INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Massive Depot Fire In New Jersey - Billowing Plume Of Smoke Caused Police To Shut Down US Route 206! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

A massive fire that has closed Route 206 and can be seen for miles throughout the region is still burning out of control at the Veterans Industrial Park on Route 206.

February 11, 2016 - NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES - Massive plumes of black smoke rose from a Hillsborough, New Jersey industrial park. Firefighters are on the scene.

The fire is reported to have erupted around 3:10 at Veterans Industrial Park, which is located on Route 206.

Multiple fire trucks and dozens of firefighters from the Hillsborough Township Volunteer Fire Company could arrived at the scene.

Strong winds pushed the thick black smoke miles eastward far from the scene of the fire.

The park contains warehouses and rail.

The billowing plume of smoke caused police to shut down US Route 206 between Dukes Parkway West and Camplain Road, according to Hillsborough Patch.

Radar picking up on the Hillsborough warehouse fire pic.twitter.com/C1lA2xyyWt

— Darin Asante (@DarinAsante) February 11, 2016

Hillsborough, NJ Multi Alarm GSA depot fire #northeastbravest

A photo posted by NortheastBravest.com ™ (@buffinjobs) on Feb 11, 2016 at 12:27pm PST

@nj1015 huge fire in Hillsborough, NJ! Right behind Duke Estate. pic.twitter.com/ggiKS2tdTR

— chris tommins (@Chris_Tommins) February 11, 2016

@nj1015 @BillSpadea  Hillsborough depo is a blaze pic.twitter.com/TA680rsyiq

— Brian Thomas (@h20wellman) February 11, 2016

Hillsborough’s mayor said that the fire currently poses no risk to the town’s residents.

Veterans Industrial Park was a former stockpile depot where 2,800 tons of mercury used stored, which was 60 percent of the nation’s stockpile, according to MyCentralJersey.com.


WATCH: Massive fire still burning at Hillsborough industrial park.

It has since converted into industrial space, with warehouses and a rail depot.

The blaze reached 5th-alarm status, the most serious category that fire departments typically have. - RT.

MONUMENTAL SOLAR SYSTEM CHANGES: "It Was Quite A Surprise,... Thought There Was A Problem With The Telescope,... It Raises More Questions Than Answers,..." - Massive And Mysterious Haze High Above Planet Mars Baffles Scientists; The Plume Stretch For Over 1,000km?! [PHOTOS]

February 17, 2015 - MARS - A mysterious haze high above Mars has left scientists scratching their heads.

The vast plume was initially spotted by amateur astronomers in 2012, and appeared twice before vanishing.

Scientists have now analysed the images and say that say the formation, stretching for more than 1,000km, is larger than any seen before.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers believe the plume could be a large cloud or an exceptionally bright aurora.

However, they are unsure how these could have formed in the thin upper reaches of the Martian atmosphere.

"It raises more questions than answers," said Antonio Garcia Munoz, a planetary scientist from the European Space Agency.

Around the world, a network of amateur astronomers keep their telescopes trained on the Red Planet.

They first spotted the strange plume in March 2012 above Mars' southern hemisphere.

Damian Peach was one of the first stargazers to capture images of the phenomenon.

He told BBC News: "I noticed this projection sticking out of the side of the planet. To begin with, I thought there was a problem with the telescope or camera.

"But as I checked more of the images, I realised it was a real feature - and it was quite a surprise."

Damian Peach was one of the first astronomers to image the plume

The vast, bright haze lasted for about 10 days. A month later, it reappeared for the same length of time. But it has not been seen since.

An international team of scientists has now confirmed the finding, but they are struggling to find an explanation.

One theory is that the plume is a cloud of carbon dioxide or water particles.

"We know there are clouds on Mars, but clouds, up to this point, have been observed up to an altitude of 100km," Dr Garcia Munoz said.

