The Shiveluch volcano is erupting once again. It is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka Krai, a territory in northeast Russia. At least 60 large eruptions have occurred at Shiveluch in the past 10,000 years. The Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 acquired an image of the latest eruption on February 23, 2019.
The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) reported growth in the lava dome (a mound formed by viscous magma piling up around the volcano’s vent) from February 8-15, 2019. Additionally, satellite images detected thermal anomalies daily. News outlets reported ash plumes reaching as high as 6 kilometers (4 miles) on February 21. In the image above, the plume is traveling northeast, throwing a shadow to the north of the volcano.
As of February 25, explosive activity continues. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Tokyo warned of additional volcanic ash plumes at altitudes approaching 4 kilometers. KVERT reports ongoing activity could affect low-flying and international flights.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Text by Kasha Patel.
