Image of the Day for May 6, 2026

Near-constant activity continues on the volcano in Russia.

May 06, 2026

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Shivelyuch (also called Shiveluch), the most northerly active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula , is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. On a near-daily basis, satellites detect new signs of activity within its horseshoe-shaped caldera, including thermal anomalies , hot avalanches and debris flows, and ash deposits that darken the surrounding landscape.

The Landsat 9 satellite captured this image of the towering volcano — one of the largest and tallest on the peninsula—on April 23, 2026, a day when fresh activity left its mark on the snowy, late-spring landscape. A multi-lobed plug of viscous lava called a lava dome —appearing as a dark patch in the caldera — has been actively growing in recent months, according to reports from the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT).…