Images
September 13, 2014 - Ash on ground from eruption of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
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In the early morning hours of August 29, 2014 the Tavurvur volcano dramatically roared to life, sending brilliant lava fountains hundred of meters into the air, with an accompanying ash plume reaching 60,000 feet (18 km) high. The Aviation Color Code was quickly raised to red, and media reported that communities near the volcano were evacuated. The eruption continued on August 30, with ash rising to 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above sea level.
From August 31 through September 5, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, Tavurvur remained quiet, with no nighttime incandesce observed. Variable amounts of white vapor were rising from the summit, as well as a trace of blue vapor. Earthquake activity decreased from 80 events per hour near the time of eruption to less than 10 tremors detected on September 1-2.
On September 1, NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying aboard to capture a true-color image of the aftermath of the sudden eruption.
The round bay seen at the northeast tip of the island of New Britain sits in the center of Rabaul caldera, and the green land forming a semi-circle around it forms the rim of the caldera. An eruption about 1400 years ago is believed to have created the current shape of the Rabaul caldera. The volcano has several very active vents, including Tavurvur, which sits near the eastern shore of Blanche Bay.
Tavurvur is most easily viewed by clicking on the “resolutions” link (250m) to see a larger image. It can be seen as a circular brown patch partially hidden under a small popcorn cloud. The land to the west of Tavurvur had been covered with vegetation prior to the eruption; it is now heavily coated with a thick, dull brown coating of volcanic ash.
The silvery color of the water in this image is not related to volcanic activity. It is a phenomenon called “sunglint” which occurs when the sun reflects off of water at the same angle that the sensor is viewing the surface. This makes smooth surfaces appear silver, much like the surface of a mirror, while rougher surfaces appear dark. The parallel stripes in this image, most visible in the sunglint area, are an artifact called “striping”. The effect is not present in all MODIS images, but is seen most vividly in some high-reflectance imagery.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/1/2014
Resolutions:
250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
In the early morning hours of August 29, 2014 the Tavurvur volcano dramatically roared to life, sending brilliant lava fountains hundred of meters into the air, with an accompanying ash plume reaching 60,000 feet (18 km) high. The Aviation Color Code was quickly raised to red, and media reported that communities near the volcano were evacuated. The eruption continued on August 30, with ash rising to 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above sea level.
From August 31 through September 5, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, Tavurvur remained quiet, with no nighttime incandesce observed. Variable amounts of white vapor were rising from the summit, as well as a trace of blue vapor. Earthquake activity decreased from 80 events per hour near the time of eruption to less than 10 tremors detected on September 1-2.
On September 1, NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying aboard to capture a true-color image of the aftermath of the sudden eruption.
The round bay seen at the northeast tip of the island of New Britain sits in the center of Rabaul caldera, and the green land forming a semi-circle around it forms the rim of the caldera. An eruption about 1400 years ago is believed to have created the current shape of the Rabaul caldera. The volcano has several very active vents, including Tavurvur, which sits near the eastern shore of Blanche Bay.
Tavurvur is most easily viewed by clicking on the “resolutions” link (250m) to see a larger image. It can be seen as a circular brown patch partially hidden under a small popcorn cloud. The land to the west of Tavurvur had been covered with vegetation prior to the eruption; it is now heavily coated with a thick, dull brown coating of volcanic ash.
The silvery color of the water in this image is not related to volcanic activity. It is a phenomenon called “sunglint” which occurs when the sun reflects off of water at the same angle that the sensor is viewing the surface. This makes smooth surfaces appear silver, much like the surface of a mirror, while rougher surfaces appear dark. The parallel stripes in this image, most visible in the sunglint area, are an artifact called “striping”. The effect is not present in all MODIS images, but is seen most vividly in some high-reflectance imagery.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/1/2014
Resolutions:
250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