"And we are reporting a plume at 200km, so it is significantly different. At 200km, we shouldn't see any clouds, the atmosphere is too thin - so the fact we see it for 20 days in total is quite surprising."

Another explanation is that this is a Martian version of the northern or southern lights.

Dr Garcia Munoz explained: "We know in this region on Mars, there have been auroras reported before. But the intensities we are reporting are much much higher than any auroras seen before on Mars or on Earth.

"It would be 1,000 times stronger than the strongest aurora, and it is difficult to come to terms that Mars has such an intense aurora."

If either of these theories are right, he said, it would mean our understanding of Mars' upper atmosphere is wrong.

He hopes that by publishing the paper, other scientists might also come up with explanations.

If they cannot, astronomers will have to wait for the plumes to return.

Close-up observations from telescopes or the spacecraft that are currently in orbit around the Red Planet could help to solve this Martian mystery. - BBC.

MONUMENTAL SOLAR SYSTEM CHANGES: NASA Captures Incredible Eruption Of Jupiter's Moon Io - The Most Volcanic Place In The Solar System; Volcanoes Produce Plumes As High As 1.6 MILLION FEET! [PHOTOS+VIDEO]

March 08, 2014 - JUPITER - Incredible footage of an eruption on Io, Jupiter’s third moon, considered the most volcanic place in the solar system, has been released by the US space agency.

Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. At 2,263 miles in diameter, it is slightly
larger than Earth’s moon (Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

The video, taken by the New Horizons spacecraft, pictures a drama that unfolded more than 6.2 million km away from Earth back in 2007. NASA only made it public on Tuesday.

Some 400 active volcanoes are situated on Io and they produce plumes as high as 500 kilometers (1,640,040 feet) above Io’s surface.

The latest eruption captured by the spacecraft saw plumes over 300 kilometers in height, according to NASA’s website.

Lava spills onto the surface of Io during a volcanic eruption
(Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

Collapsed volcanoes form large, dark spots on Io’s surface
(Image courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

The reason for the extreme volcanic activity on Io is that it’s “locked in a perpetual tug of war between the imposing gravity of Jupiter and the smaller, consistent pulls of its neighboring moons,” NASA explains.

As a result, Io’s orbit is distorted and it stretches. This causes friction and intense heat inside the moon, which in turn triggers eruptions across its surface. - RT.

EXTREME WEATHER: The Powerhouse Fire - California Wildfire Explodes Overnight, Burns Nearly 20,000 Acres; 5 Structures Destroyed; Hundreds Evacuated!

June 02, 2013 - UNITED STATES - The Powerhouse fire destroyed at least five structures during a wind-fueled assault on Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth on Saturday and has burned nearly 20,000 acres. The 4-day-old fire in the Palmdale area grew rapidly in size overnight amid the hot, dry conditions.

Flames move toward a cross on a hillside overlooking a religious retreat threatened by the Powerhouse
fire near Castaic. ( Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / May 31, 2013 )

A tanker helicopter makes a drop as crews work to protect a handful of homes from the Powerhouse fire
burning near Castaic.  ( Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / May 31, 2013 )

As of Saturday afternoon, only 3,600 acres had burned.

Authorities were still trying to determine how many structures were lost when the fire bore down on the lake communities. Hundreds of residents remain evacuated, and nearly 1,000 fire personnel remain on the fire lines.

Firefighters on Saturday night rescued people from homes and had some close calls. At one point, a fire station was surrounded by flames.

Water-dropping helicopters were used to make night drops, helping beat back the flames from the communities.

Some 2,000 firefighters are battling the Powerhouse fire in rugged terrain near Castaic Lake. The fire, which has burned through nearly 20,000 acres, is about 20% contained, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
View Powerhouse Fire in a larger map

Lake Hughes resident Patty Robitaille, 61, sat in her car Saturday night and watched the Powerhouse fire burning at the top of a nearby hill.

Inside the vehicle, her pit bull, Roxie, slept amid the belongings Robitaille was able to grab before she was forced to evacuate.

