September 22, 2007 - Plume from Chikurachki Volcano

Plume from Chikurachki Volcano

Chikurachki Volcano, in the northern Kurile Islands, off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, released another plume of ash and/or steam on September 19, 2007, continuing a pattern of intermittent activity. You can see the plume it left of on September 8 here. The MODIS on NASA's Terra satellite captured this picture the same day. In this image, a tan colored plume blows away from the volcano’s summit toward the southeast, over the Pacific Ocean. To the east, bright white clouds form a line roughly parallel to the volcanic plume, likely blown by the same winds.

Chikurachki is a stratovolcano composed of hardened lava, solidified ash, and volcanic rocks. This volcano is actually a relatively small cone sitting atop an older structure that was built by volcanic activity in the Pleistocene. The underlying edifice makes Chikurachki, with a summit elevation of 1,816 meters (5,958 feet) the highest volcano on Paramushir Island.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 09/19/2007
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC