Dark lava streams down the southeast flank of Klyuchevskaya volcano in this satellite image. The dark gray lava—perhaps combined with deposits from lahars or pyroclastic flows—contrasts sharply with the volcano’s snow-covered and sunlit southern slopes, while a thin plume extends due west from the summit. According to the Smithsonian/U.S. Geological Survey Global Volcanism Program, Klyuchevskaya has been active throughout most of 2009.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-color image on December 11, 2009.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, based on data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Robert Simmon.
