Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska

[tabatha]

Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska

NASA image acquired June 22, 2000

It is the “Island of the Seven Mountains, ” or more precisely in Russian: “having seven hills.” This uninhabited volcanic island is also an important nesting area for maritime birds of the North Pacific.

Situated on the far end of the Aleutians, Semisopochnoi Island is simultaneously the most easterly and westerly point of the United States of America. Roughly 1,275 miles (2,050 kilometers) west-southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, Semisopochnoi lies near the 180-degree line of longitude, in the Rat Islands group in the western Aleutian Islands.

This pseudo-true color image was acquired on June 22, 2000, by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) on Landsat 7. Colors are what you would expect: snow is white, bare ground is tan, water is blue, clouds are grey, and vegetation is green.

The seven hills of the island are volcanic peaks, each with a summit crater, including Cerberus, Sugarloaf Peak, Lakeshore Cone, Anvil Peak, Pochnoi, Ragged Top, and Three-quarter Cone. The high point of the island is Anvil Peak at 1,221meters, a double-peaked cone. The three-peaked Mount Cerberus volcano (774 meters high) grew up within the caldera as the volcanic hot spot rose up from the sea floor. Most documented eruptions have come from Cerberus, with the most recent major eruption recorded in 1873. The most recent eruption on the island, though minor, came from Sugarloaf in 1987.

Semisopochnoi has no native land mammals, so it is a natural nesting area for sea birds. But bird populations were decimated after Arctic foxes were introduced to the island for fur farming in the 19th century. In 1997, the last fox was removed from the island to allow the birds a safe refuge again. Part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), the island now supports more than a million seabirds, particularly auklets, according to the National Audubon Society.

NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.

Instrument: Landsat 7 - ETM+

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5302663715/

Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska (Detail)

NASA image acquired June 22, 2000

NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.

Instrument: Landsat 7 - ETM+

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5303254164/

[gratuitous]

1. Starkly beautiful

But I get the nagging feeling that someone with a lot of money somewhere will see it and think about leveling the island and paving it over for a private airstrip.

[tabatha]

2. Like Diego Garcia?

Probably not - because it is not in a part of the world where it would have a strategic advantage - as well as the fact that it is volcanic:

"Semisophochoi's last known volcanic eruption was in April 1987. An historic eruption of Semisopochnoi was reported in 1873, and at least four others may have occurred in the previous hundred years, but documentation is scanty. These eruptions apparently emanated from the flanks of Mount Cerberus; the most recent flow appears to be less than a century old.<6>"

[baldguy]

3. Give a few hundred billion dollars to Halliburton - they'll solve that problem.

At least, they say they will.

[shraby]

4. The first image looks like a face.

[grasswire]

5. thank you for posting

This planet is an amazing place. The natural world never fails to inspire.