In the South Pacific, south of Late Island along the Tofua volcanic arc in
Tonga, a new volcanic island Home Reef is being re-born. The island is
thought to have emerged after a volcanic eruption in mid-August that has
also spewed large amounts of floating pumice into Tongan waters and
sweeping across to Fiji about 350 km (220 miles) to the west of where the
new island has formed. In 2004 a similar eruption created an ephemeral
island about 0.5 by 1.5 km (0.3 by 0.9 miles) in size; it was no longer
visible in an ASTER image acquired November 2005. This simulated natural
color image shows the vegetation-covered stratovolcanic island of Late in
the upper right. Home Reef is found in the lower left. The two bluish
plumes are hot seawater that is laden with volcanic ash and chemicals; the
larger one can be traced for more than 14 km (8.4 miles) to the east. The
image was acquired October 10, 2006 and covers an area of 24.3 by 30.2 km.
It is located at 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees west
longitude.
With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared
wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters
(about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing
surface of our planet.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,
1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team
is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the
data products.
The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides
scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface
mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example
applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring
potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud
morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution
monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils
and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.
The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission
Directorate.
Size: 24.3 by 30.2 kilometers (15 by 18.6 miles)
Location: 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees West longitude
Orientation: North at top
Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1
Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet)
Dates Acquired: October 4, 2006