1991, volcanologists discovered a dense horizon of molten sulfur at a depth of 25 meters. Having broken through this crust, the cargo with a thermometer reached the real bottom at a depth of 32 meters. Impressive facts! And yet it is worth plunging into the dirty slush for five minutes to relieve fatigue and feel, along with a slight smell of sulfur, a fleeting closeness to the "underworld".
Mud pots and mud volcanoes are small wonders of Uzon. They are found where ash-pumice tuffs under the influence of sulfur vapors and hot water turned into kaolinite clays. Dietmar first described them, and Vladimir Komarov, a famous geographer, later president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, left the first photographs. Now it seems that these unusually clear, as it was said then, "phototypes" were taken almost yesterday. The same hot springs, cauldrons, volcanoes - the same and not the same: it is difficult to explain what the difference is - in the location of the sources or in their shape. The fact is that Uzon is changing all the time: some sources die, others are born, making their way through the tundra or right on the bear trail. The clay crusts that cover many thermal sites sometimes buzz under your foot - there are voids under them, and if you listen, you can make out the squelching of gurgling clay - this means that a mud cauldron is hidden right below, ready to wrap you in a hot embrace. Getting into boiling clay is much worse than just scalding: clay is not boiling water, it cools slowly, and you can’t wash it off right away. One can only envy and admire the bears, looking how smartly they cross the thermal sites.
The lazy gurgling of thick clay mixes with the furious hiss of "singing" or "damn pans" - thermal sites where boiling water splashes, spits and bubbles from under unsteady crusts.
Mud volcanoes act almost like real ones: they smoke and “erupt” with their hot clay, only the activation of their “volcanic activity” occurs after rain, when the clay liquefies, and in dry hot weather, volcanoes “fall asleep”.
Where low-mineralized solutions come to the surface, fine-grained sulfur is deposited around the steam-gas jets, covering the earth with a pale green coating. In zones of strong mineralization (up to 5 g/l), with the participation of hydrogen sulfide, the process of mineralization takes place. Right before the eyes of the researcher, various sulfides are formed: arsenic - golden yellow orpiment and orange-red realgar, antimony - antimonite, mercury - red cinnabar, iron - brass-yellow pyrite. The palette of the Uzon land is bizarre - this is what the names of the minerals say.
Every year the Uzon caldera attracts more and more attention of scientists from all over the world. Of particular interest are microbiologists who have discovered a unique biogeocenosis in the hot springs of Uzon. First of all, this is the world of archaea - the most ancient microorganisms that do not belong to either algae or bacteria. Archaea have chosen the most extreme environment for their life. On Uzon, they live in springs with a temperature of 96°C (the boiling point of water at the level of the caldera bottom is 96.5°C), they use sulfur rather than oxygen for breathing, and replenish their energy reserves with hydrogen sulfide.
Slightly less "extremals" should be recognized as thionic bacteria, discovered back in 1933. On the Uzon, they prefer springs heated from 80 to 90°C, and form picturesque cosmic white colonies there. These bacteria differ in type and specialization: some, for example, oxidize sulfur sulfides to elemental sulfur, others convert it into sulfuric acid. Streams inhabited by thionic bacteria are, as a rule, white in color and, next to red-ocher clay mounds, embody a paradoxical association with "milk rivers and jelly banks."
The lower temperature range (less than 65°C) is inhabited by well-known but little-studied thermophilic relatives of common blue-green algae. These are already aerobic organisms that release oxygen and, as it turned out, prevent gases such as methane and carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere from thermal sources.
Bears come to Uzon in April-May, when there is still snow everywhere outside the caldera. With spring starvation, green grass is an absolute delicacy for them. Animals walk with obvious pleasure on the warm Uzon clay. It is said that bears heal and strengthen their feet, weakened after a long winter hibernation. She-bears take out very tiny cubs from their dens. On Uzon they feel safe.
