Bull's-Eye Cloud Rings Appear Above Erupting La Palma Volcano
A NASA satellite captured striking concentric cloud rings above La Palma's erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano in October 2021. The rings formed from a trapped plume
On Oct. 1, 2021, massive cloud rings appeared above La Palma thanks to a trapped plume of smoke and ash from the erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano. (Image credit: NASA/MODIS/Aqua)
Quick Facts
Where is it? La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain (28.62°N, 17.90°W)
What’s in the photo? Concentric cloud rings over an erupting volcano
Which satellite took the photo? NASA’s Aqua satellite
When was it taken? Oct. 1, 2021
On October 1, 2021, NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a remarkable sight above the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands: a series of bizarre, bull’s-eye-shaped cloud rings radiating outward from the island’s erupting Cumbre Vieja volcano. The striking concentric rings formed as a plume of smoke and ash from the eruption became trapped and spread laterally through the atmosphere, creating rippling wave-like patterns visible from space.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano had begun erupting in September 2021, sending lava flows across the island, destroying homes, and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The eruption continued for 85 days — the longest volcanic event recorded on La Palma in historical times — before finally ending in December 2021.
The cloud rings seen in the satellite image are a striking visual reminder of how volcanic activity can influence atmospheric conditions on a massive scale, producing phenomena visible hundreds of miles above Earth’s surface.