Satellite captured volcano near Antarctica spewing lava
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Lava flow from Big Ben on Heard Island, some 4,100 kilometers southwest of Perth, was initially observed more than a decade ago.
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The eruption of Big Ben, a volcanic massif located on the summit of Heard Island in Antarctica in January 2016. (CSIRO)
Big Ben, one of Australia's two active volcanoes on an island near Antarctica, has been eyed pouring lava by satellite.
The lava flow on the uninhabited Heard Island, about 4,100 kilometers southwest of Perth and 1,500km north of Antarctica, is part of an ongoing eruption that was first noted more than a decade ago.
The image was captured on May 25 by the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite and is a combination of an optical and an infrared image.
This spectacular image, captured by @CopernicusEU’s Sentinel-2 satellite and processed by @Pierre_Markuse, shows lava spilling from Big Ben, Heard Island on May 25. This is one of only two active volcanoes 🌋 located on an Australian territory.
— Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) May 29, 2023
More info: https://t.co/wx6ysy6OUy pic.twitter.com/LxYwZZETOb
From near the peak, known as Mawson Peak, lava can be seen streaming down the side of Big Ben. The adjacent McDonald Islands are home to Australia's other active volcanoes.
Before the photograph was posted, reports compiled by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program indicated that the present lava flow is part of an "eruption episode" that has been happening since September 2012. The program maintains recordings of Heard Island eruptions dating back to 1910.
Since September 2012, the Global Volcanism Program has recorded around 20 "lava flow" episodes.
It is worth noting that the Big Ben volcano and Heard Island sit on the Antarctic plate. There are around 100 volcanoes in Antarctica, with roughly 90 of them hidden beneath the ice.
Mawson Peak at the top of Big Ben is 2,745 meters above sea level, 517 meters higher than Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales.
