(CNN) A volcano in the far eastern corner of Russia that was previously considered extinct may be waking up -- and an eruption could be catastrophic.

The Bolshaya Udina volcano -- part of the Kamchatka Peninsula's Udina volcanic complex -- was believed to be extinct until 2017, when increasing seismic activity was detected beneath it, scientists say.

Now, Ivan Koulakov, a geophysicist from Russia's A.A. Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics who led a study into the volcano, believes it should be reclassified as active.

"At any moment, an eruption can occur," Koulakov told CNN.

Between 1999 and September 2017, about 100 weak seismic events were detected beneath the volcano, which stands at 9,590 feet above sea level. An "anomalous increase" in seismicity, however, began in October 2017. Between October 2017 and February 2019, about 2,400 seismic events were recorded.

Read More