Heard Island, southern Indian Ocean

Source: NASA Space Shuttle Photo ID: STS061A-49-47, 3rd November 1985.

Comments: A faint plume extends towards the top of the image from the summit of 'Big Ben', the volcano in the centre of the island.

Source: NOAA AVHRR imagery, 5 February 1997

Comments: This is not an ash plume, but a 600 km 'banner cloud' extending from the island (in the bottom left of the image. Plume-like cloud features such as this are common in polar regions. Heard Island is uninhabited and usually unmonitored, so an eruption here has very little chance of being detected.

Image source: NASA Space Shuttle, 6 November 1994. Image ID STS066-89-14

Comments: This is not volcano related, but another striking shot of the effect of the island upon the prevailing westerly flow. The dynamic effects of the volcano rising above the ocean surface cause vortices a long way downstream.

Eruption gallery - click on a volcano