Nemo Peak has formed several calderas. Two older ones reach diameters of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) and overlap each other, with an average elevation of the floor of 50–100 metres (160–330 ft). The Sovetskii ridge limits these calderas to the east. A pre-Nemo volcano is known as Mednyi. Glacial erosion has affected the older volcanic centres. Ignimbrites fill these calderas.
Evidence indicates that Nemo Peak proper contains a southwestern crater filled with the present-day cone and crater, which is in turn filled by a lava dome. A smaller cone on the northwestern side of Nemo Peak was destroyed by an explosion. Lava flows extend down from the summit area of Nemo Peak and are covered with scoria.
Nemo Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kurils and has been the site of catastrophic eruptions for 300,000 years, going back to the Pleistocene. Such large eruptions released large amounts of pyroclastics. Old eruptions occurred 199,000 - 200,000 years ago. Detailed eruption histories however are poorly established.
The older Nemo calderas appear to predate the last glaciation, while the younger one is post-glacial in age. Nemo I formed 40,000 - 45,000 years ago and Nemo III 25,000 - 24,500 or 26,000 years ago; a radiocarbon date of 24,500 ± 740 years ago has been obtained on it. Nemo Peak proper formed about 9,050 ± 100 or 9,130 ± 140 radiocarbon years ago.
It is not clear if they come from different phases of the same eruption or different ones, but they certainly are different tephras given their different distribution. Potentially, K3 was formed by the caldera-forming eruption of Nemo II and K2 by eruptions of Nemo III. An alternative proposal attributes K3 to the Nemo I caldera.
Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 625. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
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Gorshkov 1970, p. 100. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Gorshkov 1970, p. 103. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 625. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
Gorshkov 1970, p. 102. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Gorshkov 1970, p. 102. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 626. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
Gorshkov 1970, p. 103. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 624. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
Gorshkov 1970, p. 103. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 624. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
Sakhno et al. 2010, p. 1157. - Sakhno, V. G.; Derkachev, A. N.; Melekestsev, I. V.; Razzhigaeva, N. G.; Zarubina, N. V. (2010-09-01). "Volcanic ash in sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk: Identification based on minor and rare earth elements". Doklady Earth Sciences. 434 (1): 1156–1163. Bibcode:2010DokES.434.1156S. doi:10.1134/S1028334X10090047. ISSN 1028-334X. S2CID 128479768. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010DokES.434.1156S
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Gorshkov 1970, p. 100. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
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Gorshkov 1970, p. 103,104. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Sakhno et al. 2010, p. 1162. - Sakhno, V. G.; Derkachev, A. N.; Melekestsev, I. V.; Razzhigaeva, N. G.; Zarubina, N. V. (2010-09-01). "Volcanic ash in sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk: Identification based on minor and rare earth elements". Doklady Earth Sciences. 434 (1): 1156–1163. Bibcode:2010DokES.434.1156S. doi:10.1134/S1028334X10090047. ISSN 1028-334X. S2CID 128479768. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010DokES.434.1156S
Melekestsev 2009, p. 227. - Melekestsev, I. V. (2009-08-01). "The identification and diagnostics of active and potentially active volcanic features in the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc and the Commander Islands link of the Aleutian arc". Journal of Volcanology and Seismology. 3 (4): 221–245. doi:10.1134/S0742046309040010. ISSN 0742-0463. S2CID 128739968. https://doi.org/10.1134%2FS0742046309040010
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Newhall & Dzurisin 1988, p. 626. - Newhall, Christopher G.; Dzurisin, Daniel (1988-01-01). Historical unrest at the large calderas of the world. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CpTipE7v_MC&q=nemo&pg=PA600
