July 3, 2019 at 10:56 am

Raikoke’s First Eruption in 95 Years Captured by NASA Astronauts

by twistedsifter

volcanic eruption from above nasa 3 Raikokes First Eruption in 95 Years Captured by NASA Astronauts

Image credit: NASA

 

Unlike some of its perpetually active neighbors on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Raikoke Volcano on the Kuril Islands rarely erupts. The small, oval-shaped island most recently exploded in 1924 and in 1778.

The dormant period ended around 4:00 a.m. local time on June 22, 2019, when a vast plume of ash and volcanic gases shot up from its 700-meter-wide crater. The dramatic event was captured from space by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

In the image above we see the volcanic plume rising in a narrow column and then spreading out in a part of the plume known as the ‘umbrella region’. That is the area where the density of the plume and the surrounding air equalize and the plume stops rising. [source]

 

 

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