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Tinakula is a small, volcanic, South Pacific island located about 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles) northeast of Brisbane, Australia. This natural-color satellite image shows a plume of volcanic gas, possibly mixed with a little ash, rising above the island’s summit. Over the past decade satellites have detected intermittent “thermal anomalies” that suggest eruptions have taken place, but eyewitness observations are infrequent.

NASA image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon (Earth Observatory), using EO-1 ALI data. Caption by Robert Simmon.

The Earth Observatory's mission is to share with the public the images, stories, and discoveries about climate and the environment that emerge from NASA research, including its satellite missions, in-the-field research, and climate models.

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