Nyamuragira & Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa
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2004/194 - 07/12 at 08 :30 UTC / Eruption of the Nyiragongo Volcano, Democratic Republic of the Congo (false color)
2004/194 - 07/12 at 08 :30 UTC / Eruption of the Nyiragongo Volcano, Democratic Republic of the Congo
 NASA >> Earth Observatory >> Natural Hazards >> Volcanoes >> Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts
Ash and steam were pouring from the Nyiragongo Volcano on July 12, 2004, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image. Situated on the northern shores of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the volcano has been erupting intermittently for much of 2004. Nyiragongo is one of Africa’s most well-known volcanoes because of recent catastrophic eruptions. In January 2002, lava flowed from the volcano into the city of Goma, displacing thousands. For the current eruption, there have been no reports of damage.
This false-color MODIS image shows the ash and steam cloud as orange in contrast to the lighter-colored clouds in the area. The water of Lake Kivu is black and surrounding vegetation is dark green. The ash plume is blowing approximately 75 kilometers southeast into Rwanda, right, though there is evidence that the wind had recently shifted. A faint plume is still visible extending southwest of the volcano and an arc of ash stretches over Lake Kivu between the two plumes. The shifting plume is more distinct in the true-color version of the image. In the false- and true-color images, red boxes mark where MODIS has detected a thermal anomaly, places where the temperature is much higher than the surrounding region. The boxes typically mark active fires, though in this case, one marker appears to be over the top of the volcano. The above image is at MODIS’ maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
NASA >> NOAA >> OSEI NOAA >> Volcano >> Marianas
P(Preview ) VSHnyira194_N7L.jpg 86 K
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NOAA-17 RGB=CH1,CH2,CH4 07/12/2004 08:38 UTC
A plume from an ongoing eruption of Nyiragongo Volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen drifting southeast from the summit.
 NASA >> Earth Observatory >> NewImages >> Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts
Ash and steam were pouring from the Nyiragongo Volcano on July 12, 2004, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image. Situated on the northern shores of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the volcano has been erupting intermittently for much of 2004. Nyiragongo is one of Africa’s most well-known volcanoes because of recent catastrophic eruptions. In January 2002, lava flowed from the volcano into the city of Goma, displacing thousands. For the current eruption, there have been no reports of damage.
This true-color MODIS image shows the ash and steam cloud over Lake Kivu. The ash plume is blowing approximately 75 kilometers southeast into Rwanda, right, though there is evidence that the wind had recently shifted. A faint plume is still visible extending southwest of the volcano and an arc of ash stretches over Lake Kivu between the two plumes. Red boxes mark where MODIS has detected a thermal anomaly, places where the temperature is much higher than the surrounding region. The boxes typically mark active fires, though in this case, one marker shows the volcano’s active vent. The above image is at MODIS’ maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions.
For more information about using MODIS to detect volcanic eruptions, read: Sensing Remote Volcanoes
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
NASA >> GSFC >> MODIS >> GALLERY >> Images of the Day >> July 15, 2004 - Eruption of the Nyiragongo Volcano
 NASA >> Earth Observatory >> Natural Hazards >> Volcanoes >> Congo Volcanoes erupt
The borderland between Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda contains eight volcanoes, including Mount Nyamulagira and Mount Nyiragongo, which were both erupting on May 25, 2004. The volcanoes are both located north of Lake Kivu in Virunga National Park. The dense tropical forests of the park are home to endangered mountain gorillas. The African Wildlife Foundation does not believe that the eruptions will threaten the gorillas’ habitat, but cautions that ash may contaminate drinking water sources and food crops, forcing local people to turn to the park for material.
Mount Nyamulagira is Africa’s most active volcano. Its neighbor 14 kilometers (9 miles) to the northwest, Nyiragongo has the world’s fastest flowing lava. In 2002, 500,000 people in Goma were displaced when Nyiragongo erupted. Neither of this week’s eruptions have been reported to have caused damage, though ash falls have been reported within 60 kilometers (37 miles) of the volcanoes.
The http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the eruptions on May 25, 2004. The large image shows the scene in true color. Red dots around Mount Nyiragongo indicate a thermal anomaly, and may be flowing lava or fires near the volcano. The inset shows the scene immediately around the volcanoes in false color to differentiate between cloud and the ash plumes. Here, the ash and steam plumes are a darker orange than the surrounding clouds, which are light peach. Vegetation is dark green. The high-resolution image shows the scene in natural color at MODIS’ maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel.
NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at GSFC
NASA >> GSFC >> TOMS Nyamuragira, D.R. Congo: May 10, 2004 Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Ash and Aerosols
Estimated SO2 mass (on May 10): 0.19 Tg or 190 kilotons
NASA >> GSFC >> AIRS Nyamuragira, D.R. Congo: May 8, 2004 Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Ash and Aerosols
Smithsonian Institute/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
The Toulouse reported that during 26 May to 1 June there were weak but steady emissions from Nyiragongo and neighboring Nyamuragira (~13 km NW from Nyiragongo). The Goma volcano observatory confirmed that ash fell within a radius of 60 km of both volcanoes.
Source: Toulouse VAAC
The Toulouse VAAC reported that satellite imagery showed a weak eruption of ash at Nyamuragira on 25 May.
The Toulouse VAAC reported that satellite imagery showed a weak eruption of Nyiragongo on 21 May. Activity intensified during the evening of 24 May. By the evening of 25 May, the volcano was no longer visible on satellite imagery due to meteorological clouds in the area.
The Goma Volcano Observatory reported that a new eruption at Nyamuragira, which began on 8 May at 0548, was marked by strong volcanic tremor. Activity began in the volcano's summit caldera and later propagated to the N flank. A reconnaissance flight over the volcano on 9 May revealed an active lava lake in the NNE part of the Nyamuragira caldera. The lake was ~300 m in diameter and had four strong lava fountains in it. In addition, a 2-km-long eruptive fracture on the volcano's NNW flank had several lava fountains along it and two cones being built. Lava poured from many vents, forming one main flow towards the NNW. The flows remained within the National Park boundaries and did not threaten populated areas. Ash fell in several villages on the W and N flanks of the volcano.
Sources: Goma Volcano Observatory, Toulouse VAAC, Agence France-Presse
Toulouse, France - Volcanic Ash Advisories NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA
MSG1531636.01.txt 20040601/1600Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: EMISSION OVER BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA HAVING BEGUN ON 21 MAY, SEEMS TO HAVE CEASED ACCORDING TO METESAT-8 IMAGERY
MSG1531016.01.txt 01JUNE2004/1000Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: EMISSION OVER BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA HAS BEEN OBSERVED SINCE 21MAY2004. NEVERTHELESS, NO EMISSION IS CURRENTLY OBSERVED BY SATELLITE IMAGERY.
MSG1530446.01.txt 01JUNE2004/0400Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA CONTINUE A WEAK AND REGULAR EMISSION SINCE 21MAY2004. CURRENT ACTIVITY SHOWED STEADY EMISSION.
MSG1522206.01.txt 31MAY2004/2200Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1521736.01.txt 31MAY2004/1600Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1521326.01.txt 31MAY2004/1000Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1520426.01.txt 31MAY2004/0400Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1520116.01.txt 30MAY2004/2200Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1511826.01.txt 30MAY2004/1600Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1511306.01.txt 30MAY2004/1000Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1510516.01.txt 30MAY2004/0400Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1510516.02.txt 29MAY2004/2200Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1501656.01.txt 29MAY2004/1000Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1501656.02.txt 29MAY2004/1600Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1501656.03.txt 29MAY2004/0400Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1492216.01.txt 28MAY2004/2200Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1491506.01.txt 28MAY2004/1000Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA CONTINUE A WEAK AND REGULAR EMISSION SINCE 21MAY2004. CURRENT ACTIVITY SHOWS STEADY EMISSION.
MSG1481606.01.txt 27MAY2004/1600Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1480956.01.txt 27MAY2004/0400Z NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA HAVE BEEN ERUPTING SINCE MAY THE 23RD. CURRENT ACTIVITY SHOWS WEAK BUT STEADY EMISSION. GOMA OBSERVATORY CONFIRMS THAT ASH FALLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED 60 KM RADIUS VOLCANOES
MSG1480335.01.txt 26MAY2004/0400 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1471556.01.txt 26MAY2004/1600 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA ARE ERUPTED SINCE MAY THE 23RD. THE CURRENT ACTIVITY IS WEAK BUT STEADY EMISSION
MSG1470636.01.txt 26MAY2004/0600 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1461936.01.txt 25MAY2004/1900 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA ARE ERUPTED SINCE LAST NIGHT.
MSG1461326.01.txt 25MAY2004/1315 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA ARE ERUPTED SINCE LAST NIGHT. NOW AREA IS NO LONGER VISIBLE ON SAT IMAGERY DUE TO STRONG CONVECTIVE CLOUDS. ACCORDING DATA MODEL ASH EXPECTED BELOW FL180 W AND SW OF VOLCANOES.
