ESA Mars Express: Lava Flows within Daedalia Planum on Mars

ESA's ESA’s Mars Express reveals two distinct volcanic eruptions have flooded this area of Daedalia Planum on Mars, flowing around an island of ancient terrain. 

The smooth, fractured terrain to the south (left) predates the rough-textured lava flow that dominates the northern (right) side of the image. 

The lava flows arose from the giant Arsia Mons volcano, part of the Tharsis complex around 1000 km to the northwest. 

The blue–grey colour at the bottom left of the image likely reflects a difference in the composition of exposed material: for example, wind-blown ash or dust deposits can easily accumulate in faults or channels. 

The image was created using data acquired on 28 November 2013 during Mars Express orbit 12 593 using the High Resolution Stereo Camera. 

The image resolution is about 14 m per pixel. The image centre is at about 25ºS/249ºE. North is right and east down.

This region of Daedalia Planum includes Mistretta Crater and sits close to the Claritas Fossae region of Mars. 

The giant Tharsis Montes volcanoes lie more than 1000 km to the northwest.

Colour-coded topography map of Daedalia Planum, featuring a segment of highland terrain that is home to Mistretta Crater, the largest of the three eroded impact craters. 

White and red show the highest terrains, while blue and purple show the deepest. 

The image is based on a digital terrain model of the region, from which the topography of the landscape can be derived. 

The region clearly slopes to the south (left). This region was imaged by the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express on 28 November 2013 (orbit 12 593), with a ground resolution of 14 m per pixel. 

The image centre is at about 25ºS/249ºE. North is right and east down.


Credit: ESA /DLR

Read the full article about Daedalia Planum on ESA Mars express portal. You can also view more ESA Mars express images from Mars here.

Cordón Caulle: Volcanic Eruptions amidst a Lightning Storm - Francisco Negroni

In March 2012, Francisco Negroni visited Cordón Caulle in Puyehue National Park in the Andes of Ranco Province, Chile with his camera equipment.

He left the site with these crazy photos of the active volcano erupting while a lightning storm took place. 

These pictures are so remarkable and dramatic, we’re not sure if we would have loved to be right there at that time.

Satellite images detect underwater volcanic eruptions

Degassing lava erupts onto the seafloor at NW Rota-1 volcano, creating a billowing cloudy plume that is extremely acidic, and is full of carbon dioxide and sulfur. 

Credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

Oregon State University scientists have discovered how to pinpoint the time and place of underwater volcanic eruptions using satellite images.

Volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor can spew large amounts of pumice and fine particles, as well as hot water that brings nutrients to the surface, resulting in plumes of algae.

The plumes are picked up as shades of green in satellite images.

Robert O'Malley

"Some volcanic eruptions take place hundreds of feet below water and show no changes to the sea surface to the naked eye," said Robert O'Malley, an OSU research assistant in botany and plant pathology in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"It's amazing an orbiting satellite can detect color changes that indicate an eruption has taken place. Many times you can't spot an eruption if you were floating over it in a boat."

Underwater volcanic eruptions are rarely detected, so little is known about them, according to Mike Behrenfeld, an OSU expert in marine algae and and one of the researchers on the project.

"Satellite measurements of the planet are made every day," Behrenfeld said, "so this new method provides another tool for spotting these dramatic events that affect life in the oceans."

O'Malley and Behrenfeld developed a process for analyzing low-resolution images to show evidence of eruptions, which can extend over thousands of square miles, by matching five known eruptions with data from NASA satellites.

"We measured sunlight going into the ocean interacting with particles consistent with underwater volcanic eruptions," said O'Malley.

"From there, we found we could connect color data with documented eruptions. Now we have a better idea of what to look for in the data when we don't know about the eruption first."

Next, the researchers plan to test how well their method works as eruptions are happening. Further study will also focus on the depth at which eruptions can be detected.

The study was published in the journal Remote Sensing of the Environment.

More information: Read the study here: ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/45229