![Meteosat-11 Ash Height images [click to play animation | MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2021/03/210324_1100z_height_etna.png)
Meteosat-11 Ash Height images [click to play animation | MP4]
EUMETSAT Meteosat-11 Ash Height retrievals from the
NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring site
(above) showed that an eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy on 24 March 2021 produced an ash cloud which rose to heights of 7-8 km
(darker shade of green).
The corresponding Meteosat-11 Ash Loading images are shown below — ash loading appeared to be light to moderate within much of the volcanic cloud.
![Meteosat-11 Ash Loading images [click to play animation | MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2021/03/210324_1100z_loading_etna.png)
Meteosat-11 Ash Loading images [click to play animation | MP4]
Ash Loading values retrieved using Suomi NPP VIIRS data at at 1200 UTC
(below) were notably higher than those from Meteosat-11, given the higher spatial resolution and additional spectral band data available from the VIIRS instrument.
![Suomi NPP VIIRS Ash Loading at 1200 UTC [click to enlarge]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2021/03/210324_1200z_loading_snpp_etna.png)
Suomi NPP VIIRS Ash Loading at 1200 UTC [click to enlarge]
A toggle between VIIRS True Color RGB images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP as viewed using
RealEarth (below) revealed hues of tan to light brown within the volcanic plume, further supporting the presence of an elevated ash content.
![VIIRS True Color RGB images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP [click to enlarge]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2021/03/210324_1124utc_noaa20_1205utc_suomiNPP_viirs_trueColorRGB_Etna_ash_plume_anim.gif)
VIIRS True Color RGB images from NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP [click to enlarge]