"I grabbed pictures and documents," Robitaille said.

The Caltrans employee said she had pulled over at the intersection of Johnson and Elizabeth Lake roads to wait for her boyfriend and son, who stayed behind to water down their house.

Robitaille said her home on Muir Drive and Lake Hughes Road was among the first in the direct path of the fire.

She said the fire had burned on the ridge of the mountain at 6:15 p.m. Within an hour, the flames had reached the back of her home.

"It kept going and going," Robitaille said. "Driving away, you could see the town burning up," she added. "I don’t think there’s going to be much left."

She said she noticed flames near Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School, the Lancaster Fire Station and the post office. The buildings sit along the north side of Lake Elizabeth Road.

The Powerhouse Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest northwest of Los Angeles sends up a huge plume of smoke on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Smoke from the fire made visibility hazy in the San Fernando Valley, foreground. The blaze has burned thousands of acres of brush since it erupted Thursday afternoon near a utility powerhouse. (AP Photo/John Antczak)

A crew from Duarte stands by as a bulldozer cuts a fire line in an effort to slow the progress of the Powerhouse fire near Castaic. ( Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / May 31, 2013 )

“It was horrible,” Robitaille said. “Everything happened fast.”

Across the intersection, in a small empty lot, Elizabeth Lake resident Sara Ford, 43, waited in her SUV for her husband and two sons. They too had stayed behind to protect their home, she said.

Ford said her home is in the Club Ranch area, which sits on the western part of the Elizabeth Lake Golf Course.



 WATCH: Powerhouse fire grows overnight - At least 5 structures destroyed.

"We have had fires out here before, but this is the closest that it's ever been in my 18 years of living here," Ford said.

At 11:35 p.m. the fire had burned slightly down the side of the hill. The air got smokier and the orange glow in the sky turned brighter as the flames grew. Ash fell everywhere.

A squad of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies made their way down on Elizabeth Lake Road and into Alderwood Road, where dozens of homes sat on the east side of the golf course.

Not far, Stephanie Purdy, 43, and her boyfriend JJ Azan, 43, watched the fire. They listened to a scanner through a phone app. At one point, a propane tank exploded in the distance.

"It’s devastating for Lake Hughes," Purdy said. - LA Times.

EXTREME WEATHER: Thousands Of Campers, Residents Flee Fire Near Santa Barbara, California - Over 1,000 Acres Burned!

May 28, 2013 - UNITED STATES - More than 1,000 campers and up to 4,000 residents fled the mountains of Santa Barbara County as a fast-moving wildfire swept through part of Los Padres National Forest and surrounding areas, officials said.

The White fire broke out about 2:45 p.m. Monday in the rugged terrain about 12 miles north of Santa Barbara and by evening had grown to about 1,000 acres and blanketed the tourist city with smoke and a dusting of ashes.

Smoke from the White fire in the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Barbara. (Valerie Walston / Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue / May 27, 2013)

No homes had burned but up to 5,000 people were ordered to evacuate before the fire changed course and headed toward unpopulated terrain, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Andrew Madsen. He said the fire was about 5% contained during the evening.

The fire also swept through a Forest Service outpost, damaging a building and partially burning a service vehicle, Madsen said. Firefighters were not there — they were out fighting the fire.

"It ran right through our compound," Madsen said.

Four water tanker aircraft and two helicopters that battled the blaze in the afternoon were grounded as night fell, fire officials said.

The American Red Cross set up an evacuation center and another center was set up for displaced horses that were put up in area stables. Madsen said, however, that he doubted many people would use the centers because it looked like they would be able to return home late Monday.

Winds were expected to worsen somewhat during the night, but fire officials said they could get help from the weather if humidity rises and temperatures fall.

