Escaped scrap scrapes steep scarp
[Note: At the bottom of this post is a gallery of more jaw-dropping pictures of volcanoes taken from space.]
I’ll admit it: sometimes I write posts just for the titles. But in this case I do have a very cool picture to go along with it: the volcano Batu Tara on the wee island of Pulau Komba in Indonesia, caught in a low-level eruption by NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite on August 15, 2012:
[Click to hephaestenate.]
How awesome is that? The island really is tiny, just about 3 kilometers (about 1.5 miles) across. The volcano has had mild activity going on now for about six years. The ash plume is right smack dab in the middle, rising straight up toward the sky – note the shadow on the lower left.
But what amazed me right away was the tremendous scar in the island left by previous eruptions. The summit of the volcano is about 800 meters above sea level – about half a mile! Since the island is so small, that means the slope of that runoff is really steep, probably around 45°. Technically, such a geologic feature is called a "scarp"… and now my title hopefully makes sense.
I love these images of volcanoes seen from space. We get a perspective on them that’s new, and amazing, and simply beautiful. And we learn so much! In another life, perhaps, I would’ve been a geologist. And hey, since the Earth’s a part of the Universe, it all boils down to astronomy anyway.
The Bezymianni volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula gave off a pretty substantial (12 km high) ash eruption a few days ago. Might be worth a look.
Nice tongue twister BA. But how about :
From Batu Tara Tara Battler battled the baffled battleship from her best battlements!
(No historical incident behind that, btw, just imagination combining with alliteration.)
And then to think those vulcanos used to be dutch… *sigh*
When I was on a hoñiday with my wife at Tenerife. We both didn´t like the feeling of a vulcano that close.
It wasn´t being on an island. We live on a island (50x20km). But here the lava is, you know, dead.
It´s quiet.
I like quiet.
Observatory was nice though.
I’ve noticed you have an affinity for abominable alliterative attributions.
Carry on.
Oh, and the photo of the Kamchataka eruption is exceptionally excellent!
Does the island look like a pair of buttocks expelling some gas or is it just me?
Geology isn’t a real science!
Batu, btw, was a Mongol Khan*
A great-grand-son of Genghis Great
He led his hordes to the steppes one day
But this island? Well, gee, mate!
Dunno if this was named for him
Sure is far from the Golden Horde
But Batu Tara sounds like a place
Of which a Mongol Khan could sing.
(Even if he was a Mongke’s uncle!** )
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Khan
** Not a typo. Literally. ~ish. Mongke was his, well, relative anyhow.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6ngke_Khan & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree_of_Genghis_Khan )
This late night doggrel brought to y’all by beer and exhaustion and silly mood in midst of insomnia. Apologies / enjoy.
Nice. Astronomy, geology, and sibilant alliteration all together!
RE Ciaran:
More like a green butterfly expelling gas.
The bare area reminds me of the Sciara del Fuoco on Stromboli.
“Escaped scrap scrapes steep scarp”
Sir! For that, I cannot forgive you.
I always thought a scarp was more cliff-like, as in the Eastern Escarpment in David Eddings’s Belgariad.
I read that as:
“Volcanoes From Spaaaaace!”
/Obscure Muppet Show Reference
Volcanoes From Space!!! A SYFY original movie starring C. Thomas Howell, this Saturday at 8pm!!! Astounding CGI effects by first year art students!!!
crazy amazing
this is same photo on my trip to Batu Tara Volcano
http://www.exploredesa.com/2012/09/batu-tara-volcano-expedition-on-september-2012/