A satellite’s view of a deadly 2019 eruption could improve volcano monitoring

The Whakaari, or White Island, volcano released telltale gases before erupting, data show

image of smoke above Whakaari volcano

The Whakaari, or White Island, volcano, seen here in 2011, is New Zealand’s most active volcano. Satellite data are revealing new details about an eruption on December 9, 2019, that killed 22 people and injured 25.

Jens Bludau/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

On December 9, 2019, a cloud of steam and volcanic gases blasted out of New Zealand’s Whakaari, or White Island, volcano.