Possible gas plume on Mount Michael

LANDSAT 8 satellite imagery from 6th December 2014 shows what appears to be a gas or water vapour plume originating from the summit area of Mount Michael on Saunders Island. Because the west flank is covered in mist it is not easy to tell for sure whether it really is an emission or if it is just a wind current. Thermal imagery could not pick up any thermal anomalies from the same area so I am under the opinion that it is either water vapour related, or that it could be weather related.

Water vapour? wind current? SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Thermal hotspots on two islands

Satellite imagery from the 24th September 2014 showed a thermal anomaly on Saunders Island and Zavodovski Island.

In the image of Saunders Island, thermal anomalies are present inside the summit craters of Mount Michael but nothing unusual shows up in the natural colour image suggesting that it may be no more than elevated ground temperatures inside the craters with slight fumarolic activity at best.

Nothing unusual also shows up in the natural colour image of Zavodovski Island but however, a strong thermal anomaly was present around the crater area of Mount Curry which suggests that it's more likely to be intensive fumarolic activity although I personally wouldn't rule out a small possibility of it being pyroclastic deposits.

Heat sources in the craters of Mount Michael. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Strong heat source present on the west side of Mount Curry. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Degassing on Mount Michael

The LANDSAT 8 satellite image of Mount Michael on the 17th September 2014 shows some degassing coming from the summit crater.

Degassing from the summit crater of Mount Michael. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Possible plume?

Between the 27th and 30th August, I noticed what appeared to be a possible plume originating from the Mount Michael volcano on Saunders Island while looking at the EOSDIS website. Because the view was mostly obscured by clouds, it was difficult to determine or verify whether or not it was clearly a plume nor what was going on. If it's a plume then it wasn't easy to tell whether it was an eruption or just a gas plume either. Or it could've simply been a wind current.

What appears to be a plume on the 27th August 2014. SOURCE: NASA.

What appears to be a plume on the 29th August 2014 drifting northeast. SOURCE: NASA.

Weak thermal hotspots on two islands

The thermal imagery of 16th August 2014 shows some weak heat sources on Montagu and Bristol islands. On Montagu Island, a weak heat source is present on Mount Belinda Volcano. But on Bristol Island, 2 weak heat sources are present on Mount Sourabaya and a crater-like structure between Mount Sourabaya and Mount Wales at the centre of the island. The image in normal colour did not reveal anything unusual, but thermal imagery from 12th May 2014 showed the heat sources in exactly the same spots except that they were weaker. So this indicates that the temperature of the heat sources had recently slightly elevated but overall, the heat sources indicate either steady fumarolic activity or elevated ground temperatures in the craters.

Meanwhile on Saunders Island, degassing activity is present on Mount Michael as of 16th August 2014.

Slight heat source on Mount Belinda. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Slight heat sources present on Bristol Island. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Steam plume present on Mount Michael. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

August news

On 1st August 2014, I noticed a grey area to the west of Saunders Island on the EOSDIS Worldview website taken by Terra/MODIS. There's a possibilty that it could've been an ash plume from a short lived eruption which drifted away in the winds, or it could just simply be a colouration in contrast with the sea and ice which is hard to identify given the low quality satellite image.

Images from the 7th August 2014 on the Earth Explorer website showed a slight degassing from the summit crater of Mount Michael on Saunders Island. Upon checking the thermal image of Saunders Island from the same date, I discovered that the thermal anomalies which were visible inside the two craters of Mount Michael on 22nd July 2014 were no longer visible. In the thermal image of Candlemas Island from the 7th August 2014, a thermal anomaly is present on Lucifer Hill on the northside of the island. This is likely to be nothing more than fumarolic activity.

Was that an ash plume drifting away from the west side of Saunders Island on the 1st August? SOURCE: NASA.

Just a little steam or gas emission from Mount Michael's summit crater. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Thermal anomaly on Candlemas Island. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Possible dark patch

Since 16th July 2014, I noticed a dark patch on the northeast side of Saunders Island on the EOSDIS Worldview website but because it wasn't of clear resolution, all I could do was just take it like a pinch of salt. However, an image from 22nd July has emerged on the Earthexplorer website enabling me to take a closer look. Through the slightly misty cloud cover and in low light I was able to see on the northeast side of Saunders Island what appeared to be a slightly darkened patch. Was this ash deposits from a possible eruption of Mount Michael? or was it simply a patch of snow melt?

In the thermal image (also from the 22nd July), thermal anomalies were also present inside the summit and secondary craters.

I would personally call this case inconclusive.

Image from the 21st July 2014 showed a possible dark patch on the northeast side of Saunders Island. SOURCE: NASA.

In a better resolution image a slightly darkened patch shows up on the northeast side of the island. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.

Thermal anomalies show up in the two craters of Mount Michael in this thermal image. SOURCE: Landsat 8/USGS/NASA.