South Pacific Volcano Shows Its Colors:



June 13, 2010 -- One of the most active volcanoes in the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea's Ulawun was caught smoldering by NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite last week. At 7,657 feet, Ulawun is one of the highest peaks on the island of New Britain.



The area's dense forest climbs the volcano's flanks to an elevation of around 4,000, after which recently erupted volcanic material dominates. The volcano is known for producing large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a key component in smog formation. According to one study the mountain produces over fifteen pounds of the gas per second, 2 percent of global emissions.

Image: NASA

http://news.discovery.com/earth/ulawun-eruption.html