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Geology News
Volcanoes Current Events

NASA Image

The particles ejected from the Sarychev Peak eruption are making their way around the world. The light that is scattered through the particles causes sunsets to appear with a more purplish hue.

NASA Image

It is thought that there may be an ocean beneath the surface of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. The salty water is ejected from a geyser near the moon’s south pole.

NASA has a new satellite image of Sarychev Peak volcano acquired after the June 12, 2009 eruption. This image shows the northwest half of the island covered with new volcanic rock.

This NASA astronaut photograph is one of the most spectacular volcanic eruption photos that appears on the web. It shows a recent eruption plume from Sarychev Volcano photographed by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. In addition to the eruption plume punching through the cloud cover, a pyroclastic flow can be seen traveling down the flank of the volcano.

The early inhabitants of the Kuril Islands used tools made with obsidian from Russia and Japan. Obsidian flakes found on the islands yield evidence as to the people’s migration patterns.

Sarychev Peak Volcano on Matua Island in the northwest Pacific began a series of eruptions in mid-June. These eruptions released what is probably the largest sulfur dioxide cloud produced so far this year.

What depth does magma formation occur in a subduction zone? Conventional understanding says 100 km but new research reveals that it can be as little as 60 km or as deep as 170 km.

“These images show examples of columnar jointing on Mars (top) and Earth (below) at the exact same scale. The top image shows layers of solidified lava flows exposed on the rim of a 16-kilometer-diamter crater in the Marte Vallis region on Mars. This image…shows the first columnar joints positively identified on a planet other than Earth.” Quoted from NASA’s Earth Observatory.

A video on the USGS website provides a rare view of active lava churning within Kilauea Volcano’s summit vent located in Halema’uma’u Crater.

This article from EARTH Magazine discusses some geologic features of Tanzania. Writer Alexandra Ossola points out a few things that tourists might like to visit in the African country.

This is a photo gallery showing sulfur mining at Ijen volcano, located on Java island of Indonesia. The miners have a hazardous job and earn an average of $11 a day.

A major volcanic eruption may have caused the extinction of marine organisms about 260 million years ago. The eruption occurred in China’s Emeishan province.

Over the past three years a mud volcano in Indonesia has killed 13 people and displaced tens of thousands. Most of the mud has now been contained within a constructed “mud reservoir”. It all started when mud erupted from a well being drilled for natural gas in East Java. The Supreme Court there did not find the gas company or the government guilty of negligence.

Mud reservoir is clearly visible in this view. Enlarge Map

Now you can get updates on the status of Redoubt Volcano via the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s Twitter postings.

The Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are showing signs of great unrest. Over a million people live in close proximity of the craters, and the danger is compounded because Nyiragongo generates the most fluid lava on Earth.

See also: Monitoring Volcanoes From Space.

There is something unusual about the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano in Tanzania - it is the world’s only volcano that produces carbonatite lava. Scientists are investigating this phenomenon.

“In early May 2009, the Alaska Volcano Observatory warned that Mount Redoubt could erupt explosively at any time with little or no warning. The AVO cited the volcano’s seismic activity, gaseous output, and lava-dome growth as reasons for concern.” (quoted from Earth Observatory) This image shows a bright white steam plume over the Redoubt’s summit.

An article on the LiveScience website explains how a new volcanic cone beneath the Pacific Ocean near Guam seems to have attracted an enormous population of sea life.

The eruption of Redoubt Volcano forced Chevron to shut-in ten oil wells in Cook Inlet for an indefinite length of time. Some experts believe that some of the wells may not restart when Chevron is ready to resume production.

This 3-part video series is all about the Yellowstone Supervolcano. Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientist Jake Lowenstern explains the volcanic history of the area, earthquakes, ground deformation, geysers, and more.