Koryaksky Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula released a plume on August 27, 2009, as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead. According to the U.S. Air Force Weather Agency, the volcano released intermittent ash and/or steam plumes in late August.
This true-color image shows a pale plume blowing away from the volcanic summit toward the east-northeast, forming a slight arc as it heads toward the Bering Sea. The plume’s light color suggests that it contains more water vapor than volcanic ash.
MODIS captured this plume days after reports of simultaneous activity at six Kamchatka volcanoes. Vostok Media described the simultaneous activity as rare, stating it was the first time that all six volcanoes showed concurrent unrest in 60 years.
Koryaksky is a symmetrical stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks thrown out by earlier eruptions. Surface lava fields have probably been fed by vents on the volcano’s flanks.
References & Resources
- Global Volcanism Program. Koryaksky. Accessed August 27, 2009.
- The Volcanism Blog. (2009, August 24). The Kamchatka Six. Accessed August 27, 2009.
- Vostok Media. (2009, August 24). Six Kamchatka Volcanoes Exhibit Activity Simultaneously for the First Time in Sixty Years. Accessed August 27, 2009.
NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.