Love couples who do not tolerate any neighborhood can retire in thickets of elfin cedar. Young people frolic on the snowfields. And in summer and autumn, when blueberries and pine nuts ripen - the main "vegetarian" food of Kamchatka bears - the clubfoot population of Uzon grows noticeably in number. Bears graze on the blueberry tundra sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, becoming an integral part of the Uzon landscapes. People try not to disturb them, and the bears respond with condescending indifference, as befits the true owners of Uzon, who, fortunately, do not know that the ring of civilization has already closed ...
Uzon Caldera is under the tireless supervision of volcanologists. What caused it? Of course, the volcano deserves such great attention not its form. The bottom line is that hydrothermal activity is unusually pronounced here, the decoding of which provides a lot of scientific information. Uzon Caldera - a kind of natural laboratory. Many ore minerals (arsenic, mercury, copper, zinc, etc.) have been found in groundwater entering the surface. As the water solutions cool, these minerals fall out of them and are deposited around the springs. To some extent, it is possible to trace how ores are formed. The hydrothermal springs themselves are of considerable interest. Under the influence of the latter, rocks also change. It is very important to study this process, and this is one of the tasks of volcanologists.
Well, in conclusion, let's remember The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -
The Uzon Volcano is located on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve south of Lake Kronotsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Eight and a half thousand years ago, Uzon experienced the last "shock". The colossal explosion left behind a funnel about a kilometer in diameter. And since then, Uzon has never erupted. According to modern concepts, if the period before the last eruption exceeded 3,500 years, the volcano can be considered inactive. But not extinguished at all. Uzon, of course, is old, but his old age is colored in an unusual way. Over the past millennia, fumaroles and solfataras - outlets of hot volcanic gases - have changed the surface of the earth, saturating it with a host of thermal springs.
The Uzon caldera is a unique area of manifestation of modern volcanism on the Earth's scale. A place where a unique symbiosis of volcanism and wildlife has formed.
"Soaring Lands" - so called Uzon Kamchadals. And indeed - stepping on the hot, as if living earth of the caldera, you begin to feel what a gigantic energy is hidden in the underground storerooms of the Earth. The Uzon is a huge depression about 10 km in size and 150 sq. km, formed on the site of a destroyed volcano and called the Uzon caldera (from the Spanish “cauldron”).
In the eastern part of the caldera there is one of the largest explosion craters in Kamchatka with a diameter of 1.65 kilometers, which is occupied by Lake Dalniy. The western part is swampy, there are also several lakes, the largest of which is Central - shallow and cold. Also warm and non-freezing Fumarole, Bannoye, in which the temperature is 400 C in winter, and the bottom is false, it is a molten crust native sulfur, located at a depth and finally cold, with a unique sulfuric beach, Lake Duck. In addition, numerous streams and rivers flow along the surface of the caldera, which form the sources of the Shumnaya River. Hundreds of columns of steam burst from yellow fumarole fields interspersed with green groves and brownish tundras.
Hydrothermal activity is active in the caldera earth's crust. In the western part, there are about 100 springs and more than 500 separate hydrothermal manifestations. Flora and fauna are also diverse and colorful. Particularly interesting are certain types of algae and bacteria, which live very comfortably in boiling poisonous solutions. 
The increased hydrothermal activity of the area arouses strong interest among scientists who see a natural laboratory in the caldera of the Uzon volcano, where you can observe various geological processes live. For example, in 2008, the formation of a new geyser, Mutny, was traced with a height of water outlet up to 6 meters. 
One of the attractions of the Uzon caldera is the "Sculptor" mud pot, which every 3-4 seconds “sculpts” original formations resembling roses in shape.
The hollow abounds with hot springs, in which nature, like an alchemist, has mixed almost all known chemical elements.
Modern hydrothermal activity is manifested in the central part of the caldera in a narrow strip 400 m wide and 2.5-3 km long, oriented from west to east. Here, from tectonic faults, numerous boiling, gas-saturated solutions come to the day surface.
Powerful gryphons, mud pots and drainless funnels filled with hot water. Clay volcanoes are also very interesting, puffing with steam and periodically pouring out a hot clay mass. These places are very dangerous, as you can easily fall through and fall into the boiling clay. 
