Piton de la Fournaise Volcano

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Sunday, 15 April 2007, 09:17 CDT Download full size image

Piton de la Fournaise Volcano on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, ranks among the world’s most active volcanoes. In the spring of 2007, it lived up to its reputation by rumbling to life. According to the New Scientist blog, the volcano erupted for the second time in 2007 on March 31. Activity tapered off within several hours, but the volcano erupted again two days later.

The MODIS on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the volcano on April 5. This image shows the volcano releasing a plume of ash and/or steam that blows westward over the ocean, spreading out and mingling with clouds as it goes.

Piton de la Fournaise is a shield volcano, whose flat shape resembles a shield of armor, composed of hardened lava. The volcano has erupted more than 150 times since the 17th century, most of those eruptions producing lava flows.

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