Mt Etna’s Volcanic Plumes Imaged by WorldView-2 Satellite
- European Space Imaging
- 4 December, 2015
WorldView-2 satellite captured the fumarole plumes of smoke and gas that continue to spout from the crater shortly after the eruption on 3 December.
The satellite has the ability to see the whole area in one view. It shows the residue ash and smoke being carried north east over the villages of Linguaglossa, Francavilla di Sicilia, Milazzo, Messina and Reggio Calabria.
Mount Etna showed its colors on 3 December erupting again just after 3am for the first time since May 2015. The spectacular upwards jet of lava from the Voragine crater lasted for 50 minutes sending an ash plume more than 3 kilometers high. The fountain of lava is said to have reached a kilometer above the crater. This was the biggest eruption since September 1999 when the volcano shot volcanic material more than 12 kilometers high.
Mount Etna | Italy | WorldView-2
Closer look at Mount Etna | Italy | WorldView-2
Etna is the tallest and largest volcano of Europe and has four summit craters. Its eruptions occur both at the top and from its sides down to a few hundred meters above the sea-level. It is one of the most active volcanoes on the Earth so is continuously monitored by the Etna Observatory based in Sicily. You can follow its activity on their webcams and if you are lucky you may just catch the next explosive eruption live.
The operations team at European Space Imaging is always on alert to task the satellite to collect up-to-date imagery of Etna in the case of any volcanic emergency.
Related Stories
Synchronised Collections of SAR and VHR Optical Satellite Imagery Revolutionise Flood Management
As climate change accelerates, the frequency and severity of flooding events are becoming increasingly alarming. In response, innovative tools like DoubleShot, developed by European Space Imaging in partnership with Umbra, are transforming flood management strategies. By combining the power of Very High Resolution (VHR) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Optical satellite imagery, DoubleShot delivers a comprehensive, weather-independent solution for near real-time flood mapping and monitoring.
The Successful Launch of Maxar’s WorldView Legion and the Impact on European EO Applications
The first four long awaited WorldView Legion Satellites are now orbiting Earth. What does this mean for space-based remote sensing projects around Europe? In this webinar, EUSI is joined by representatives from Maxar Technologies. We discuss the unique technology within these satellites and how this significant increase in capacity of 8-band multispectral 30 cm class imagery is already poised to impact ongoing projects and increased demand across all sectors including Large Area Mapping, Security, Emergency Response, Agriculture and Research/Education.
MGP Pro Demonstration
Instant access to VHR satellite imagery via web or API. European Space Imaging recently recorded a webinar in which they demonstrated all the functionality of
EUSI Will Soon Offer Intraday Monitoring Across Europe After Maxar’s Second Successful Launch of WorldView Legion Satellites
With the successful launch of Maxar Intelligence’s second set of WorldView Legion satellites, European Space Imaging (EUSI) will soon offer up to eight daily collection opportunities in key latitudes across Europe and North Africa – a number that will increase after the final WorldView Legion satellites are launched and all six satellites are operational.