Double Volcanoes

Two volcanoes erupt on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in this satellite image from 500 miles (800 kilometers) up.  The eruptions are melting a glacier and covering the snowy slopes with ash.

Russia's east coast is home to around 60 active volcanoes and is part of the Ring of Fire - a series of fault lines that encircles the Pacific Ocean.  The Kliuchevskoi volcano, which is 15,900 feet (4835 meters) high, began erupting on Jan. 17, 2005.  Large explosions routinely blast material into the sky when flowing lava comes into contact with ice.

To the north of Kliuchevskoi is Shiveluch, a 10,800-foot (3,283-meter) volcano that started spewing debris on Feb. 27, 2005.  The ash from Shiveluch has spread over 100s of miles and is several inches thick.

Both mountains are cone-shaped stratovolcanoes, which are built up in layers by multiple eruptions.  Mounts St. Helens, Rainier, Fuji and Vesuvius are all examples of stratovolcanoes.

The above image is from the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite.

-- LiveScience Staff

Credit: ESA