Eruption of Chikurachki Volcano, Eastern Russia

Chikurachki volcano began erupting on April 18, 2003, sending plumes of ash as high as 2,000 meters above the volcano’s crater. By April 20th, the day this image was acquired, the ash plume had drifted 250 kilometers to the southeast. The ash plume shows up as a gray streak originating just left of image center and continuing southeast to the lower right edge of the image.

Chikurachki is an active volcano, having last erupted in 2002, and nine times between 1853 and 1986. With a summit of 1,816 meters, Chikurachki is the highest volcano on Paramushir Island in the northern Kuril Islands string. This string of islands runs from northern Japan in the south (not visible) to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the north (upper image center). To the left of Chikurachki is the Sea of Okhotsk, while to the right is the northern Pacific Ocean.

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Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published April 20, 2003
Data acquired April 20 - 20, 2003

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topics:

Solid Earth > Volcanoes > Eruption Dynamics

Solid Earth > Volcanoes > Volcanic Ash/Dust

Collection:

MODIS Rapid Response