April 20, 2024

Stunning Satellite Image Shows Lava Burning a Path to the Sea From La Palma Volcano

Image of lava circulation on the Spanish island of La Palma recorded by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 objective on September 30, 2021. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel information (2021 ), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
This image, caught by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on September 30, 2021, shows the circulation of lava from the volcano erupting on the Spanish island of La Palma. The cascade of lava can be seen spilling into the Atlantic Ocean, extending the size of the coastline. This lava delta covered about 20 hectares when the image was taken.
Lava flowed down the mountain and through villages swallowing up whatever in its course. By 28 September, the 6-km lava flow had actually reached the ocean on the islands west coast.
This Sentinel-2 image has actually been processed in real color, using the shortwave infrared channel to highlight the lava circulation. The Sentinel-2 objective is based on a constellation of two identical satellites, each bring an ingenious broad swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands for keeping track of changes in Earths land and plant life.

Image of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 objective on September 20, 2021. Credit: Contains customized Copernicus Sentinel data (2021 ), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
In the image above, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission reveals us a cloudy view of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma. The volcano started appearing on September 19 after days of little tremblings.
The image, recorded on September 20, 2021, has been processed utilizing the objectives shortwave-infrared band to show the ongoing activity in the volcano.

Lava flowed down the mountain and through towns engulfing everything in its course. By 28 September, the 6-km lava flow had reached the ocean on the islands west coast. Clouds of white steam were reported where the red-hot lava hit the water in the Playa Nueva area.