This photo released by the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue taken on Monday May 27,2013 showing smoke from a wildfire burning long the mountains north of Santa Barbara, Calif. (Valerie Walston / Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue / May 27, 2013)

The fire forced the closure of Paradise Road, which runs up a canyon dotted with campsites in the popular recreation area.

Firefighters from several cities, Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were battling the blaze, which appeared to have started at a campsite.

Witnesses reported seeing a giant plume of smoke rising over the mountains and blanketing the city of Santa Barbara, where health officials were urging residents to stay inside because of the poor air quality.


WATCH: Wildfire rages in Southern California.

"The sky was completely red, and you could just see red sunlight coming through," said Santa Barbara resident Michael Devlin, 43. "It's pretty scary."

"I've got my little dog, and he's ready if I need to pack him to leave," Devlin said. - LA Times.

EXTREME WEATHER: Fire Crews Winning Battles Against Monster California Wildfires - 75 Percent Contained; 28,000 Acres Burned; 20 Buildings Damaged!

May 06, 2013 - UNITED STATES - California firefighters expected to contain a massive wildfire Monday that had burned 28,000 acres, damaged and destroyed properties, caused evacuations and cost millions of dollars to battle, authorities said.

A reversal of winds and higher humidity helped the more than 1,000 fire personnel on the scene reach a 75 percent containment level late Sunday, and evacuation orders had been lifted, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, commonly known as Cal Fire.

  A man looks at approaching flames as the Springs Fire continues to grow, May 3, near Camarillo, Calif.. The wildfire spread to more than 18,000 acres on day two and was only 20 percent contained Friday evening.

The blaze, which started Wednesday, quickly spread as hot Santa Ana winds and low humidity pushed it toward the Pacific Ocean. By Friday it had grown to 10,000 acres and was threatening Malibu after reaching the beach in Ventura County.

An eight-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed, and evacuation orders were widespread. But over the weekend, the wind changed direction, blowing cooler and much more humid air in from the Pacific.

Water-dropping airplanes and helicopters have fought the Springs Fire for days, along with more than 2,000 firefighters, NBCLosAngeles.com reported, saying the cost of the effort was expected to reach about $8 million.

  Fire races through the canyons during the second day of the Springs Fire in the mountain areas of Ventura County, Calif. on May 3.

  Firefighters battle the Springs Fire at Point Mugu State Park on May 3. A wind-driven wildfire raged along the California coast north of Los Angeles early on Friday, threatening some 3,000 homes and prompting evacuations of a university campus and several residential areas. The so-called Springs Fire, which engulfed several farm buildings and recreational vehicles but so far has destroyed no homes, had consumed 8,000 acres of dry, dense chaparral and brush by late Thursday, fire officials said.

Photographers take pictures of The Springs Fire near Camarillo in Ventura County on May 2.

Authorities on Monday continued battling a second large blaze, the Panther Fire in Tehama County, which had burned nearly 7,000 acres by Sunday night and was concentrated in rugged terrain, Cal Fire said.

More than 1,800 people were working Sunday night to gain the upper hand on the fire, and three injuries had been reported. The fire was listed as 60 percent contained, and Cal Fire said the blaze was expected to be fully surrounded by Thursday.

The Panther fire threatened a couple of commercial properties and outbuildings, but it had not destroyed homes, Cal Fire said.

The much larger Springs Fire threatened thousands of homes, but damage was limited to 16 outbuildings and four commercial properties, Cal Fire said, noting that 10 outbuildings had been destroyed.

A firefighter sprays water on burning trailers and motorhomes as a raging brush fire pushes towards the coast in Camarillo. Calif. on May 2.

A helicopter makes a water drop on a hotspot over a hill near Thousand Oaks, Calif. on May 2.

Firefighters stand on a bluff as the Springs Fire burns in the early morning near the Pacific Coast Highway at Point Mugu State Park, on May 3.

Weather was expected to continue aiding the firefighters, according to the National Weather Service. The “Red Flag Warnings” that indicate conditions most favorable for wildfires had been lifted for all but the northernmost part of the state by Monday.

