Photo Archive

Pre-eruption photographs
		Looking west across east crater of Anatahan Volcano. Location of present eruptive vent coincides with light-colored area in foreground. Prior to eruption, this area was occupied by hot springs and fumaroles. Photo by F. Trusdell, May 3, 1994
		View of southwest corner of east crater of Anatahan Volcano. Light-colored area in distance marks location of hot springs and fumaroles (see next image). Photo by F. Trusdell, 2001
		Close view of boiling hot spring on floor of east crater, Anatahan Volcano. Photo by F. Trusdell, May 3, 1994

May 11, 2003
		Courtesy of NASA, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer); 01:25 UTC Eruption cloud (brown color in image) spreads west (left) from Anatahan Volcano. Ash also drifts south from volcano (click to see larger image). Weather clouds appear white in image.

May 23, 2003
		Courtesy of NASA, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Eruption cloud (gray in image) spreads south from Anatahan Volcano. The passing of typhoon Chan-hom shifted prevailing east winds toward the south, blowing eruption colud toward Saipan and Guam. Light ash fall on Saipan and Guam temporarily closed both international airports.

June 6, 2003
		Wide view into east crater of Anatahan Volcano from northeast. Septum dividing east crater from greater Anatahan crater is dark wall on right side of photograph.
		Close view into east crater (from northeast). The new inner crater is visible just right of center; it is source of nearly continuous low-level eruption column and new lava.
		Pallet of plastic water containers was stored at EMO seismic station on Anatahan volcano about 1 km from east crater long before eruption started on May 10. Gallon water jugs were left behind in cardboard boxes and covered with blue tarp. Very little of tarp is left (top left), and plastic containers are partially melted. Note charred wood pallet and grass (upper right).
		Close view of partially melted plastic jugs. Charred wood and melted containers clearly indicate this site experienced high temperatures (at least 200° C), probably during early explosive activity. Scientists infer that a fast moving pyroclastic surge swept over area.

June 12, 2003
		Aerial view into east crater from north-northeast. Source area for billowing ash column is located on eastern floor of crater; deepest part of crater is right of ash column. Scientists noted that east crater appeared deeper than when they last visited on June 6. During the overflight, no ballistic rock fragments were observed falling from the column. Other sources emit similar ash columns, but they are obscured by steam and ash in this view.
		Close view into east crater of ash column rising from deeper point in crater than shown above. When observers arrived today, the area where they observed the rough surface of a lava flow on June 6 was gone, presumably destroyed by explosive activity. This area is now covered with ash, just to right of ash column in this image.

June 16, 2003
		Aerial view into east crater of Anatahan. Eruption column consists primarily of steam; very little ash is being emitted from east crater. column is "bent" by prevailing east winds.
		View of eruption column rising from east crater at 1613. Column reached maximum height of about 2,500 m in less than 40 seconds. This energetic pulse of activity was accompanied by intense tremor and earthquakes as recorded by the single seismic station on the island.

September 9, 2003
		Wide view into east crater of Anatahan Volcano from east. Septum dividing east crater from greater Anatahan crater is in upper right.
		Close view of east crater from west. Floor of crater is covered by muddy water. Active geothermal system in crater consists of mud pots, mini-geysers, and steam jets from inner crater walls. White steam rises from hot water.

September 18, 2003
		Close view into east crater from west. Water in small, muddy crater lake essentially dried up in past two weeks, leaving tiny isolated pools of water. Muddy crater floor remains active, characterized by boiling mud pots, mini-geysers (occasionally hurling small black ejecta), and steam jetting from crater walls around water's edge.

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