Eruption at Nabro Volcano

Eruption at Nabro Volcano

Nabro Volcano emitted water vapor, volcanic ash, and copious quantities of sulfur dioxide on the morning of June 22, 2011. At the time, the volcanic plume extended from the site of the eruption in Eritrea across the border into Ethiopia. This natural-color satellite image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite. The red outline at the base of the plume indicates an area of exceptional heat, either the site of the eruption or lava pooling in Nabro’s caldera.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC. Caption by Robert Simmon.