1/20: Volcano satellite image

Images of the Congo are starting to come out, but here's a beautiful satellite image that's supposed to be a "before" shot taken in 1996. Well I don't know much about that; and frankly, I don't know what we're really looking at here. But it's beautiful, isn't it?

Since UT did not include any info about what kind of image this is I will take a guess. I looks to me like a altitude relief map with false coloring to identify different geological formations. Knowing nothing about the volcanoe in question I will guess that it is a wide dome, ie not a cone. It really looks like pus dripping out of a zit on mother earth's face. I would also guess that the black area up top is the lake they keep talking about on the news. They say that they are afraid that people are drinking from some lake which does not have potable water. The water system in the town got knocked out with everything else.

Originally posted by Slight
It really looks like pus dripping out of a zit on mother earth's face.

thats beautiful. you have quite a way with words. touching.

but seriously though. it is a pretty shot, of whatever it is. :) it would make a neat painting as a sort of abstract art piece for a living room or something.

Yah, jenno, it probably would be a good art peice. Especially if you could get rid of the zits.

What about the "after" picture, or is that not worth commenting on?

Originally posted by Slight
Since UT did not include any info about what kind of image this is I will take a guess. I looks to me like a altitude relief map with false coloring to identify different geological formations.

Possibly a Infrared image colored according to radiation intensity. Notice that mountains tend to have black on the same side - probably the shadey side. All water would also appear cooler - colored black. It correct, then volcanoe colors should appear quite changed just before, during and after the eruption.