MSG1460735.01.txt 25MAY2004/0700 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: INTENSIFICATION OF VOLCANO ACTIVITY DURING THIS NIGHT. BOTH NYIRAGONGO AND NYAMURAGIRA ARE CURRENTLY ERUPTING
MSG1460556.01.txt 25MAY2004/0500 UTC NYAMURAGIRA DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1451606.01.txt 24MAY2004/1600 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: ACCORDING TO METEOSAT VISIBLE IMAGERY, A WEAK ERUPTION OF NYIRAGONGO HAS BEEN DETECTED SINCE 21MAY2004.
MSG1451256.01.txt 24MAY2004/1000 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO (same as below)
MSG1441836.01.txt 23MAY2004/1735 UTC NYIRAGONGO DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: ACCORDING METEOSAT VISIBLE IMAGERY, A WEAK ERUPTION OF NYIRAGONGO IS DETECTED SINCE 21MAY2004.
MSG1310946.01.txt 10MAY2004/0900 UTC NYAMURAGIRA DR-CONGO
ERUPTION DETAILS: ACCORDING TO GOMA OBSERVATORY, AN INCREASING ACTIVITY OF NYAMURAGIRA IS DETECTED SINCE 08MAY2004.
SOURCE: SI/USGS, Toulouse VAAC, AFP, European Volcanological Society, www.vulkaner.no, African Wildlife Foundation
NASA/Earth Observatory, TOMS, AIRS,
NASA >> Earth Observatory >> Natural Hazards >> Volcanoes >> Nyamuragira Volcano Erupts
Nyamuragira volcano erupted on July 26, 2002, spewing lava high into the air along with a large plume of steam, ash, and sulfur dioxide. The 3,053-meter (10,013-foot) volcano is located in eastern Congo, very near that country’s border with Rwanda. Nyamuragira is the smaller, more violent sibling of Nyiragongo volcano, which devastated the town of Goma with its massive eruption in January 2002. Nyamuragira is situated just 40 km (24 miles) northeast of Goma.
This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, on July 28, 2002. Nyamuragira is situated roughly in the center of this scene, roughly 100 km south of Lake Edward and just north of Lake Kivu (which is mostly obscured by the haze from the erupting volcano and the numerous fires burning in the surrounding countryside). Due south of Lake Kivu is the long, narrow Lake Tanganyika running south and off the bottom center of this scene.
Image by Jesse Allen, NASA's Earth Observatory; Data courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
NASA >> JPL >> Images >> Earth >> Volcanoes >> 2002 Image Releases, Nyiragongo volcano, Congo
The Nyiragongo volcano in Congo erupted on January 17, 2002, and subsequently sent streams of lava into the city of Goma on the north shore of Lake Kivu. More than 100 people were killed, more than 12,000 homes were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee the broader community of nearly half a million people.
This computer-generated visualization combines a Landsat satellite image and an elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to provide a view of both the volcano and the city of Goma, looking slightly east of north. Additionally, image data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite were used to supply a partial map of the recent lava flows (red), including a complete mapping of their intrusion into Goma as of January 28, 2002. Lava is also apparent within the volcanic crater and at a few other locations. Thick (but broken) cloud cover during the ASTER image acquisition prevented a complete mapping of the lava distribution, but future image acquisitions should complete the mapping.
Nyiragongo is the steep volcano on the right, Lake Kivu is in the foreground, and the city of Goma has a light pink speckled appearance along the shoreline. Nyiragongo peaks at about 3,470 meters (11,380 feet) elevation and reaches almost exactly 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) above Lake Kivu. The shorter but broader Nyamuragira volcano appears in the left background. Topographic expression has been exaggerated vertically by a factor of 1.5 for this visualization.
Goma, Lake Kivu, Nyiragongo, Nyamuragira and other nearby volcanoes sit within the East African Rift Valley, a zone where tectonic processes are cracking, stretching, and lowering the earth's crust. Volcanic activity is common here, and older but geologically recent lava flows (magenta in this depiction) are particularly apparent on the flanks of the Nyamuragira volcano. The Landsat image used here was acquired on December 11, 2001, about a month before the eruption, and shows an unusually cloud-free view of this tropical terrain. Minor clouds and their shadows were digitally removed to clarify the view, topographic shading derived from the SRTM elevation model was added to the Landsat image, and a false sky was added.
Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and substantially helps in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive. This Landsat 7 Thematic Mapper image was provided to the SRTM and ASTER projects by the United States Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.
With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) will image Earth for several years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. ASTER is providing scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change.
Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.
Size: View width 21 kilometers (13 miles), View distance 42 kilometers (26 miles)
Location: 1.5 degrees South latitude, 29.3 degrees East longitude
Orientation: View east-northeast, 5 degrees below horizontal
Image Data: Landsat Bands 3, 2, 1 as red, green, blue, respectively. ASTER Band 12 (thermal) shown as red overlay.
Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arcsecond (30 meters or 98 feet), Landsat 30 meters (98 feet). ASTER (thermal) 90 meters (295 feet).
Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), December 11, 2001 (Landsat), January 28, 2002 (ASTER)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/NIMA
NASA >> Earth Observatory >> Natural Hazards >> Volcanoes >> Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts in the Congo
A river of molten rock poured from the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 18, 2002, a day after it erupted, killing dozens, swallowing buildings and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the town of Goma. The lava flow continued into Lake Kivu.
One of Africa's most notable volcanoes, Nyiragongo contained an active lava lake in its deep summit crater that drained catastrophically through its outer flanks in 1977. Extremely fluid, fast-moving lava flows draining from the summit lava lake in 1977 killed 50 to 100 people, and several villages were destroyed.
This scene was acquired on January 28, 2002, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, flying aboard NASA’s Terra satellite. In this scene, the Nyiragongo volcano itself is covered by clouds, but Goma is visible to the south, situated on the northern shore of Lake Kivu. The bright red ribbons radiating away from the volcano are the hot lava flows. This false-color image covers an area of 21 by 24 km, and combines a thermal band in red, and two infrared bands in green and blue.
Image by Mike Abrams, NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
NASA >> earth observatory >> News >> New Images >> Nyiragongo Volcano before the Eruption
Mount Nyiragongo, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, erupted today (January 17, 2002), ejecting a large cloud of smoke and ash high into the sky and spewing lava down three sides of the volcano. Mount Nyiragongo is located roughly 10 km (6 miles) north of the town of Goma, near the Congo’s border with Rwanda. According to news reports, one river of lava is headed straight toward Goma, where international aid teams are evacuating residents. Already, the lava flows have burned through large swaths of the surrounding jungle and have destroyed dozens of homes.
This false-color image was acquired today (January 17) by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) roughly 5 hours after the eruption began. Notice Mount Nyiragongo’s large plume (bright white) can be seen streaming westward in this scene. The plume appears to be higher than the immediately adjacent clouds and so it is colder in temperature, making it easy for MODIS to distinguish the volcanic plume from the clouds by using image bands sensitive to thermal radiation.
Images of the eruption using other band combinations are located on the MODIS Rapid Response System.
Nyiragongo eruptions are extremely hazardous because the lava tends to be very fluid and travels down the slopes of the volcano quickly. Eruptions can be large and spectacular, and flows can reach up to 10s of kilometers from the volcano very quickly. Also, biomass burned from Nyriagongo, and nearby Mount Nyamuragira, eruptions tends to create clouds of smoke that adversely affect the Mountain Gorillas living in the adjacent mountain chain.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
See also,
NASA >> Earth Observatory >> Natural Hazards >> Volcanoes >> Nyiragongo Volcano Erupts in the Congo
NASA >> earth observatory >> News >> New Images >> Nyiragongo Volcano before the Eruption
Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano situated on the Eastern African Rift; it is part of Africa’s Virunga Volcanic Chain. In a massive eruption that occurred on January 17, 2002, Nyiragongo sent a vast plume of smoke and ash skyward, and three swifly-moving rivers of lava streaming down its western and eastern flanks. Previous lava flows from Nyiragongo have been observed moving at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (60 kph). The lava flows from the January 17 eruption destroyed more than 14 villages in the surrounding countryside, forcing tens of thousands to flee into the neighboring country of Rwanda.
Within one day the lava ran to the city of Goma, situated on the northern shore of Lake Kivu about 12 miles (19 km) south of Nyiragongo. The lava cut a 200 foot (60 meter) wide swath right through Goma, setting off many fires, as it ran into Lake Kivu. Goma, the most heavily populated city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to about 400,000 people. Most of these citizens were forced to flee, while many have begun to return to their homes only to find their homes destroyed.
