NASA MODIS Image of the Day: November 2, 2011 – Ash on snow from Cerro Hudson, Chile
Ash from Cerro Hudson stains the snow in this true color image captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite as it passed over the region on October 31, 2011.
Located in southern Chile, Cerro Hudson has a history of violent eruptions, often accompanied by flows of mud, melted snow, and ash called lahars.
In this image, Cerro Hudson can be seen in the center as a dark gray oval surrounded by light gray, ash-stained snow. SERNAGEOMIN, the Chilean National Geology and Mining Service, reported that Cerro Hudson began to stir on October 25, with a series of earthquakes deep beneath the volcano. The shape of the seismic waves from the earthquakes indicated the movement of fluid, likely magma. In the following days the earthquakes continued, and modest plumes rose up to 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) above the volcano. The plumes were mostly steam, with some ash. As of October 31, the activity was characteristic of superheated water moving through the upper reaches of the volcano, rather than the eruption of fresh lava.
