PIA01782: Space Radar Image of Central Java, Indonesia

Target Name: Earth Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun) Mission: Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Spacecraft: Space Shuttle Product Size: 4500 samples x 3600 lines Produced By: JPL Producer ID: P45750 Addition Date: 1999-04-15 Primary Data Set: SIRC_PAGE Full-Res TIFF: PIA01782.tif (63.05 MB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA01782.jpg (5.97 MB)

Original Caption Released with Image: The summits of two large volcanoes in Central Java, Indonesia are shown in the center of this radar image. Lava flows of different ages and surface roughness appear in shades of green and yellow surrounding the summit of Mt. Merbabu (mid-center) and Mt. Merapi (lower center). Mt. Merapi erupted on November 28, 1994 about six weeks after this image was taken. The eruption killed more than 60 people and forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 others. Thousands of other residents were put on alert due to the possibility of volcanic debris mudflows, called lahars, that threatened nearby towns. Mt. Merapi is located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Yogyakarta, the capital of Central Java. The older volcano at the top of the image is unnamed. Lake Rawapening is the dark blue feature in the upper right. The light blue area southeast of the lake is the city of Salatiga. Directly south of Salatiga and southeast of Mt. Merapi is the city of Boyolali. Scientists are studying Mt. Merapi as part of the international "Decade Volcanoes" project, because of its recent activity and potential threat to local populations. The radar data are being used to identify and distinguish a variety of volcanic features. This image was acquired on October 10, 1994 by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and the United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The image is centered at 7.5 degrees South latitude and 110.5 degrees East longitude and covers an area of 33 kilometers by 65 kilometers (20 miles by 40 miles). Image Credit: NASA/JPL