An eruption at The Cumbre Vieja volcano created a bullseye-shaped cloud from above. On September 19, 2021, the volcano began erupting and most of the activity has happened on the ground. For nearly two weeks, thick sheets of lava burned through multiple locations on the southwestern part of La Palma.
The effects of the eruption had been less dramatic until the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (INVOLCAN) reported an increase in explosive activity that started on October 2. In the midst of the activity, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured an image of a dense plume of ash streaming south on October 4.
The eruption was not energetic enough to inject large amounts of ash and gases into the stratosphere, where they can have strong and lasting effects on weather and climate. However, it was strong enough to produce a rising column of emissions that formed a bullseye-shaped cloud.
The cloud was the product of a rising column of superheated ash and gases known as the eruption column. The process is like when a stone ripples through water when dropped into it.
#Clouds #BullsEyeCloud #Spain #CanaryIsland
Image Credit: NASA