Gallery: Vulcan's View 15: Amazing Shots of Volcanoes Seen From Space
Photos by NASA Earth Observatory01Etna
A false-color image of Etna in Italy, seen on January 22, 2014. **Click on the Full Screen button (diagonal arrows) to read the full descriptions of these images.** [Etna](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=211060) has kept up its pace as 2014 started, with new lava flows in the Valle del Bove. This image was taken just before that eruption began, but clearly shows the row of active craters on the summit ridge (including the New Southeast Crater with its small plume). The slopes of Etna as also covered in other small cones from previous eruptions.
Photos by NASA from the International Space Station02Shishaldin
Shishaldin on the Unimak Island in Alaska, seen in this ISS image taken on February 11, 2009. [Shishaldin](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=311360), on the Alaskan island of Unimak, was moved to [Yellow alert status](http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/report_getter.php?need=current&id=47821&type=5) after a new thermal signature and more vigorous steam plumes were noted at the summit. If the unrest leads to an new eruption, it would be the first at [Shishaldin](http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Shishaldin.php) since 2004. Most of the eruptions at Shishaldin are strombolian explosions and lava flows, typical activity at such a basaltic volcano.
Photos by NASA Earth Observatory03Shiveluch
The bent plume from Shiveluch on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, seen on January 21, 2014. This plume from [Shiveluch](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=300270) is a fairly thin one compared to some of the [recent activity](http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Sheveluch) from the Kamchatkan volcano. However, it does illustrate the importance of understanding winds when it comes to ash dispersal. This plume has a strong kink in it due to a change in wind direction as the plume drifted northward (and likely higher).
Photos by NASA Earth Observatory04Karymsky
The weak plume from Karymsky (top) with thin ash deposits on the snow, seen on January 28, 2014. The caldera in the bottom of the image is Akademia Nauk. This shot captures the ash from the recent activity at [Karymsky](http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/kvert/current_eng.php?name=Karymsky), another volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. The [ash shows up](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=82998) as the grey/brown streak on the white snow and only a very weak plume is apparent coming from the volcano (which is still on Orange alert due to its elevated activity). Just to the south of Karymsky is the caldera called [Akademia Nauk](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=300125). To make this entirely confusing, the lake itself is called Karymsky Lake and the most recent eruption (in 1996) occurred along the north margin of the lake.
Photos by NASA / Robert Simmon05Sinabung Toba
Sinabung, with an active plume, and the giant caldera of Toba, both in Indonesia. Image captured on January 23, 2014. Sinabung continues to erupt in Indonesia, but this shot from January 23 captures some of the extent of damage done by the eruption. The distinctly grayer ground on the northeastern slopes of the volcano are evidence of [these repeated cycles of pyroclastic flows](http://wired.local/wiredscience/2014/01/extraordinary-video-pyroclastic-flows-eruption-sinabung/) and ash fall. The other feature that catches the eye in this shot is the enormous [Toba caldera](http://toba.arch.ox.ac.uk/edu.htm) to the south of Sinabung. This caldera produced one of the largest eruptions in the last million years. [This eruption from ~74,000 years ago](http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/2005/05_04_28.html) disgorged 2,800 ^km3^ of volcanic tephra. There has been a lot of hand-wringing by some about Sinabung's location relative to Toba, but there is likely little-to-no chance that the activity at [Sinabung](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=261080) will change the currently dormant state of Toba.
Photos by NASA / Robert Simmon06Dukono
The wispy, grey plume from Dukono in Indonesia, seen on January 29, 2014. Unlike many of Indonesia's volcanoes, [Dukono](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=268010) is fairly removed from large population centers. This is likely a good thing as it has been erupted almost continuously since the 1930's, with small explosive eruptions and lava flows. Much of the monitoring of [Dukono](http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/dukono) has to be performed by satellite observations of plumes such as the one in this shot due to the volcano's remote location on Halmahera Island.
Photos by NASA07Hawaii
The island of Hawaii, seen on January 26, 2014. The two red boxes are heat plumes from the Halema'uma'u and Pu'u O'o craters. Much like Dukono, [Kilauea](http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php) on the island of Hawaii has been active for decades as well. Right now is no exception, as an active lava flow field exists on the coastal plain. The two lava lakes on the volcano are also very active, as [this video of Pu'u O'o](http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/uploads/multimediaFile-585.mov) by the [Hawaii Volcano Observatory](http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/?display=default) illustrates. [Another video](http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/uploads/multimediaFile-587.mov) captures the thick, but flexible, layer of basaltic that forms on the lava lakes sometimes -- like a skin on a pudding -- with spattering of new basaltic lava on the edges.
Photos by NASA Earth Observatory08San Miguel
San Miguel in El Salvador, seen on January 15, 2014. Fresh ash is noticeable on the upper flanks of the volcano. [San Miguel](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=343100) in El Salvador had a brief explosive eruption in mid-December, but has settled down since then. In this image from January 15, the [ash-covered slopes of the volcano](http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=82896) are evident, but what I want you to notice is the fissure vents that extend to the southeast of [San Miguel](http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/central_america/el_salvador/san_miguel/). These vents that end in the dark black lava flow field were [last active in the 1840-50s](http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/central_america/el_salvador/san_miguel/location.html), but betray some features of the crust in the region that magma has exploited to reach the surface.
Photos by NASA from International Space Station09Sollipulli Llaima
Sollipulli (lower left) and Llaima (center), both in Chile, with one of the solar panels from the ISS in the lower right. Image taken October 21, 2007. This shot captures two of Chile's active volcanoes: the (roughly) conical [Llaima](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=357110) and [Sollipulli](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=357111), with its summit caldera. After vigorous eruptions in 2008-09, Llaima has been quiet. Sollipulli hasn't had a documented eruption since ~1240 AD and its ~920 BC eruption was giant VEI 5 eruption.
Photos by NASA from the International Space Station10El Misti
El Misti in Peru, flanked by older volcanic edifices of Pichu Pichu (right) and Chachani (left). Image taken May 13, 2009. This shot from the International Space Station from 2009 captures some of the arid Andean arc in southern Peru. The conical volcano in the middle is [El Misti](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=354010), the most active volcano of this region. The last eruption from El Misti was almost 30 years ago, but recently [a seismic swarm](http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm#vn_354010) has hit the volcano, suggesting that new magma might be moving within the system -- however, whether that will lead to any eruptive activity is unknown. The two older volcanoes in the image -- Pichu Pichu (right) and [Chachani](http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=354007) (left) -- are not thought to have erupted in the past 10,000 years. However, the arid environment has preserved some impressive lava flows on the flanks of Chachani.
