Central Andes volcanic landscapes at the NASA Earth Observatory 9 September 2010
Posted by admin in Chile, NASA Earth Observatory.Tags: Chile, NASA Earth Observatory
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At the NASA Earth Observatory there’s a spectacular astronaut photograph taken on 22 August 2010 of part of the volcanic landscape of the central Andes, on the border between Chile and Argentina. Among the volcanoes visible are Cerro el Cóndor, Peinado and Nevado Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest active volcano with a summit 6,887 metres a.s.l. This is a highly active volcanic region and the image reveals a fascinating and complex landscape of volcanic creation and erosive destruction, which is expertly discussed in the accompanying NASA caption.
NASA Earth Observatory: Volcanic landscapes, central Andes (Image of the Day, 6 September 2010)
Continuing Gaua activity at the NASA Earth Observatory 27 April 2010
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Gaua, NASA Earth Observatory, Pacific, Vanuatu, volcanoes.Tags: Gaua, NASA Earth Observatory, Vanuatu, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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As reported here last week, activity is continuing at Gaua volcano in Vanuatu, with the government planning for evacuations of Gaua Island. The NASA Earth Observatory has been providing some excellent satellite imagery of Gaua, most recently the above image, captured on 24 April 2010 by the Advanced Land Imager aboard NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. The brown areas on the left of the image, to the west and south-west of the volcano, show where volcanic emissions and ashfall have damaged and killed vegetation.
The world is paying little attention to the activity at Gaua, but it is shaping up to be a very nasty, hazardous and disruptive eruption. Ashfall, poisonous gases, volcanic bombs and mudflows are being produced by the active cone, Mount Garet, and emissions are tainting local crops and water supplies. Rising water levels in the crater have been reported, increasing the risk of still more dangerous mudflows. The population of Gaua has already had to abandon the western side of the island and seek refuge in the east, away from the worst of the volcano’s ash and fumes, but as the activity increases they may have to evacuate completely. Radio Australia News quotes Vanuatu Geohazards Technical Advisor: ‘The current risk is mainly ash falls and then mudflows. It’s true that we have an increase in activity but not like a level 3. Evacuation is ready the plan is ready the location is ready, it’s a very tough situation for the local population of Gaua, they’re scared they’re afraid, it’s a very new situation for them’.
The alert level for Gaua is still at level 2, according to the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory.
For all our coverage of Gaua: Gaua « The Volcanism Blog.
News
Vanuatu volcano may force evacuations – Sydney Morning Herald, 20 April 2010
Vanuatu volcano taints water supplies – Sydney Morning Herald, 21 April 2010
Vanuatu authorities monitor Gaua volcano – Radio Australia News, 23 April 2010
South Seas volcano threatens thousands – Earthweek, 23 April 2010
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Gaua – summary information for Gaua (0507-02=)
Vanuatu volcanoes and volcanics – information from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory – home page for geohazards monitoring in Vanuatu
More Eyjafjallajökull images at the NASA Earth Observatory 20 April 2010
Posted by admin in eruptions, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory.Tags: Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory, volcanic eruptions
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The NASA Earth Observatory is doing a superb job in speedily bringing us stunning images of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption from space. Some recent highlights:
Eyjafjallajökull volcano ash plume taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, 19 April 2010.
Detailed view of ash plume at Eyjafjallajökull volcano captured by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite on 17 April 2010.
Thick ash pouring from Eyjafjallajökull volcano in an image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired, like the image above, on 17 April 2010.
For all our Eyjafjallajökull coverage: Eyjafjöll « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Eyjafjöll – summary information for Eyjafjallajökull, which the GVP calls Eyjafjöll (1702-02=)
Ash across the sea: Eyjafjallajökull’s plume at the NASA Earth Observatory 15 April 2010
Posted by admin in Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory.Tags: Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory
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A dramatic new image at the NASA Earth Observatory shows the reach of the ongoing Eyjafjallajökull eruption. The image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on 15 April 2010, shows the brown ash-heavy plume produced by the eruption stretching south-eastwards across the Atlantic from Iceland (top left) to the Shetlands (bottom right). This is the ash that has been disrupting air traffic across northern Europe today.
Ash plume across the North Atlantic – NASA Earth Observatory, 15 April 2010
For more dramatic satellite imagery, see Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland (NASA Earth Observatory) and The Big Picture: Volcanic ash (BBC News).
Eyjafjallajökull/Fimmvörðuhálsi eruption: another satellite image at the NASA Earth Observatory 30 March 2010
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory, volcanoes.Tags: Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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Hot on the heels of the Advanced Land Imager’s view of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption showcased by the NASA Earth Observatory a few days ago comes this MODIS image captured by the Terra satellite on 26 March 2010 which shows very clearly the location of the current activity at Fimmvörduháls, between the two icecaps of Eyjafjallajökull (west) and Mýrdalsjökull (east). It is fortunate that the eruption is between the icecaps and not beneath them: a subglacial eruption would threaten to unleash a meltwater flood or jökulhlaup.
Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland – NASA Earth Observatory, 29 March 2010
Meanwhile, the Fimmvörduháls webcam operated by Icelandic telecomms company Míla is providing great close-up images of the eruption once again. Vigorous fire fountain activity is visible even in daylight. This view was captured at 18:28 GMT this evening:
For all our Eyjafjallajökull coverage: Eyjafjöll « The Volcanism Blog.