The uniqueness of the Uzon caldera is that here one can simultaneously observe manifestations of young volcanism, mineral and ore formation, the development of thermal lakes, outcrops of the youngest oil on the planet, and microbiological processes in thermal springs.
Several employees of the reserve, more like foresters, permanently live in the caldera - they walk around in canvas jackets and with rifles. There are wooden paths along the caldera, and the rest of the area, in addition to hot lakes and various other volcanic attractions, is covered with a carpet of blueberries (local pigeons).
The Uzon volcano caldera is open to tourists who can take a helicopter and walking tour of one of the most beautiful places on the planet. 
Almost all the sights of Kamchatka: boiling and narzan springs, mud pots and volcanoes, lakes and streams can be seen on these AirPano panoramas.
The Kamchatka Peninsula consists of three nature reserves of federal significance, 17 wildlife sanctuaries, a landscape park and other natural monuments. 121 specially protected natural area total.
The main attractions of Kamchatka are volcanoes: their images even appear on the flag and coat of arms of both the Kamchatka Territory itself and its main city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In total, there are more than 300 volcanoes in Kamchatka, although about 30 of them are active.
Together with the territories adjacent to them, the volcanoes of Kamchatka have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1996. This area is characterized by picturesque landscapes and a huge variety of biological species. One of the most amazing landscapes can be seen in the Kronotsky Reserve - in the caldera of the Uzon volcano (see aerial panoramas). It was formed about 40,000 years ago at the site of a volcano destroyed by a series of eruptions. Powerful explosions left behind a funnel with a diameter of about 10 km and an area of 150 km². The caldera is framed by steep ledges, in places reaching a height of 800 m.
Since then, Uzon has never erupted, but, not being active volcano, he still did not go out. This is a unique area of manifestation of modern volcanism, where, as if in an open-air museum, almost all the sights of Kamchatka are presented: boiling and narzan springs, mud pots and volcanoes, lakes and streams.
In the eastern part of the caldera there is one of the largest explosion craters in Kamchatka with a diameter of 1.65 km, which is occupied lake Dalniy. On the western, swampy part, there is the largest and coldest lake Uzon - Central. And lying nearby Lake Bannoe not only never freezes, but the temperature of its water reaches +40 °C even in winter.
Hydrothermal activity is most active in the central part of Uzon, on a narrow strip 400 m wide and 2.5-3 km long. Numerous boiling solutions come to the surface from tectonic faults: 100 springs and more than 500 other hydrothermal manifestations.
One of the attractions of the Uzon volcano caldera is mud pot Sculptor, which every few seconds “sculpts” original formations that resemble roses in shape. And the ongoing geological processes led to the formation in 2008 of a new Geyser Mutny with water discharge height up to 6 m.
The Uzon volcano caldera is open to tourists, but in a limited format. By themselves, these places are very dangerous: here you can easily fall into boiling clay or poison yourself with poisonous fumes. Therefore, special trails have been laid for sightseers; in addition, helicopter rides are available to them. Another great way to see the unique nature of Kamchatka is aerial panoramas.
Fifteen kilometers from the Valley of Geysers - on foot through the mountain cliffs - it's a long time. And we overcame them in five minutes of flight. The rotorcraft makes a circle over one extremely interesting place. From the air, it looks like a kind of fairy carpet with blue blots of different-sized lakes, snakes of colored streams and sultans of white steam rising to the sky, surrounded by a shaft of rocks. This is Uzon. Or rather, its caldera. We first learned about what it is in Bali. And also that it is always very interesting.
Caldera is interesting
And the smell of sulfur...
The helicopter roars to the ground, we go out and get upset - wind and drizzle, they are frequent travel companions on the Kamchatka Peninsula. But it is not for nothing that it is believed that the caldera has its own microclimate, somehow quickly all weather troubles smoothed out.
A very truncated caldera format is available to tourists: a piece of one of the five thermal fields of the Uzon volcano.
Protected area - here you can only walk on the paved boardwalks that go around the circle of the Eastern Thermal Field.