Gorshkov 1970, p. 103. - Gorshkov, Georgii Stepanovich (1970). "Volcanoes of the Kurile Islands". Volcanism and the Upper Mantle. Monographs in Geoscience. Springer US. pp. 49–234. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-1767-8_5. ISBN 9781468417692. https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-1767-8_5
Melekestsev 2009, p. 241. - Melekestsev, I. V. (2009-08-01). "The identification and diagnostics of active and potentially active volcanic features in the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc and the Commander Islands link of the Aleutian arc". Journal of Volcanology and Seismology. 3 (4): 221–245. doi:10.1134/S0742046309040010. ISSN 0742-0463. S2CID 128739968. https://doi.org/10.1134%2FS0742046309040010
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Derkachev & Portnyagin 2013, p. 568. - Derkachev, A. N.; Portnyagin, M. V. (2013-09-01). "Marker tephra layers in the late quaternary deposits of the Sea of Okhotsk as evidence of catastrophic eruptions in the Nemo caldera complex (Onekotan Island, Kuril Islands)". Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 21 (5): 553–571. Bibcode:2013SGC....21..553D. doi:10.1134/S0869593813040035. ISSN 0869-5938. S2CID 128672709. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013SGC....21..553D
Sakhno et al. 2010, p. 1157. - Sakhno, V. G.; Derkachev, A. N.; Melekestsev, I. V.; Razzhigaeva, N. G.; Zarubina, N. V. (2010-09-01). "Volcanic ash in sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk: Identification based on minor and rare earth elements". Doklady Earth Sciences. 434 (1): 1156–1163. Bibcode:2010DokES.434.1156S. doi:10.1134/S1028334X10090047. ISSN 1028-334X. S2CID 128479768. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010DokES.434.1156S
Derkachev, Nikolaeva & Portnyagin 2016, p. 192,193. - Derkachev, A. N.; Nikolaeva, N. A.; Portnyagin, M. V. (2016-02-01). "Mineral composition of tephra layers in the Quaternary deposits of the Sea of Okhotsk:: Heavy minerals associations and their geochemistry". Geochemistry International. 54 (2): 167–196. doi:10.1134/S0016702915120022. ISSN 0016-7029. S2CID 130221023. https://doi.org/10.1134%2FS0016702915120022
Derkachev & Portnyagin 2013, p. 568. - Derkachev, A. N.; Portnyagin, M. V. (2013-09-01). "Marker tephra layers in the late quaternary deposits of the Sea of Okhotsk as evidence of catastrophic eruptions in the Nemo caldera complex (Onekotan Island, Kuril Islands)". Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 21 (5): 553–571. Bibcode:2013SGC....21..553D. doi:10.1134/S0869593813040035. ISSN 0869-5938. S2CID 128672709. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013SGC....21..553D
Gorbarenko et al. 2002, p. 126. - Gorbarenko, S. A; Nürnberg, D; Derkachev, A. N.; Astakhov, A. S; Southon, J. R; Kaiser, A (2002-04-30). "Magnetostratigraphy and tephrochronology of the Upper Quaternary sediments in the Okhotsk Sea: implication of terrigenous, volcanogenic and biogenic matter supply". Marine Geology. 183 (1–4): 107–129. Bibcode:2002MGeol.183..107G. doi:10.1016/S0025-3227(02)00164-0. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002MGeol.183..107G
Derkachev & Portnyagin 2013, p. 567. - Derkachev, A. N.; Portnyagin, M. V. (2013-09-01). "Marker tephra layers in the late quaternary deposits of the Sea of Okhotsk as evidence of catastrophic eruptions in the Nemo caldera complex (Onekotan Island, Kuril Islands)". Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 21 (5): 553–571. Bibcode:2013SGC....21..553D. doi:10.1134/S0869593813040035. ISSN 0869-5938. S2CID 128672709. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013SGC....21..553D
Derkachev & Portnyagin 2013, p. 568. - Derkachev, A. N.; Portnyagin, M. V. (2013-09-01). "Marker tephra layers in the late quaternary deposits of the Sea of Okhotsk as evidence of catastrophic eruptions in the Nemo caldera complex (Onekotan Island, Kuril Islands)". Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation. 21 (5): 553–571. Bibcode:2013SGC....21..553D. doi:10.1134/S0869593813040035. ISSN 0869-5938. S2CID 128672709. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013SGC....21..553D
Gorbarenko et al. 2002, p. 127. - Gorbarenko, S. A; Nürnberg, D; Derkachev, A. N.; Astakhov, A. S; Southon, J. R; Kaiser, A (2002-04-30). "Magnetostratigraphy and tephrochronology of the Upper Quaternary sediments in the Okhotsk Sea: implication of terrigenous, volcanogenic and biogenic matter supply". Marine Geology. 183 (1–4): 107–129. Bibcode:2002MGeol.183..107G. doi:10.1016/S0025-3227(02)00164-0. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002MGeol.183..107G