Tungurahua Volcano

Credit: Jesse Allen; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Monday, 6 November 2006, 09:01 CST Download full size image

The Tungurahua Volcano in Ecuador emitted a plume of volcanic ash in late October 2006. The MODIS on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image on October 25, 2006. Several days earlier, an eruption of lava and ash forced the evacuation of some 300 local villagers, according to news reports.

In this image, a plume of volcanic ash blows westward from the volcano’s summit, fanning out at it moves. The plume is fairly dark, suggesting that its contents are fairly high in ash, as opposed to a white plume that would have more water.

One of Ecuador's most active volcanoes Tungurahua is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, ash, and rock. It underwent a major eruption from 1916 to 1918. Another major eruption in 1995 forced the temporary evacuation of a nearby city. An eruption in the summer of 2006 caused widespread crop damage, forced evacuations, and claimed several lives.

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