EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.
This image shows one of Australia’s two active volcanoes spewing out lava on 25 May 2023.
The ‘Big Ben’ volcano is on the uninhabited Heard Island, 4,100km south-west of Perth and 1,500km north of Antarctica.
The image was caught by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 25 May.
The lava is flowing down the side of Big Ben from near the summit, which is known as Mawson Peak.
However, the eruption is not as unusual an occurrence as it first appears, as the volcano has been regularly erupting since the early 20th century.
The eruption is caused by a “hotspot” inside the Earth and there has been a steady flow of similar events since 2012.
Such eruptions are not very explosive and emit only small amounts ash.
Where: Heard Island, Australia
When: 25 May 2023
Credit: Setinel-2/Pierre Markuse/Cover Images
**EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.**