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Eyjafjöll – summary information for Eyjafjallajökull, which the GVP calls Eyjafjöll (1702-02=)
Eyjafjallajökull eruption March 2010 – summary of events from the University of Iceland’s Nordic Volcanological Center
Photos from Fimmvörðuháls – images and information from the Iceland Meteorological Office
NASA Earth Observatory: cool flows at Llullaillaco 29 March 2010
Posted by admin in Argentina, Chile, Llullaillaco, NASA Earth Observatory, volcanoes.Tags: Argentina, Chile, Lluillaillaco, NASA Earth Observatory
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The latest image of the day at the NASA Earth Observatory is this astronaut photograph of Llullaillaco volcano, which is situated on the Argentina/Chile border. Llullaillaco is the highest historically active volcano in the world, 6739 metres high, and last erupted in the nineteenth century. The lava flow extending to the north of the volcano shows very clearly features typical of a viscous flow on a steep slope. Lava at the edges of the flow has cooled more rapidly than that in the centre to produce the walled channel effect of a flow levée, while the faster cooling of the upper surface of the lobe at the front of the flow has produced characteristic layering and pressure ridges at 90 degrees to the direction of the flow. The Earth Observatory caption refers to the lobes of this flow as coulées (but this is what I call a coulée).
It’s also interesting to note, given the time of year, that the head of the Easter Bunny is clearly visible between the two lobes of the lava flow in the top right of the image:
[Astronaut photograph ISS022-E-8285 was acquired on December 9, 2009, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera using an 800mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 22 crew.]
Llullaillaco volcano, Argentina-Chile border – NASA Earth Observatory, 29 March 2010
Eyjafjallajökull/Fimmvörduháls at the NASA Earth Observatory 27 March 2010
Posted by admin in activity reports, eruptions, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory.Tags: Eyjafjallajökull, Eyjafjöll, Iceland, NASA Earth Observatory, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
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As previewed here (and at Eruptions) yesterday, the NASA Earth Observatory image of the day for 27 March 2010 is the ongoing fissure eruption at Eyjafjallajökull/Fimmvörduháls in south Iceland.
A commenter here asked about the green colour visible within the fissure and the drainage channel in this image. Robert Simmon of NASA answers that question in the Eruptions comments thread: ‘The green along the margin of the lava flow is an artifact of the satellite sensor. The true-color image is the combination of a 30m/pixel RGB image with a 10m/pixel panchromatic image. Each color pixels covers the same area as 9 panchromatic pixels, so you’ll occasionally get odd colors in high contrast areas’.
Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland – NASA Earth Observatory, 27 March 2010
Information
Global Volcanism Program: Eyjafjöll – summary information for Eyjafjallajökull, which the GVP calls Eyjafjöll (1702-02=)
Eyjafjallajökull eruption March 2010 – summary of events from the University of Iceland’s Nordic Volcanological Center
Photos from Fimmvörðuháls – images and information from the Iceland Meteorological Office
NASA Earth Observatory: Chaitén volcano and surrounding area 1 March 2010
Posted by admin in Chaitén, Chile, NASA Earth Observatory.Tags: Chaitén, Chile, NASA Earth Observatory
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At the NASA Earth Observatory a new natural colour image of Chile’s Chaitén volcano and the surrounding area has been published in the Natural Hazards category. Captured on 25 February 2010 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite, the image shows the large area of recent grey ash deposits around Chaitén volcano and the ash-choked rivers draining the area. The site of Chaitén town, dangerous and officially abandoned but still, apparently, a tourist magnet, can be seen at the mouth of the river to the south of the volcano.
Chaitén volcano and the surrounding area – NASA Earth Observatory, 26 February 2010
For all our Chaitén coverage: Chaitén « The Volcanism Blog.
Soufrière Hills images at NASA Earth Observatory: before and after the dome collapse 24 February 2010
Posted by admin in Caribbean, eruptions, NASA Earth Observatory, Soufrière Hills.Tags: Caribbean, Montserrat, NASA Earth Observatory, Soufrière Hills, volcanic eruptions
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The NASA Earth Observatory has published two satellite images of Montserrat, one showing the island in March 2007 before the Soufrière Hills lava dome collapse of 11 February 2010, and one captured ten days after that event. The two images make a fascinating comparison: a much-reduced side-by-side version is shown above. The March 2007 image is on the left, the February 2010 image on the right. A great deal of fresh ashfall can be seen, and the extensive pyroclastic flow deposits north-east of the volcano (extending the coastline by 650 metres according to MVO reports) are clearly visible.
Soufriere Hills volcano resumes activity – NASA Earth Observatory, 21 February 2010
For all our Soufrière Hills coverage: Soufrière Hills « The Volcanism Blog.
Simultaneous Kamchatka volcanic eruptions at the NASA Earth Observatory 19 February 2010
Posted by admin in Bezymianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia.Tags: Bezmianny, Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi, NASA Earth Observatory, Russia
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The NASA Earth Observatory is currently showcasing a stunning image – two volcanoes erupting simultaneously on the far-eastern Russian peninsula of Kamchatka. The two are Bezmianny (bottom) and Kliuchevskoi (top). This false-colour image was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite on 13 February 2010.
Volcanoes erupt simultaneously on Kamchatka – NASA Earth Observatory, 18 February 2010
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