Satellite image of Ruang after the eruption, captured on April 20, 2024, by the Operational Land Imager.A powerful volcanic eruption lofted ash high into the environment and spread tephra and other volcanic particles across the small island in Indonesia.Ruang is a small volcanic island in the Sangihe Islands arc in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, that is home to about 800 people. The eruption likewise bombarded the island with tephra, small pebbles of lapilli, and great fragments of pulverized rock called ash.Satellite ObservationsThe pair of Landsat satellite images above highlights how the eruption transformed the landscape. The 1871 eruption activated a tsunami that devastated a town on a close-by island and caused hundreds of deaths.Officials warned the 2024 eruption might trigger lahars– volcanic mudflows– as rain intermingles with fallen ash in the coming days and weeks.
Satellite image of Ruang after the eruption, caught on April 20, 2024, by the Operational Land Imager.An effective volcanic eruption lofted ash high into the environment and spread tephra and other volcanic particles across the small island in Indonesia.Ruang is a small volcanic island in the Sangihe Islands arc in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, that is home to about 800 individuals. The eruption also bombarded the island with tephra, small pebbles of lapilli, and great fragments of pulverized rock called ash.Satellite ObservationsThe set of Landsat satellite images above highlights how the eruption changed the landscape. The 1871 eruption activated a tsunami that ravaged a town on a close-by island and triggered hundreds of deaths.Officials alerted the 2024 eruption might activate lahars– volcanic mudflows– as rain intermingles with fallen ash in the coming days and weeks. The eruption likewise raised fears of potential tsunamis from volcanic circulations entering the sea, triggering several tsunami cautions, though no significant tsunamis have actually taken place, according to the local volcanic survey (PVMBG) and BNPB.
