NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using
expedited ASTER data provided the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS
and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. The Karymsky Volcano in far
northeastern Russia had been erupting several times a day for
about a week prior to emitting this ash plume on June 19, 2006.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection
Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this
false-color image. In this picture, red indicates vegetation,
which is lush around the volcano but very sparse on its slopes.
The water of Karymskoye Lake appears in blue. The volcano’s
barren sides are dark gray, and the volcanic plume and nearby
haze appear in white or gray. Karymsky Volcano is the most
active volcano in the eastern volcanic zone of the Kamchatka
Peninsula. The volcano is composed of alternating layers of
hardened lava, ash, and rocks. Historical eruptions have
involved explosive eruptions of lava fragments and the release
of volcanic gases. At the time of the June 19 erup