May 28, 2016
In late April 2016, satellite sensors detected signs of a volcanic eruption on Bristol Island in the far South Atlantic Ocean. Mount Sourabaya appeared to be erupting for the first time in 60 years. More than a month later, the eruption continues.
On May 28, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image of a volcanic plume streaming northeast from Bristol Island. The plume casts a shadow on the sea ice below. Most of the white in the image is likely ice, rather than clouds.
References & Resources
- Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program (2016) Bristol Volcano. Accessed May 31, 2016.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2016) Signs of an Eruption on Bristol Island.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response . Caption by Mike Carlowicz.
