Monitoring Volcanic Eruptions

This comparison shows photographic and radar images of the Kliuchevskoi volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, which began to erupt on September 30, 1994, as the second SIR-C/X-SAR space shuttle mission was beginning. In the optical image on the left, the ash plume, which rose to an altitude of more than 18 kilometers (50,000 feet), is emerging from a vent on the north flank of Kliuchevskoi. In fact, the plume and its shadow partially hide the volcano itself. In the radar image at right, Kliuchevskoi is the blue triangular peak in the center of the image, towards the left edge of the bright red area, which is bare snow cover. This eruption of Kliuchevskoi ejected massive amounts of gas, vapor, and ash. Melting snow mixed with volcanic ash triggered mudflows on the flanks of the volcano, which you can see as thin lines in various shades of blue and green on the north flank in the center of the image. In addition to Kliuchevskoi, two other active volcanoes are visible in the image. The Kamchatka volcanoes are among the most active volcanoes in the world. The volcanic zone sits above a tectonic plate boundary, where the Pacific plate is sinking beneath the northeast edge of the Eurasian plate. LightSAR's Additional Contribution: LightSAR's continuous imaging, passing over each location on Earth every 8 to 10 days, will enable scientists to closely monitor volcanic activity and changes in vertical surface displacement that could indicate an impending eruption. As the above comparison of radar image versus visible light image shows, radar images can provide much greater detail, and the longer wavelength can penetrate the smoke and ash from an active eruption. In addition, imaging radar can collect information that could otherwise be obtained only by potentially dangerous close-in observations. Technical Details Related Links References

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