June 20th, 2012 Category: Image of the day, Lakes, Volcanoes

Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda - January 9th, 2012

This wide-swath ASAR image shows volcanic features around Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift.

Visible as a bright white area on the northern shores of the lake, are the cities of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gisenyi, in Rwandu. Goma lies only 18 km due south of the crater of the active Nyiragongo Volcano.

Mount Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main crater is about two km wide and usually contains a lava lake.

Tags: Albertine Rift Democratic Republic of the Congo East African Rift Lake Kivu Mount Nyiragongo Nyiragongo Volcano Rwanda Virunga Mountains Virunga National Park | Comments |

February 27th, 2012 Category: Image of the day, Volcanoes

Indonesia - February 6th, 2012

Visible on the coast of Java as a white area in this orthorectified wide-swath ASAR image is Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million (5.6 million in the metropolitan area). It is the capital of the province of East Java. It is located on the northern shore of eastern Java at the mouth of the Mas River and along the edge of the Madura Strait.

Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; it contains thirty-eight mountains forming an east-west spine which have at one time or another been active volcanoes. Several of these can be seen in a row down the center of the island, although Surabaya lies along the coastal plain. More mountains and highlands help to split the interior into a series of relatively isolated regions.

Tags: East Java Indonesia Surabaha Volcanoes | Comments |

February 15th, 2012 Category: Volcanoes

Indonesia - February 9th, 2012

This orthorectified wide-swath ASAR image shows several islands in Indonesia: (from left to right) Java (mainly East Java), Bali and Lombok. Also visible at the top are Madura (left) and Saubi (right).

East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east (the Kangean and Sapudi groups) and to its north (Bawean and the Masalembu Islands). The provincial capital is Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia and a major industrial center and port.

Many volcanic peaks can be seen on the islands. One of the most prominent is Mount Rinjani, on Lombok, visible near the right edge. This active volcano on Lombok rises to 3726 m, making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. On the top of the volcano is a 6 km by 8.5 km caldera, partially filled by Segara Anak (Child of the Sea) lake. This lake is approximately 2000 metres above sea level and estimated at 200 metres deep.

Tags: Bali East Java Indonesia Java Lombok Madura Mount Rinjani Saubi Surabaya Wide-swath ASAR | Comments |

January 10th, 2012 Category: Deserts, Lakes, Rivers, Volcanoes

Sudan - January 9th, 2012

This orthorectified wide-swath ASAR image shows the Nile River bending around the Bayuda Desert. The desert is located north of modern Khartoum, Sudan, west of Kadabas, and south of the Nubian Desert, together making up part of the Sahara’s eastern flank. Within the desert the Bayuda Volcanic Field can be found, appearing here as a lighter grey area.

Visible along the Nile River in the upper left quadrant is the reservoir created by the Merowe Dam. Also known as Merowe High Dam, Merowe Multi-Purpose Hydro Project or Hamdab Dam, it is a large dam near Merowe Town in northern Sudan, about 350 km north of the capital Khartoum. It is situated on the river Nile, close to the 4th Cataract where the river divides into multiple smaller branches with large islands in between. The main purpose for building the dam was the generation of electricity.

Tags: Bayuda Desert Bayuda Volcanic Field Merowe Dam Nile River Sudan | Comments |