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  Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Kamchatka Peninsula hosts some of the most active volcanoes in the world. In this image, a plume of steam and ash rises from Sheveluch and drifts southwest towards a second volcano complex, Klyuchevskaya. At 4,835 meters (15,863 feet), Klyuchevskaya is Kamchatka’s largest volcano. Its northern neighbor, Sheveluch, is also among the largest at 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Both volcanoes were active in January 2004.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images on January 26, 2004. The true color image is white with snow, making it difficult to see the ash plume, but brown ash is visible around the summits of both volcanoes. The false color image shows ice and snow in red, and clouds in white and peach. This gives the contrast needed to see the ash plume against the snow.

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