Let's go accompanied by a guide and an armed huntsman. Do not collect pebbles ... But I really want to: after all, a rare uzonite is hiding among them, which is not found anywhere else on our planet. Do not pick the berries... Blueberries, lingonberries and other things do not ripen in order to sink into the stomach of a tourist like a fragrant heaviness, this is the privilege of the clubfoot that, together with the cubs, come to Uzon to fatten up fat. Berries are an important part of their diet...
From time to time the guide makes stops at interesting objects, we stop at the observation decks. And yes, the specific smell of hydrogen sulfide periodically rolls in a wave, then we pinch our noses.
Around for kilometers - a relatively flat area stretches, the appearance of which is wild and unusual. The natives of Kamchatka called her the Soaring Land, on which there is never snow. It was here that the film "Sannikov Land" was filmed. This is probably what the planet looked like at the time of the birth of life ... I would not be at all surprised if not a helicopter, but a pterodactyl flew over us now.
Land of the beginning of time
A series of tectonic faults run through the entire caldera from west to east. With their heat, the magma chambers of the former volcano warm up the surrounding rocks and heat up the groundwater to high temperatures. Boiling, gas-saturated solutions rush to the surface and look for a way out in a strip 200-400 meters wide. These are devoid of vegetation, clayey and covered with fine-grained gravel, thermal fields.
There are fumarole patches on them - countless exits of steam jets, smoking holes of gas punctures, all in yellow-green deposits of sulfur crystals. Multi-colored puddles gurgle nearby, volcanoes periodically spit mud, strikingly similar to genuine ones. Even though they are small, they can spit with red-hot contents as much as a few meters!
Clay, gleaming greasy like cream for a cake, slowly boils in the recesses of the Uzon volcano caldera. On the surface of one of them, nature in the most incredible way creates the likeness of a rose from an amorphous mass.
Such boilers are real natural traps, and God forbid you stumble into such a one! The heat is unbearable, and getting out is difficult. One of the rules of local scientists and researchers: wear waders, and one size larger. If something goes wrong, oh horror! - you can quickly reset them. It is known, at least, about one similar accident with a highly experienced employee of the reserve.
On the other hand, huge and heavy bears, driven by instincts, fearlessly roam the hot clay. Presumably, this is how they heal and strengthen their paws.
Miracles of the Uzon Caldera in the photo
In dry weather, the clay ceases to pour out and inflate bulbs, thickens, the edges of the cauldron dry out and crack in characteristic blocks, resembling a pattern on the scaly skin of a giant reptile or the skin of some old chasmosaurus.
Here there are white, blue, yellow, green, gray, red, brown clays ... The richness of colors and shades is determined by their chemical composition. Iron impurities give a crimson color, the presence of copper causes a green tone, blue appears in the presence of cadmium and cobalt.
In ancient times, itelmens came here, to the Uzon caldera, the abode of mysterious otherworldly forces, with trepidation and apprehension to stock up on colored clay to decorate totem poles in honor of their gods.
The earth boils, squeals, smacks, hisses indignantly with steam and explodes with foamy chippers. The “damn frying pan” spits furiously and splashes with boiling water ... There are more than a thousand of them here - thermal springs of various sizes, shapes and temperaments, there is even one newly formed geyser, and scientists even see signs that others may appear after it. All this feeds numerous thermal lakes and streams.
Hunt for microbes from boiling water
Here are two sources nearby, seemingly twin brothers, but no - the composition of the water is different. Why? Unknown. Microorganisms live in one source, while in the other - with the same microelements and gas composition - they do not. To understand the reasons, long-term observations are needed ...
The boiling point of water at the height of the Uzon caldera is 96 degrees. In fiery springs with such a temperature, the realm of the most ancient microorganisms - tiny archaea, which are not only unbearable heat, but also poisonous gases, as well as acids ...
In the transparent streams that run along the Uzon caldera, silver braids of mermaid hair sway - you won't believe it! are colonies of filamentous sulfur bacteria. Although they are small in themselves, they take in quantity - their massive accumulations are often found in the water of hot streams. Microscopic inhabitants are studied by scientists with concentration, without losing hope with their help to unravel the mysteries of the origin of life and its evolution.
