Published 19:34 IST, June 27th 2019
STUNNING: Astronauts capture visuals of volcano Raikoke's eruption after remaining dormant for 100 years
In a visually stunning photo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have captured volcano Raikoke's vigorous eruption after staying dormant for over 100 years from 254 miles above the Kuril Islands in Asia
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In a visually stunning photo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have captured volcano Raikoke's vigorous eruption after staying dormant for over 100 years from 254 miles above the Kuril Islands in Asia.
NASA has released the breathtaking plume of ash rising from the now-active volcano stating that monitoring volcanic eruptions helps us understand how they affect aviation and climate.
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Explaining Raikoke's eruption on June 22, NASA has said that while Raikoke's perpetually active neighbours on the Kamchatka Peninsula erupt often, Raikoke - a small, oval-shaped island, last erupted in 1924 and before that in 1778.
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As revealed by NASA, the volcanic eruption occurred around 4:00 a.m. local time on June 22, 2019, when a vast plume of ash and volcanic gases shot up from its 700-meter-wide crater and the visuals by captured by several astronauts displaying he volcanic plume rising in a narrow column and then spreading out in a part of the plume known as the umbrella region.
Detailing the reason for the eruption, Michigan Tech Volcanologist Simon Carn said it may be either due to weather changes or due to lava-seawater interaction.
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“The ring of white puffy clouds at the base of the column might be a sign of ambient air being drawn into the column and the condensation of water vapour. Or it could be a rising plume from the interaction between magma and seawater because Raikoke is a small island and flows likely entered the water,” he said.
Volcanologists watch closely for plumes that reach the stratosphere because they tend to stay aloft for longer than those that remain within the troposphere as plumes reaching the stratosphere have the greatest effects on aviation and climate, as shared by NASA.
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Reacting to the stunning visuals, netizens have tweeted their awe of Mother nature:
19:17 IST, June 27th 2019