Satellite Sees Deadly New Zealand Volcano Eruption from Space (Photos)

New satellite imagery shows the devastation after a deadly New Zealand volcanic eruption on Sunday (Dec. 8).

An image from Maxar Technologies show a volcanic plume on the Pacific Ocean's White Island, and what appears to be fresh debris surrounding the caldera from the boulders and ash flung up by the explosion. A comparison image from May 12 (below), also provided by Maxar, shows a more quiescent plume and green vegetation on the edges of the island.

The imagery "provides the first high-resolution satellite imagery that visually documents the aftermath of the eruption," Maxar said in a statement. The company did not say which satellite it used to obtain the data, but it added it will continue to "monitor activity around the White Island volcano and will provide updates as applicable."

Related: Raikoke Volcano's Eruption Seen from Space (Photos)

The active volcano unexpectedly erupted about 2:11 p.m. local time on Monday, Dec. 9 ( 0111 GMT, or 8:11 p.m. EST Sunday). Officials say 47 people, including New Zealanders and tourists, were visiting the island during the eruption, according to the New Zealand Herald. 

Emergency personnel cannot go on the island now because the volcano is considered too dangerous, according to NBC News. There are six confirmed deaths and 31 others injured, mostly from severe burns. There are eight others still on the island who are considered missing but presumed dead since nobody has heard from them since the explosion.

"Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island," New Zealand police said in a news conference shortly after the eruption. Subsequent flyovers showed no signs of life on the island.

Experts at GeoNet, which examines geological hazards in the New Zealand area, warned of more volcanic activity in the weeks before the explosion, according to The Washington Post. Visitors were still allowed on the island, though.

"Moderate volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island, with substantial gas, steam and mud bursts observed at the vent located at the back of the crater lake," GeoNet said in a statement on Dec. 3, about a week before the eruption. "Observations and data to date suggest that the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal."

The explosion happened so suddenly due to the nature of the magma on the island, Shane Cronin, a professor of Earth sciences at the University of Auckland, wrote on Space.com's sister site Live Science.

"Magma is shallow, and the heat and gases affect surface and ground water to form vigorous hydrothermal systems," Cronin wrote. "In these, water is trapped in pores of rocks in a superheated state. Any external process, such as an earthquake, gas input from below, or even a change in the lake water level can tip this delicate balance and release the pressure on the hot and trapped water.

"The resulting steam-driven eruption," Cronin said, "also called a hydrothermal or phreatic eruption, can happen suddenly and with little to no warning. The expansion of water into steam is supersonic in speed, and the liquid can expand to 1,700 times its original volume. This produces catastrophic impacts."

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