US-India satellite captures time-lapse video of volcanic eruption

US-India satellite captures time-lapse video of volcanic eruption - the satellite, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), observed the eruption of Krasheninnikov, a volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The satellite captured images twice every 12 days, providing detailed radar snapshots. The video shows lava spreading from the northern crater, filling a smaller inner caldera and then overflowing into a wider crater before widening into a fan. The data from NISAR shows the volcano's activity over a period of time, with the lava field appearing brighter in the foreground. The satellite's high-resolution radar imaging allows for precise monitoring of volcanic changes.

• "The consistency of NISAR's observations is crucial," said Matthew Pritchard, a geophysicist at Cornell University. The satellite's ability to capture images twice every 12 days in two different observation directions demonstrates its precision and reliability in measuring volcanic activity. The radar images, which use synthetic aperture radar technology, allow for detailed analysis of the volcano's surface features. Each pixel in the images represents about a 30-foot-by-30-foot square on the surface, and the lava appears lighter in the images because it reflects microwaves more strongly than the surrounding surface. The data from NISAR is available at the Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center, which hosts and distributes all NASA synthetic aperture radar data.

The NISAR satellite is the first free-flying space mission to feature two radar instruments: an L-band system and an S-band system. The systems are complementary because of their differing wavelengths. The L-band can pass through tree canopies, imaging the ground beneath, while the S-band can collect observations of those canopies. The data products from the NISAR mission's L-band radar are available at the Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center. The satellite's ability to monitor volcanic activity highlights its potential for both scientific research and emergency response.

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