This true-color scene was captured by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), flying aboard the Landsat 7 satellite, on December 11, 2001, just over a month before the most recent eruption. Nyiragongo’s large crater is clearly visible in the image. As recently as June 1994, there was a large lava lake in the volcano’s crater which had since solidified. The larger Nyamuragira Volcano is located roughly 13 miles (21 km) to the north of Nyiragongo. Nyamuragira last erupted in February and March 2001. That eruption was also marked by columns of erupted ash and long fluid lava flows, some of which are apparent in the image as dark greyish swaths radiating away from Nyamuragira. Both peaks are also notorious for releasing large amounts of sulfur dioxide, which presents another health hazard to people and animals living in close proximity.
Image by Robert Simmon, based on data supplied by the NASA GSFC Landsat 7 Science Team
NASA >> JPL >> Images >> Earth >> Volcanoes >> Nyiragongo volcano, Congo. Anaglyph
The Nyiragongo volcano in Congo erupted on January 17, 2002, and subsequently sent streams of lava into the city of Goma on the north shore of Lake Kivu. More than 100 people were killed, more than 12,000 homes were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee the broader community of nearly half a million people. This stereoscopic (anaglyph) visualization combines a Landsat satellite image and an elevation model from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to provide a view of the volcano, the city of Goma, and surrounding terrain.
Nyiragongo is the steep volcano to the lower right of center, Lake Kivu is at the bottom, and the city of Goma is located along the northeast shore (bottom center). Nyiragongo peaks at about 3,470 meters (11,380 feet) elevation and reaches almost exactly 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) above Lake Kivu. The shorter but broader Nyamuragira volcano appears to the upper left of Nyiragongo.
Goma, Lake Kivu, Nyiragongo, Nyamuragira and other nearby volcanoes sit within the East African Rift Valley, a zone where tectonic processes are cracking, stretching, and lowering the earth's crust. The cliff at the top center of the image is the western edge of the rift. Volcanic activity is common in the rift, and older but geologically recent lava flows (dark in this depiction) are particularly apparent on the flanks of the Nyamuragira volcano.
This anaglyph was produced by first shading an elevation model from data acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topograph Mission and blending it with a single band of a Landsat scene. The stereoscopic effect was then created by generating two differing perspectives, one for each eye. When viewed through special glasses, the result is a vertically exaggerated view of the Earth's surface in its full three dimensions. Anaglyph glasses cover the left eye with a red filter and the right eye with a blue filter.
The Landsat image used here was acquired on December 11, 2001, about a month before the eruption, and shows an unusually cloud-free view of this tropical terrain. Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and substantially helps in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive. This Landsat 7 Thematic Mapper image was provided to the SRTM project by the United States Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.
Size: 43 by 62 kilometers (27 by 39 miles)
Location: 1.5 degrees South latitude, 29.3 degrees East longitude
Orientation: East-northeast at top
Image Data: Landsat Band 4 (near infrared) combined with SRTM shaded relief
Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arcsecond (30 meters or 98 feet), Landsat 30 meters (98 feet).
Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), December 11, 2001 (Landsat).
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/NIMA
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Located roughly 300 miles (485 km) west of Mexico City, Colima Volcano began spewing red-hot rocks down its slopes on February 5, 2002. The volcano had been issuing smoke, ash, and vapor for days prior to the eruption. This true-color image of the “Volcano of Fire” was acquired on May 13, 1999, by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, flying aboard Landsat 7.
Rising to an altitude of 16,475 feet (5,023 meters), the Tungurahua Volcano towers over the surrounding terrain in central Ecuador. From this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite, it’s easy to see why this volcano (center) is also called the “Black Giant”?its flanks are coated with dark lava flows. In this scene, captured on January 14, 2004, a plume of ash is rising from the volcano and is stretching northeastward across the Andes and the lower elevations to the east. 
Ecuador’s El Reventador volcano, situated roughly 60 miles northeast of Quito, erupted suddenly on November 3, 2002, sending a cloud of ash 10 miles into the sky. This true-color scene was acquired by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard the OrbView-2 satellite, within hours after the eruption began. In this scene, the volcanic plume appears grey and can easily be distinguished from the whiter clouds. Much of the ash has settled onto Ecuador’s capital city and the surrounding countryside, prompting Ecuador’s president to declare a state of emergency for the 1.4 million inhabitants of the region.
This three-dimensional perspective view was created from an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Digital Elevation Model combined with a simulated natural color ASTER image, acquired July 13, 2001. It shows El Misti volcano towering 5822 meters high above the second city of Peru, Arequipa, with a population of more than one million. Geologic studies indicate that El Misti has had five minor eruptions this century, and a major eruption in the 15th century when residents were forced to flee the city. Despite the obvious hazard, civil defense authorities see it as a remote danger, and city planners are not avoiding development on the volcano side of the city. This view shows human development extending up the flanks of the volcano along gullies which would form natural channels for flows of lava, superheated ash and gas, or melted ice, snow, and mud from the summit snowfield in the event of an eruption.
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August 23, 2004 - Galapagos Islands 
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Snow caps the summits of Mauna Loa (center) and Mauna Kea (toward the top, center) volcanoes on the island of Hawai`i. With its summit standing roughly 17 km (56,000 feet) above its base and its flanks covering about half of the Island of Hawai`i, Mauna Loa is the world’s largest volcano. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Mauna Loa’s peak rises roughly 4 km above sea level, its flanks slope downward another 5 km to the ocean floor, and then it is so massive it compresses the sea floor another 8 km!
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A light tan plume of steam and possibly ash continues to rise away from the Sheveluch Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The volcano began its explosive eruption on May 9, 2004. By May 11, when this image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, the eruption had slowed to the plume seen here. The Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team observed a lava dome growing in the crater, and warns that another explosive eruption could occur at any time. The Sheveluch Volcano, top center, left a broad field of ash on the snow after its most recent eruptions. 
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Brown ash darkens the snow to the southeast of the Sheveluch Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula following another of the volcano’s frequent eruptions. According to the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruptions Response Team, the volcano began an explosive eruption at 13:00 UTC on May 9, 2004, sending a plume of ash up 8,000 meters (26,400 feet) into the atmosphere. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite passed over nearly 12 hours later, early on May 10, the volcano was still emitting a tan plume of ash, visible over the Pacific Ocean southeast of the volcano.
A red glow indicating the presence of heat and a small plume of ash are evidence of the Klyuchevskaya (Kliuchevskoi) volcano’s recent unrest. The volcano has been intermittently releasing bursts of steam, ash, and gas. The largest volcano on Russia’s Kamchatkan peninsula, Klyychevskaya is being watched carefully for signs of a more violent eruption.
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On the night of June 4, 2001, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) captured this thermal image of the erupting Shiveluch volcano. Located on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, Shiveluch rises to an altitude of 2,447 meters (8,028 feet). The active lava dome complex is seen as a bright (hot) area on the summit of the volcano. To the southwest, a second hot area is either a debris avalanche or hot ash deposit. Trailing to the west is a 25-kilometer (15-mile) ash plume, seen as a cold "cloud" streaming from the summit. At least 60 large eruptions have occurred here during the last 10,000 years; the largest historical eruptions were in 1854 and 1964. 
Mount Oyama, located on the Japanese island of Miyake-Jima, continues to erupt and discharge significant quantites of sulfur dioxide gas from its summit crater. Scientists estimate the volcano is emitting sulfur dioxide at a rate of between 10,000 and 20,000 tons per day.
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The effects of the June 15, 1991, eruption of Mt. Pinatubo continue to affect the lives of people living near the volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The eruption produced a large amount of volcanic debris that was deposited on the flanks of the volcano as part of pyroclastic flows. This debris consists of unconsolidated ash and boulders, and following heavy rains, it mixes with the rain run-off to form volcanic mudflows called lahars. Lahars are moving rivers of concrete slurry that are highly erosive. They can sweep down existing river valleys, carving deep canyons where the slopes are steep, or depositing a mixture of fine ash and larger rocks on the gentler slopes. The deposits left from a lahar soon solidify into a material similar to concrete, but while they are moving, lahars are dynamic features, and in a single river valley, the active channel may change locations within a few minutes or hours. These changes represent a significant natural hazard to local communities. 
The effects of the June 15, 1991, eruption of Mt. Pinatubo continue to affect the lives of people living near the volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The eruption produced a large amount of volcanic debris that was deposited on the flanks of the volcano as part of pyroclastic flows. This perspective view looking toward the east shows the western flank of the volcano where most of these pyroclastic flows were deposited. 
On January 16, 2002, lava that had begun flowing on January 5 from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on the French island of Reunion abruptly decreased, marking the end of the volcano’s most recent eruption. These false color MODIS images of Reunion, located off the southeastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, were captured on the last day of the eruption (top) and two days later (bottom).
Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in the Indonesian Sulawesi Islands, erupted on September 25, 2002, sending a large plume of ash (gray pixels) streaming westward toward Borneo and Sumatra.
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NASA >> Goddard Space Flight Center >> January 29, 2003
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