An International Space Station astronaut captured this image of a volcano’s steam plume on Gaua Island, also known as Santa Maria Island, on May 31, 2013. The island is part of the Vanuatu Archipelago, a group of volcanic islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
Gaua Island is the portion of a 10,000-foot-high stratovolcano that lies exposed above sea level, and the steam is being emitted by a cone called Mount Gharat. The dark blue-green waters of Lake Letas, formed within the caldera, are visible at image center. Most of the volcano is submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean.
The photographer, part of the ISS Expedition 36 crew, took this image with a digital camera using a 400 mm lens. Click here to see a larger image. Photo courtesy NASA.