Chile’s Llaima Volcano erupted on April 4, 2009. After months of low-level seismic activity, the volcano’s activity increased on April 2, accompanied by water-vapor emissions. Following that increase in activity, the volcano experienced strombolian eruptions—short-lived explosive bursts releasing cinders—from two cones in the volcano’s main crater, on April 4.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of Llaima Volcano on April 4, 2009. The two red outlines in this image indicate areas where MODIS detected unusually hot surface temperatures. A faint plume blows away from the volcano toward the east-southeast.
Researchers at Proyecto Observación Visual Volcán Llaima (POVI) compiled a video of the eruptions on April 4, 2009.
Llaima is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks ejected by earlier eruptions. Eruptions have been recorded at Llaima since the seventeenth century.
References & Resources
- Global Volcanism Program. Llaima. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed April 6, 2009.
- Seach, J. (2009, April 5). News. Accessed April 6, 2009.
- The Volcanism Blog. (2009, April 6). Time-lapse video of Llaima eruption, 4 April 2009. Accessed April 6, 2009.
NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.
