Explorer Stepan Krasheninnikov first pointed it out in 1755: there may not be another land mass on Earth where so many volcanoes and hot springs are crammed into so little space. Situated along the Pacific Coast of Russia, the Kamchatka Peninsula is part of the Ring of Fire, one of the most geologically active zones on the planet. More than 300 volcanoes dot the peninsula, including 29 active ones. The volcanoes are as diverse—in shape, size, geologic formations, and eruptive styles—as they are numerous. The logistics of maintaining ground-based sensors in this rugged region make satellites a necessity for monitoring the volcanoes. In September 2014, the USGS-NASA Landsat 8 satellite captured six clear images of Kamchatka's often cloudy east coast. The images were stitched into a mosaic, providing a seamless look at five volcanoes with plumes of steam, gas, or ash rising from their summits. Watch the video for a tour of the mosaic.
Please give credit for this item to: NASA's Earth Observatory Satellite images courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon Cover image courtesy of NASA/JSC/Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
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