The cause of both fires remained under investigation Monday.

WATCH: Weather conditions, once working against firefighters, are now helping ground crews contain 60 percent of the blaze in southern California.

Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Bill Nash said last week that there had been no lightning or other natural phenomenon when the Springs Fire started.

In nearby Riverside County, the so-called Summit Fire was fully contained Saturday night after burning more than 3,000 acres, destroying a home and causing two injuries. The cause of it, too, remained under investigation. - NBC News.

EXTREME WEATHER: The Massive California Fire Monster - Ventura County Wildfire Grows To 28,000 Acres; 4,000 Homes Threatened; 950 Firefighters On Scene; 15 Homes Damaged; Mass Evacuations!

May 04, 2013 - UNITED STATES- A quickly spreading wildfire, called the Springs Fire, started burning in Ventura County, Calif., on Thursday morning. According to the Ventura County Fire Department, it has forced hundreds of evacuations.

As of 6:45 p.m. PDT Friday, the fire was estimated at 28,000 acres, and it was only 20 percent contained. More than 950 firefighters have been on the scene. Overnight firefighting efforts will be concentrated in the Yerba Buena Road area.

A helicopter makes a water drop on a hotspot over a hill near Thousand Oaks, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2013. Authorities have ordered evacuations of a neighborhood and a university about 50 miles west of Los Angeles where a wildfire is raging close to subdivisions. The blaze on the fringes of Camarillo and Thousand Oaks broke out Thursday morning and was quickly spread by gusty Santa Ana winds. Evacuation orders include California State University, Channel Islands. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A water-dropping helicopter gets ready to make a drop on a fire burring in Point Mugu State Park during a California wildfire that has burned several thousand acres.(Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP)

A firefighter faces a wall of flames on April 2 in Camarillo, Calif.  Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images.

The Pacific Coastal Highway was closed late Thursday between Las Posas and Yerba Buena.

The Ventura County Fire Department reports that recreational vehicles were ablaze in the Camarillo Springs area. More than 4,000 homes have been threatened by the wildfire and 15 have sustained damage.

Along with heat, there are gusty winds and very dry conditions in place.

According to AccuWeather Western Forecasting Expert Ken Clark, "I can't remember seeing this magnitude of Santa Ana winds this late in the year."

Dark smoke billows over the U.S. Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu, a premier naval installation. Fireifighters said flames had jumped the Pacific Coast Highway Friday morning and threatened the base.(Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Vance Vasquez)

Firefighters battle a blaze Thursday in Camarillo, Calif.(Photo: Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images)

Winds of 30-40 mph through Thursday evening helped to quickly fan the flames of the fire.

Relative humidity dropped as low as 1-2 percent on Thursday. Vegetation is so dry it is more like it would be in the middle of the summer, Clark said.

The Los Angeles area is forecast to experience highs near the 90-degree mark through the remainder of the week.

"You're just asking for problems," Clark said.

However, there is some good news ahead in the near future.

Temperatures are forecast to throttle back over the weekend with less wind aiding firefighting efforts.

AccuWeather.com long-range weather experts are projecting a rough summer for heat, drought and wildfires over a large part of the West. - AccuWeather.

WATCH: Fire Season Starts Early in California.

EXTREME WEATHER: The "Huge Fire Monsters" - California Firefighters Battle Combined 9,500-Acre Wildfires In Ventura County And Riverside County!

May 02, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A brush-fueled wildfire in California that sparked to life early Thursday grew to more than 6,500 acres -- 10 square miles -- in Ventura County by late afternoon, prompting deep concern among homeowners, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters battling a wind-lashed 3,000-acre wildfire in Riverside County were beginning to gain control of a blaze that consumed one home and led to the evacuation of hundreds of others.

The Ventura County fire, near the city of Camarillo, Calif., started at about 6:34 a.m. local time, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Bill Nash told NBC News. Firefighters assisted by bulldozers, helicopters and air tankers struggled to reach the brushfire in the rocky terrain.

