NASA MODIS Image of the Day: August 24, 2012 – Activity at Kizimen and Shiveluch, Kamchatka Peninsula, eastern Russia
On August 22, 2012 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite passed over Russia’s Far East and captured this true-color summertime view of the volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The tops of two volcanoes, Shiveluch and Kizimen are marked by red hotspots, which indicate that the thermal detectors on the MODIS instrument have identified areas that are warmer than background. Actively erupting volcanoes typically show such warm areas. The bright area from Shiveluch, in the north, is most likely from the growing lava dome on the south face, although fresh volcanic materials such as lava, hot rocks and rubble are very hot. Kizimen is to the far south of this image. Between the two more active volcanoes lie Klyuchevskaya, just south of Shiveluch and Bezymianny. Gray “shadows” on their flanks mark areas where volcanic ash has fallen in the past. According to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) on August 22 Shiveluch was experiencing moderate seismic activity and incandescence of the lava dome. It was also releasing moderate amounts of gas and steam. Kizimen also showed moderate gas and steam activity, with incandescence above the lava flow and crater. Bezymianny also was experiencing mild seismic activity and releasing weak gas-steam plumes. No activity was reported for Klyuchevskaya.
