Eruption of the Mount Ontake volcano in Japan
Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color images on 27, 28, and 29 September
The Mount Ontake volcano erupted on the main Japanese island of Honshu around 02:52 UTC (11:52 AM local time) on 27 September 2014. A sequence of three daily (27, 28, and 29 September) Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color Red/Green/Blue (RGB) images from the SSEC RealEarth web map server (above) showed the volcanic plume drifting eastward then southeastward during that period. The ash plume disrupted air travel in some parts of Japan.
A comparison of pre-eruption (22 September) and post-eruption (28 September) VIIRS true-color images (below) revealed the light gray signature of thick volcanic ash covering the region around the summit of Mount Ontake. There was also a narrow volcanic plume streaming southeastward on the 28 September image.
22 September vs 28 September VIIRS true-color images