Satellite shows Etna eruption plume reaching North Africa

A massive plume of sulfur dioxide released during Mount Etna’s July 7 eruption traveled across the Mediterranean and reached parts of North Africa, according to satellite observations published by the Advanced Geospatial Data Management (ADAM) platform.

The image, shared on X, was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, part of the European Space Agency and European Commission’s Earth observation program. It showed the volcanic gas plume extending from Sicily toward Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt as it was carried by prevailing winds.

Sentinel-5P is designed to monitor the composition of Earth’s atmosphere using the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), which measures the distribution of several atmospheric gases and pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, methane and sulfur dioxide.

The published image was based on the satellite’s Near Real Time data product, which is processed and made available within hours of an observation. It maps the total column of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere, with lighter areas indicating higher concentrations of the volcanic gas.

According to the information accompanying the image, the data are used to monitor the evolution of volcanic eruptions and to assess their potential effects on air quality and aviation safety.