Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril chain, which stretches between Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

It began spewing ash plumes on June 12, and by three days later the ash had blown up to 1,500 miles to the east-southeast of the volcano and 575 miles to the west-northwest.

The abrasive particles of glass and rock within the plumes posed a serious hazard to aircraft engines.

On June 15, satellite observation revealed a much smaller and compact plume towering over the volcano on uninhabited Matua Island.

Eruptions of Sarychev Peak have occurred throughout documented history, with intensities ranging from weak lava flows to explosive blasts.

Photo: NASA MODIS Rapid Response System