Live television pictures late Thursday showed some homes and agricultural buildings engulfed in flames and massive plumes of smoke rising above the burn zone. Fire officials on the scene reported no injuries.

Residents in the Dos Vientos area were ordered to evacuate at about 9:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. Fire officials told residents they could return home shortly after 6:30 p.m. local time.

The fire continued to spread throughout the day. More than 600 firefighters were called to the blaze, and the Ventura Freeway was shut down as firefighters streamed into the area, the county's fire department reported.

"We have conditions that are very dramatic, very dangerous for firefighters. This fire is growing," Tom Kruschke, an information officer with the Ventura County Fire Department told NBC L.A..

According to the Los Angeles Times, the fire burned down a storage facility at a strawberry and raspberry farm in Camarillo and charred hills surrounding the campus of Cal State Channel Islands, which canceled classes the rest of the week.

Camarillo is about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Camarillo resident Zeke Jaquez, who spoke to NBC L.A., called 911 to report what would become known as the Springs Fire.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s this huge monster,” Jaquez said.

By late evening, fire officials reported the Springs Fire was 10 percent contained.

The Riverside County fire, dubbed the Summit Fire, remained at about 2,950 acres late Thursday after growing overnight. Firefighters worked to improve containment lines around the raging blaze that threatened homes on Wednesday. The fire was about 40 percent contained by midday Thursday, according to a Riverside County Fire Department incident report.

Two firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries while battling the blaze, according to the report. Residents in the area were asked to use caution when driving through the area and not travel down barricaded roadways.

WATCH: The fires become especially dangerous when tree cover is dry and Santa Anna winds gust at high speeds, creating a wake-up call for everyone in California to be prepared. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

No rain is in the forecast, and gusty winds are expected to continue through the weekend, said Weather Channel meteorologist Tom Moore. Winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour were expected throughout the day with gusts up to 60 to 70 miles per hour, Moore said.

“It’s moving forward, and we’re trying to get ahead of it,” Riverside County Fire Department Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

The Summit Fire is about 85 miles east of Los Angeles.

"The grass, brush and trees are very volatile. They're ready to burn," Hutchinson said. "Everything is just very dry. And not just in Southern California. Statewide."

More than four hundred firefighters with the help of 46 engine companies, six helicopters and six air tankers fought to contain the fire on Wednesday night. The fire had a “slow rate of spread” as of 8:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to a fire department incident report.

The fire in Riverside County was first reported at 12:38 p.m. local time on Wednesday. About 700 people fled their homes for shelters when evacuations were imposed, NBC Los Angeles reported. Evacuation orders were lifted as of 8 p.m., fire officials said.

“When the fires up here go, they go quick, and you got to save yourself. That’s the first thing, preservation of yourself,” Joe Kiener, a resident who lost his home, told NBC Los Angeles. “I don’t think I have anything other than what’s on my back.”

Resident David Pena said his house nearly went up in flames until a shift in the wind.

“It was close! God’s grace, man. It’s a miracle,” Pena told the Press-Enterprise.

WATCH: The Summit fire near Palm Springs, Calif., has scorched about 3,000 acres, and while firefighter crews have made progress along the front lines, they are concerned about winds. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.

Air quality regulators in the area issued a warning for the area around Banning, Calif., on Wednesday, saying that residents should “exercise caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in any area directly impacted by smoke.”

Two hundred families in a mobile home park were evacuated before being allowed back into their homes around 8 p.m., according to NBC Los Angeles.

A third major wildfire, designated the Panther Fire, was burning in rugged timberland in Northern California -- in Tehama County about 30 miles east of Chico.

Gusty down-canyon winds were driving the 7,000-acre blaze, according to a Cal Fire incident report. It was 10 percent contained on Thursday morning, the last report.