In the hot waters of Uzon, saturated with volcanic gases and enriched with almost the entire periodic table, weightless living organisms live, possessing a number of special properties that are potentially useful to mankind.
Single-celled cyanobacteria (they are also called blue-green algae) keep afloat in thermal springs with light films, producing oxygen and not letting methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Research scientists talk about interesting prospects for their use as a source of various biologically active substances.
How much to know
Here is the testing ground where the great alchemist, Nature, puts his experiments. In some places on the surface of the thermal field in the caldera of the volcano, iridescent ebb of the thinnest oil film was found. Is it pollution? But where?! It turned out that these are natural outputs of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. And work began to boil in the institutes of biochemical physics ...
It turned out: firstly, Uzon oil is unlike any other, and secondly, it is young oil, whose age does not exceed 50 years. There are many reserves of "traditional" black gold on Earth, a flammable oily liquid is common everywhere, but there is still no consensus among scientists about its origin.
But it is a well-known fact that oil is formed for a long time - many millions of years, and even in the presence of special conditions. And it always contains certain impurities. And here - such a joy! - the oil product is absolutely pure, without any extraneous additives.
Scientists suggest that the Uzon variety of oil is synthesized from volcanic gases, in which thermophilic microorganisms are involved. Although the scale of local natural production of black gold is scanty, the presence of the precedent itself makes scientists think about creating industrial technologies on this basis in the future.
In the natural laboratory of the caldera, the mystery of the generation of ore elements is being accomplished; absolutely unique finds of native iron, gold, and some other minerals have been made here. Moreover, the processes of their formation occur in a very short time - literally before our eyes. For geology, which is engaged in the search and development of deposits, knowledge of HOW natural accumulations of mineral substances arise is truly priceless.
The fullness of life in complete desertion
Areas with emerald grass cling to heated clay fields. The microclimate of the Uzon volcano caldera is such that it is good not only for microorganisms, but also for plants to exist. At the edge of the basin in the west and south-west of the depression, they were chosen by undersized bushes. Wetlands stretch to the very thermal fields.
They are abundantly overgrown with moss and berry bushes - blueberries and honeysuckle, between the swamps there are pillows of the shikshovnik, a local plant with small narrow leaves, similar to the shoots of fir trees. Black shiksha berries are hard, but edible, with many small seeds. She is also called crowberry and bearberry, and for beneficial features- a wizard.
By the way, it has not yet been possible to tame a sorceress by transplanting it somewhere in a vegetable garden. There, despite the care, tiny hard crowberry bushes do not grow well and soon die. But the plant loves swamps, rocky tundra, coniferous forests, where evergreen undersized shiksha forms a continuous cover.
The world of local thermal Kamchatka includes a shallow and cold Central Lake. It is the largest of the caldera lakes - all the water from the surface of the giant depression collects into it and the Shumnaya River flows out of it. Graceful whooper swans cut through the lake area. There are many birds on the Uzon.
By the way, there are not so many lakes with normal water temperature in the caldera of an extinct giant - no more than two dozen, basically they are all small. In some of them, as, for example, in the endorheic lake Dalnee, the population of fish from the salmon family feels great. Scientists are puzzled as to how they got here.
Loach fish - an average of 40 cm, weighing 500 grams. Living in isolated conditions for a long time and therefore unique, they have a number of features and even outwardly differ from their counterparts from the Central Lake system - the Shumnaya River, and even more so from other Kamchatka relatives.
"Immortal" dwarf and others
We are walking along the ecological path. On the elevations and low hills of the caldera there are thickets of evergreen elfin cedar. He is a generous provider of birds and mammals.
I was amazed that the lifespan of this dwarf in terms of growth - cedar dwarf - is estimated by some scientists at a thousand years. Under favorable conditions, of course. But, you see, the term for such a modest plant is simply incredible! Comparable to the interval of existence of long-lived trees, giants. For example, the symbol of the African savanna lives for so long ...
The emerald dwarf carpet promises a smooth and shortest path to the goal, but this is a shameless deception. A springy and dense carpet of twisted trunks and branches, stands in front of the traveler like a living wall, makes them climb, squeeze, dive under a thick hodgepodge of elastic plexuses. Rather than fight, it is wiser to bypass this beauty, saving time and effort.
