Nizhne-Koshelevskiye Thermal Springs

The Nizhne-Koshelevskiye thermal springs, also known as Gremuchiye Klyuchi (Rumbling Springs), lie in Kamchatka, on the western slope of the extinct Western volcano of the Koshelevsky volcanic massif, in the Ust-Bolsheretsky municipal district of Kamchatka Krai. The springs stand apart from the still-active Koshelev volcano nearby, within the South Kamchatka wildlife refuge. Volcanologists also refer to them as the Nizhne-Koshelevskiye steam-hydrothermal field.

The thermal field

The thermal field occupies the basin of the Western volcano's former crater, about 300 by 100 meters across and up to 15 meters deep. It holds boiling cauldrons, mud funnels, warm pools and steam jets. The surface is covered with a clay-like mass dotted with mounds and rock blocks.

At the foot of an eight-meter rocky cliff lies the Gremuchiy cauldron, a pool about 20 meters long. It is considered one of the most powerful cauldrons of its kind on Kamchatka.

The Goryachaya River

The springs give rise to the Goryachaya River, with water temperature around 90 degrees Celsius. It flows for about three kilometers, descending from a height of 300-350 meters, forming rapids and waterfalls along the way where one can stand under a hot shower. The river flows into the Tretya River.

The spring water contains potassium sulfate, with a mineralization of 0.78 g/l. The gas released here is dominated by methane, at 11-14 percent. The sediment on the thermal field is 60 percent aluminum oxide and 20 percent iron compounds.

Legends

According to old hunters' stories, the ground here used to shake from the rumbling the springs made, and the noise was so loud that people had to shout to hear each other. This is where the name Gremuchiye Klyuchi (Rumbling Springs) comes from.

Getting there

The springs lie within the South Kamchatka wildlife refuge, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visiting requires a permit from the refuge administration. The springs can be reached by helicopter or by off-road vehicle from the village of Ozernovsky.