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Saturday 18 March 2017

Dark areas spotted on Saunders and Bristol islands

Satellite image of Saunders Island on the 12th March 2017 shows a dark spot on the summit area of Mount Michael indicating that some sort of activity has occurred, probably an eruption or perhaps some increased fumarolic activity. No thermal anomaly however was detected. The dark spot on Mount Michael was also slightly visible in satellite imagery. In the following days, cloud cover obscured views.

Dark spot on Mount Michael on the 12th March 2017. SOURCE: Aqua/MODIS/NASA.


In the satellite image of a partially visible Bristol Island on the 17th March 2017, a tip of a lava flow is visible at the northern part of the island. Did a new eruption recently occur or has the heat from the potentially still hot lava flow of last year's eruption melted the surface snow? No recent thermal anomaly was detected.

Visible area of lava. Recent activity or still hot 2016 lava flow? SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.