But on the other hand, the modest elfin is a source of unusually nutritious nuts, and bears are their most ardent admirers. In August, cedar cones ripen, and, for some time, clubfoots switch to them together.
The dark lashes of the elfin look into the bewitching greenish depth of the Duck Lake, which was chosen by teals and flocks of ducks. Ducks call to each other, they like it in a warm pond: there are secluded places, and there are plenty of algae on its surface, so they often stay here for the winter.
Near the lake there is a mound, overgrown with fairly tall, straight columns of birch trees. Native beauty ... And a light, green radiance is pouring over me - birches.
In addition to slender white-trunked trees, so beloved in Russia, in the caldera of the Uzon volcano, the stone birch or Erman's birch rustle with foliage.
In Kamchatka, it is much more common than the symbol of Russia with white bark. In stone birches, the trunk is gray, dense, but twisted, there are growths on the branches. Trees are hardy and very hardy, but do not like waterlogged soils. Their groups can be found in the central part of the basin.
This strange world
On the way of our excursion along the caldera of the volcano, we met two special lakes.
Calm-looking Bannoye (its diameter is 30 meters) once enjoyed the exclusive love of tourists, rangers, visiting scientists, and employees of the reserve. It was an unbreakable tradition for everyone who came to Uzon: in the evening, with towels in their hands and anticipating pleasure, people walked along the path to Bannoye Lake to take a bath under the swirling steam ...
The deep bowl of Bannoy is filled with unattractive muddy water, which is caused by suspensions of clays and minerals, and sulfuric foam floats on the surface. However, swimming in it was extremely pleasant, since the water temperature is optimal for the human body. At the same time - everyone noted! - the accumulated fatigue was instantly removed. Radon outputs and the presence of sulfur in the water gave the lake additional healing properties.
But here's the problem: it turned out that the lake has a dangerous secret! It turned out by chance that in the depths of Bannoye, under a layer of water of 25 m, there is a false bottom - a black crust of native sulfur, and under this hardened layer - a few more meters of sulfuric fiery melt.
Among others, in the Uzon caldera, Chloride Lake stands out, which is located in the center of the Eastern Thermal Field.
Occupying a large area, it is shallow - about one and a half meters, warm. But ... The reservoir contains, and in serious concentration, sulfuric acid, which is generously produced in the course of their life by the thionic bacteria living here.
Even the brisk stream that flows from the Chloride is a stream of natural sulfuric acid. Nevertheless, bears roam with pleasure along its unsteady shores and beaches with a yellowish coating of sulfur, while managing to somehow keep their bare feet. And the traces left by the bear are immediately filled with lake milky muddy water.
Lately in national parks and nature reserves began to install observation towers, which make it possible to admire the picturesque landscapes and watch wild animals with binoculars without disturbing them.
In the Uzon caldera there are two such towers with excellent views, one is located near the visitor center and the helipad. In parting, we looked from it for a long time at the amazing surrounding panorama, lakes and thermal fields ...
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L In the summer of 2009, I finally visited the valley of geysers and the caldera of the Uzon volcano.
I lived in Kamchatka for 18 years from the moment of my birth, but I managed to visit these wonderful places only 6 years after I left there.
AT using the services of a travel agency (of which there are like mushrooms after the rain), my parents and I took a helicopter tour of Uzon-Valley of Geysers-Mutnovsky. A nice bonus, for residents of the peninsula, there are 10-15% discounts on many tours, which is quite significant, given the cost of the tour 15 tr.
P The weather on the day of departure was cloudy and did not bode well, it seemed that the flight would be rescheduled, but our guide called, who said that everything was in order and we went to the airport. Actually the road from my house (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) to the airport (Yelizovo) takes only half an hour.
H and after waiting decently at the airport (they didn’t give the go-ahead to take off due to the weather), we finally settled in the helicopter. By the way, the group consisted almost entirely of foreigners.
