Mount Ubinas, Peru

Mount Ubinas, Peru

Ubinas Volcano in Peru emitted a volcanic plume of ash and/or steam on June 24, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the volcano sends its plume eastward over this arid environment. Other features of the region include El Misti Volcano, the settlement of Arequipa, and Laguna Salinas, a large salt lagoon.

This smoke plume followed an earlier plume, emitted in May 2006. On June 11, 2006, the Associated Press reported evacuations in the area around Ubinas, as seismic activity had been increasing since February. Windborne smoke and volcanic ash had reached a nearby highland region where residents complained of headaches and stomachaches.

NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC.