Activity at Soputan Volcano NASA Earth Observatory image by
Robert Simmon, using data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS,
and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Robert Simmon.
Frequent activity on Indonesia’s Soputan Volcano keeps the
slopes of the mountain vegetation free, in spite of the tropical
climate. This false-color satellite image shows a small volcanic
plume rising from Soputan on August 8, 2012. Vegetation is red,
and volcanic debris—much of it deposited over the past decade—is
black. Gullies funneled debris as far as 6,900 meters (23,000
feet) from Soputan’s active crater. The dark patch to the west
of the volcano may be a burn scar from a recent forest fire. The
image was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission
and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard the Terra satellite. -
Global Volcanism Program. (2012, May). Soputan: Index of Monthly
Reports. Accessed August 14, 2012. This image originally
appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full,
original record.