This Copernicus Sentinel-2 picture captures an energetic lava move on the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Réunion Island.
Zoom in or click on on the circles to discover this picture at its full 10 m decision.
Positioned within the western Indian Ocean, the island of Réunion is a French abroad division about 680 km east of Madagascar. Réunion’s volcanic origins make its panorama significantly rugged in locations, and coated by lush vegetation in others. Cultivated land and cities, seen as grey-white clusters, are focused on the coastal lowlands. The capital and largest metropolis is Saint-Denis, on the northern coast, largely coated by clouds within the picture.
The centre of the island shelters three huge cirques, or calderas, created by large collapses. Collectively they type the dormant defend volcano, and highest peak of the island, Piton des Neiges (3069 m), which peeps out in brown from beneath the clouds close to the centre of the picture.
Though Réunion hosts a number of volcanoes, just one is presently energetic: the Piton de la Fournaise defend volcano, one of the energetic on Earth, which dominates the southeastern a part of the island. This picture, from 21 March 2026, exhibits a lava move on its western flank, following an eruption that started in mid-February. Though the picture has been processed in pure color, the Sentinel-2’s shortwave infrared channels had been additionally used to spotlight the fiery lava pouring from the crater, seen right here in yellow and purple.
Through the eruption, lava reached the ocean for the primary time in almost twenty years. On this picture, the lava is seen flowing in direction of the coast and spilling into the Indian Ocean. A plume of ash and smoke can be seen spewing from the crater and drifting westwards, whereas indicators of older eruptions seem on the flanks of the crater as darkish brown flows of solidified lava.
Satellite tv for pc knowledge are a wonderful means to watch eruptions. As soon as an eruption begins, optical missions corresponding to Copernicus Sentinel-2 can seize smoke plumes, lava flows, mudslides and can be utilized to assist assess harm.
Moreover, radar devices and atmospheric sensors can present complementary knowledge to establish floor fissures, doable earthquakes, measure the gases and aerosols launched by the eruption and observe the unfold and motion of volcanic plumes, serving to assess the environmental affect and doable hazards to inhabitants and aviation.
