Landsat Detects Eruptions at Ethiopian Volcano

Landsat 8’s shortwave infrared (SWIR) band is useful in viewing recent eruptions at Erta Ale volcano in northern Ethiopia near the Eritrea border. The volcano’s name means “smoking mountain,” and its southernmost vent is referred to as “the gateway to hell.” Both names acknowledge its long-term volcanic activity since the early 1900s, and the persistent filling and draining of lava lakes within its main crater rim. The lava lakes have been filled most recently since the 1960s.