Mount Etna has been spewing lava throughout Sicily for weeks throughout a sequence of eruptions captured by a slew of Earth-orbiting satellites.
Etna, essentially the most lively volcano in all of Europe, has been in a state of eruption since 2011. The latest series began on Feb. 16. The volcano erupted that day, once more on Feb. 18 after which once more between Feb. 20 and 23. Throughout these eruptions, fountains of lava shot excessive into the night time sky, reaching 0.four miles (0.7 kilometers) excessive earlier within the month and getting 0.9 miles (1.5 km) over the volcano’s summit later within the month.
These most up-to-date eruptions “have been among the many most violent within the Southeast Crater’s younger historical past,” Marco Neri, a volcanologist with Italy’s Nationwide Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, said in a NASA statement.
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Earth-observing satellites have been eager to take a look at the smoke, ash and lava flung out by the volcano. On Feb. 18, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the NASA-U.S. Geological Survey Landsat eight satellite tv for pc snapped a pure coloration view of the volcano, which was overlaid with infrared knowledge to point out the nice and cozy areas (or spots the place lava had damaged by way of).
Additionally on Feb. 18, the European House Company’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, which is made up of two satellites, noticed the eruption. The European satellites captured a second that, utilizing infrared imaging, confirmed the lava in vivid orange and crimson.
A number of days later, as Etna was erupting once more on Feb. 23, the U.S. Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NOAA-20 satellite tv for pc snapped a picture with its VIIRS (Seen Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument that highlights the plumes coming from the volcano.
Landsat eight captured a nighttime picture of exercise at #MtEtna on Feb 25, 2021. This picture makes use of the thermal and shortwave infrared bands (Bands 10, 7, 6) to point out the warmth signature of the lava. pic.twitter.com/ryTDbKw0nAMarch 1, 2021
Landsat eight noticed the volcano once more on Feb. 25, this time at night time. Utilizing thermal and shortwave infrared bands, it was capable of present the lava down under primarily based on the warmth coming off of it.
Whereas these latest eruptions have been spectacular, they induced minor disruptions somewhat than main injury to the encompassing space, in keeping with the NASA assertion. Ash coming from Etna quickly closed the Catania Airport and was deposited throughout Sicily, for instance, and native residents needed to take care of falling ash and rocks.
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