Nearly 500 firefighters were on the Panther Fire, which had not yet threatened homes or roads. - NBC News.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Plume Rises From the Ulawun Volcano in Papua New Guinea!

December 10, 2012 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Numerous volcanoes contribute to the landmass of the island of New Britain, the largest in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea.

NASA acquired image from November 30, 2012.

One of the most active of these volcanoes—Ulawun—is also the highest, with a summit elevation of 2,334 meters (7,657 feet). This astronaut photograph was taken during the most recent phase of volcanic activity at Ulawun. A white steam and ash plume extends from the summit crater of the stratovolcano towards the northwest.

The plume begins to broaden as it passes the southwestern coast of Lolobau Island approximately 23 kilometers downwind from its source. Note the image is oriented such that north is towards the lower left.

Ulawun volcano is also known as “the Father,” with the Bamus volcano to the southwest also known as “the South Son.”

The summit of Bamus is obscured by white cumulus clouds (not of volcanic origin) in this image. While Ulawun has been active since at least 1700, the most recent eruptive activity at Bamus occurred in the late 19th century. A large region of ocean surface highlighted by sunglint—sunlight reflecting off the water surface, lending it a mirror-like appearance—is visible to the north-northeast of Ulawun (image lower left). - Earth Observatory.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: 'Fountains' of Methane 1,000m Across Erupt From Arctic 1ce - A Greenhouse Gas 30 Times More Potent Than Carbon Dioxide!

 'This is the first time that we've found continuous, powerful and impressive seeping structures, more than 1,000 metres in diameter. It's amazing.'

The Russian research vessel Academician Lavrentiev conducted a survey of 10,000 square miles of sea off the coast of eastern Siberia.

Far East Siberia: The melting of 'permafrost' under the sea has led to huge
releases of methane - far more abrupt and intense than anything on land.

They made a terrifying discovery - huge plumes of methane bubbles rising to the surface from the seabed. 'We found more than 100 fountains, some more than a kilometre across,' said Dr Igor Semiletov, 'These are methane fields on a scale not seen before. The emissions went directly into the atmosphere.' Earlier research conducted by Semiletov's team had concluded that the amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world’s oceans. Now Semiletov thinks that could be an underestimate. The melting of the arctic shelf is melting 'permafrost' under the sea, which is releasing methane stored  in the seabed as methane gas. These releases can be larger and more abrupt than any land-based release. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf is a methane-rich area that encompasses more than 2 million square kilometers of seafloor in the Arctic Ocean.

Methane bubbles trapped in ice: Normally, bubbles from the seabed turn into carbon dioxide
before reaching the surface, but the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is so shallow
the methane travels directly into the atmosphere.

'Earlier we found torch or fountain-like structures like this,' Semiletov told the Independent. 'This is the first time that we've found continuous, powerful and impressive seeping structures, more than 1,000 metres in diameter. It's amazing.' 'Over a relatively small area, we found more than 100, but over a wider area, there should be thousands of them.' Semiletov's team used seismic and acoustic monitors to detect methane bubbles rising to the surface. Scientists estimate that the methane trapped under the ice shelf could lead to extremely rapid climate change. Current average methane concentrations in the Arctic average about 1.85 parts per million, the highest in 400,000 years. Concentrations above the East Siberian Arctic Shelf are even higher. The shelf is shallow, 50 meters or less in depth, which means it has been alternately submerged or above water, depending on sea levels throughout Earth’s history. During Earth’s coldest periods, it is a frozen arctic coastal plain, and does not release methane. As the planet warms and sea levels rise, it is inundated with seawater, which is 12-15 degrees warmer than the average air temperature. In deep water, methane gas oxidizes into carbon dioxide before it reaches the surface. In the shallows of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, methane simply doesn’t have enough time to oxidize, which means more of it escapes into the atmosphere. That, combined with the sheer amount of methane in the region, could add a previously uncalculated variable to climate models. - Daily Mail.