Volcanic eruption caught on camera from space
Digital Reporter
Friday, January 31, 2014, 4:36 PM -
That volcano majestically blowing its top in the video above is the Sarychev Volcano in the Kuril Island Chain between Japan and Russia.
You can clearly see the flow of lava flowing down the slope at the base, while the plume of ash and smoke, several kilometres tall, seems to be punching its way through a lenticular cloud as it blasts aloft.
The eruption was captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station as it passed over the area in 2009.
So why's it making its way through the public consciousness again now?
Image: NASA
If you reckon the video kind of looks otherworldly (almost like a movie CGI special effect), there's your clue. It's not a true video, but a composite of images taken back in 2009, released yesterday on the Instagram feed of NASA Goddard.
Prior to the 2009 eruption, Sarychev Volcano had been quiet since its last eruption in 1989.
You can find more information on the original images and the 2009 eruption at NASA Earth Observatory.
MEANWHILE ON EARTH: Southern Ontario is in for messy series of storms. Check out the latest forecasts and follow along on The Weather Network on TV.
