Earth  ID: 11446

Spectacular Sarychev

Story by Adam P. Voiland and Justin Wilkinson Released on January 30, 2014
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See one of the most eye-popping shots of a volcanic eruption ever captured from space.
On June 12, 2009, a fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) made it possible for an astronaut on board to capture Sarychev Volcano in the early stages of eruption. The volcano is located on the northwestern end of Matua Island, which is part of the Kuril Islands, a chain of 56 islands northeast of Japan. The eruption sent a plume of brown-colored ash and white steam rising into the atmosphere. The plume was so immense that it cast a large shadow on the island. Sarychev is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain. Prior to June 12, the last explosive eruption occurred in 1989, with eruptions in 1986, 1976, 1954, and 1946 also producing lava flows. Watch the video to see how the eruption looked from space.
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This animation, based on astronaut photography, offers a view of the ash and steam rising from the volcano.
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A cloud of denser, gray ash—probably a pyroclastic flow—appears to be hugging the ground, descending from the volcano summit.
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The ISS flyby provided astronauts with views of the eruption from more than one perspective.
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Sarychev reaches a height of 4,908 feet, forming the highest point on Matua Island.

For More Information

NASA Earth Observatory

Story Credits

Visualizer/Animator:
Robert Simmon (Sigma Space Corporation)

Lead Writers:
Adam P. Voiland (Sigma Space Corporation)
Justin Wilkinson (NASA/JSC)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Earth Observatory
Sarychev volcano images courtesy of NASA/JSC/Image Science and Analysis Laboratory
Matua Island image courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11446

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Earth