Volcanic Eruptions In Kamchatka
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by Staff Writers
Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 06, 2007

One of the most volcanically active regions of the world is the
Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, Russia. It is not uncommon for
several volcanoes to be erupting at the same time. On April 26, 2007,
the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radioneter
(ASTER) on NASA's Terra spacecraft captured these images of the
Klyuchevskoy and Sheveluch stratovolcanoes, erupting simultaneously, and
80 kilometers (50 miles) apart.

Over Klyuchevskoy, the thermal infrared data (overlaid in red) indicates
that two open-channel lava flows are descending the northwest flank of
the volcano. Also visible is an ash-and-water plume extending to the
east. Sheveluch volcano is partially cloud-covered. The hot flows
highlighted in red come from a lava dome at the summit. They are
avalanches of material from the dome, and pyroclastic flows.

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared
wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters
(about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the
changing surface of our planet.

ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,
1999, on NASA's Terra spacecraft. The instrument was built by Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team
is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the
data products.

The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER
provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information
for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal
change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and
retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop
stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands
evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation;
surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface
heat balance.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.