W I finish the chatter and turn to the photographs, I really regret that I only had an 85mm fixed with me, it is not quite suitable for such tasks, and gluing panoramas is a laborious process. Everything that I wanted to cram into this glass did not fit =)
M The location of the Uzon volcano on the map of Kamchatka.
T What kind of view opens immediately after takeoff. Hills, mountains, volcanoes, an abundance of various reservoirs and rivers. 
P It is clear why they did not give permission to take off, the weather was very changeable, then the sun was shining, then out of nowhere everything was covered in fog. 
O five clear =)
With after 40 minutes of flight, which passes very quickly, because of the impossible beauty overboard, we find ourselves above the caldera. 
W assies touch the ground, the grass bends from the wind driven by the paws. 
P The first thing that appeared before my eyes after landing.
P For some reason, it was very cold in the cabin during the flight, is there really no air conditioning in helicopters? Although this made it possible for a noble deed and I gave my jacket to a pretty neighbor =) In general, I must say, there are a lot of pretty girls in Kamchatka =) 
X You can only walk along the wooden paths. Shitting is natural only in the toilet. You can’t pick a berry, take pebbles for souvenirs too. Protected area. 
In from the same Mi-8 he brought us. 
P draft.
With actually a small reference what is Uzon and why the caldera. This term (from the Spanish caldero - "cauldron") indicates a special, "failed" origin of the giant crater-basin. About three hundred thousand years ago, on the site of Uzon, a conical stratovolcano towered, reaching a height of three kilometers. After a series of grandiose eruptions, which ended forty thousand years ago, the volcano collapsed, the earth beneath it sank - a caldera was formed. The last activity here was 8,000 years ago. 
AT Eight and a half thousand years ago, Uzon experienced the last "shock". The colossal explosion left behind a funnel about a kilometer in diameter. And since then, Uzon has never erupted. According to modern concepts, if the period before the last eruption exceeded 3,500 years, the volcano can be considered inactive. But not extinguished at all. Uzon, of course, is old, but his old age is colored in an unusual way. Over the past millennia, fumaroles and solfataras - outlets of hot volcanic gases - have changed the surface of the earth, saturating it with a host of thermal springs. But wildlife did not retreat, forming a unique symbiosis with volcanism. Located on the territory of the Kronotsky Reserve, Uzon has been taken under special protection - since 1996 it has been included by UNESCO in the World Natural Heritage List in the nomination "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". The outer slopes of the caldera are indented with ravines. Thickets of cedar and alder elfin are easily overcome only for bears. Wind, fog and slanting freezing rain are constant companions in the Kamchatka mountains. But all this will be left behind, as soon as the descent into the caldera begins. The cold fog reigning above turns here into low clouds, from which the most ordinary gentle rain pours - everything changes, as if you are crossing the invisible border of another world. This is indeed so: Uzon exists according to some of its own laws.
H in this photo, a geyser erupts, its peculiarity is that it throws out mostly steam, not water. 
AT the hollow is replete with hot springs, in which nature, like an alchemist, has mixed almost all known chemical elements, but moreover, it has placed some unimaginable bacteria and algae there, for which boiling water and toxic substances are the most favorable habitat. 
I there was a lot of year, everywhere you look there is a berry =) 
With Modern hydrothermal activity is manifested in the central part of the caldera in a narrow strip 400 m wide and 2.5–3 km long, oriented from west to east. Here, from tectonic faults, numerous boiling, gas-saturated solutions come to the day surface. 
It would seem a small lake, in fact, its depth is more than 40 m. 
With caldera shadows and a helicopter. 
T it never snows. The local population calls these places "Floating Lands" 
P The surface resembles a cosmic landscape. A riot of colors, algae grow interspersed with ordinary grass. 
P Just walking around the area is not recommended, because of the many poisonous fumes. Unlike humans, bears know where to walk and where not to. These are their traces. 
P it is clear why "Soaring Lands". 
AT powerful griffins, mud pots and drainless funnels filled with hot water are located in this area. Clay volcanoes are also very interesting, puffing with steam and periodically pouring out a hot clay mass. These places are very dangerous, as you can easily fall through and fall into the boiling clay. 
