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Landsat reveals heat from Mount Michael's lava lake

NASA's new account explains an August satellite observation in the South Atlantic.

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NASA Earth Observatory published a September 7 account of Mount Michael's volcanic activity, drawing on a Landsat 8 observation captured on August 24. An infrared overlay reveals heat at the summit crater on Saunders Island.

The report describes a persistent lava lake, a small plume and darkened snow. Because the South Sandwich Islands are remote, satellite instruments provide an important way to track activity over time.

This is a newly published observation, not evidence that a new eruption began today. NASA describes low-intensity activity continuing over several years. A September 1 Landsat 9 view also recorded wave clouds downstream of the island.

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NASA Earth Observatory

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