Photograph Identification: P-44704 Maly Semlyachik Volcano, Russia
This is an X-band seasonal image of theMaly Semlyachik volcano, which is part of the Karymsky volcano group onthe Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The image is centered at 54.2 degrees northlatitude and 159.6 degrees east longitude. This image is a composite of images acquired by theX-band radar of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. The images were acquired on April 9, 1994, during the first flightof the radar system, and on September 30, 1994, during its second flight. Theimage channels have been assigned the following colors: red corresponds to dataacquired on April 9; green corresponds to data acquired on September 30; andblue corresponds to the ratio between data from April 9 and September 30. Kamchatka is twice as large as England, Scotland and Wales combined, and is home to approximately 470,000 residents. The region is characterized by a chain ofvolcanoes stretching 800 kilometers (500 miles) across the countryside. Manyof the volcanoes, including the active Maly Semlyachik volcano in this image, have erupted during this century. The most active periods, creating thethree characteristic craters of this volcano, go back 20,000, 12,000 and 2,000years ago. The highest summit of the oldest crater reaches about 1,560 meters(1,650 feet). The radar images reveal the geological structures of craters andlava flows and help to improve scientists' knowledge of these sometimesvigorously active volcanoes. This seasonal composite also highlights theecological differences that have occurred between April and October 1994. InApril the whole area was snow-covered, and at the coast an ice sheet extendedapproximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) into the sea. The area shown surrounding the volcano is covered by low vegetation which is much like scrub. Kamchatka also hasextensive forests, which belong to the northern frontier of Taiga, the borealforest ecosystem. This region plays an important role in the world's carboncycle. Trees in this region, where the growing season is 120 days, require 60 years to mature. The forest industry is managing these forests, and practicing selective cuttingto allow younger trees time to grow and reseed. X-SAR images will aid inmapping these deforested areas and in encouraging further recultivationefforts.
![[MALY SEMLYACHIK VOLCANO]](MALYSEML.GIF)