The Soufriere Hills, a volcano on the island of Montserrat, in the Lesser Antilles island chain in the Caribbean Sea, has been active since 1995. The most recent eruptive phase of the volcano began with a short swarm of volcano-tectonic earthquakes thought to be caused by movement of magma beneath a volcano on 4 October 2009, followed by a series of ash-venting events that have continued through October. These venting events create plumes that can deposit ash at significant distances from the volcano. The silver-grey appearance of the Caribbean Sea surface is due to sun glint, which is the mirror-like reflection of sunlight off the water surface
Photograph: ISS/NASA
The Guardian
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