NASA MODIS Image of the Day: June 17, 2011 – Plume from Nabro volcano, Eritrea
The remote Nabro Volcano, along the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, emitted a thick plume of volcanic gases on June 15, 2011.
The Toulousse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center and the Joint Air Force & Army Weather Information Network reported that the plume rose to an altitude of 35,000 feet (11,000 meters), and consisted mainly of sulfur dioxide.
The bright white color of the plume suggests it contains a high concentration of water vapor as well. This natural-color satellite image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite. In this image, Eritrea lies in the north and east, bordering the Red Sea. Ethiopia is the larger country that lies inland. Djibouti is the small country on the Red Sea coast south of Eritrea. Somalia lies south of that. The country on the western (left) border of the picture is the Sudan.
