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Where is it? Onekotan Island, in the northwest Pacific Ocean [49.35544352, 154.7164388]
What’s in the photo? Clouds reflecting off the mirror-like surface of the crater lake between the two halves of the volcano
Who took the photo? An unnamed astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS)
When was it taken? Aug 19 2023
This stunning image by an astronomer shows one of Russia’s deepest lakes between two parts of a volcano as its surface becomes a bright sea of swirling clouds. the reason for the unusual mirror-like phenomenon, known as “sunglint.”
Volcanic “dolls”, commonly known as Krenitsyna Volcano, are located on the southern tip of Onekotan Island in the Kuril Islands – a Russian archipelago in the Pacific Ocean between the Kamchatka Peninsula and Hokkaido, an island the second largest and the northernmost. Japan.
The volcano has two main parts: A large, lake-filled, crater-like depression known as the Tsar-Rusyr caldera, which is 5 miles (8 kilometers) across width; and a cone-shaped mountain rising out of the water, known as Krenitsyna Peak, about 1,300 meters above sea level. This unusual change is the result of the collapse of the volcano itself, before a new peak emerges from the active remains.
The crater lake located inside the Tsar-Rusyr caldera and surrounding Krenitsyna Peak is known as Lake Kol’tsevoye. It is 370 meters deep, making it one of the deepest lakes in Russia, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Related: See all the best pictures of Earth from space
Result of sunglint
In the image of the astronomer, Lake Kol’tsevoye looks as if it is covered by low clouds that sit at the bottom of the caldera. However, there are no clouds in this picture. Instead, what you can see are the clouds passing over the island that have been visible on the water.
Normally, normal reflection would not be strong enough to make the clouds look real. But in this case, the alignment of the sun with the ISS means that sunlight is reflected directly to the astronomer taking the photo, creating an effect known as sunglint. it turns a lot of water into a giant silver mirror. The mouth of this valley is about 300 meters above the water of the lake, and it creates shadows that help clear the view of the clouds.
However, the clouds are only visible because the spacecraft is positioned above the volcano at an angle that allows them to see the sand without being right over the island, meaning that the clouds will block their view of the lake.
Krenitsyna Volcano is still active and last erupted in 1952 with a “moderate” eruption that lasted about a week, according to the Smithsonian Institute’s. Global Volcanic Program. But its biggest eruption happened about 7,600 years ago.
Interestingly, another group of volcanic dolls with their own crater lake, commonly known as Nemo Volcano, is located at the northern end of Onekotan Island. However, in this case, the lake does not surround the peak that grew out of this collapsed area.
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