Mount Etna has been spewing lava throughout Sicily for weeks throughout a collection of eruptions captured by a slew of Earth-orbiting satellites.
Etna, essentially the most energetic 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 zero.four miles (zero.7 kilometers) excessive earlier within the month and getting zero.9 miles (1.5 km) over the volcano’s summit later within the month.
These most up-to-date eruptions “had 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 had 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 colour view of the volcano, which was overlaid with infrared information to indicate the nice and cozy areas (or spots the place lava had damaged by).
Additionally on Feb. 18, the European Area 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 purple.
A couple 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 indicate 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 in a position to present the lava down beneath based mostly on the warmth coming off of it.
Whereas these current eruptions had been spectacular, they triggered minor disruptions somewhat than main harm to the encompassing space, based on the NASA assertion. Ash coming from Etna quickly closed the Catania Airport and was deposited throughout Sicily, for instance, and native residents needed to cope with falling ash and rocks.
Electronic mail Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@area.com or comply with her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Fb.