Incredibly detailed satellite images show volcano’s collapse after volcanic tsunami

Two weeks ago, a deadly volcanic tsunami struck in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, catching residents by surprise.

Clouds have obscured people from capturing the aftermath, but earth observation company Planet Labs managed to capture high resolution images of the Anak Krakatau volcano. 

The volcano’s cone collapsed and triggered a landslide underwater on Dec. 22, leading to huge waves that weren’t detected by tsunami warning systems.

As noted by the American Geophysical Union, the pictures show how much the volcano has changed after the disaster, where a bay has formed from the collapse, along with high levels of sediment in the water surrounding the island.

The first image is from Dec. 17, before the volcano’s collapse, while the second image is from Dec. 30, after the landslide.

A final image captured by Planet Labs’ SkySat on Jan. 2 shows a much closer look at the bay that’s formed, showing the elevation’s reduction from 338 metres (1,108 feet) to 110 metres (360 feet).

The Sunda Strait tsunami has claimed at least 438 lives along the coasts of the Java and Sumatra islands, with around 2,700 homes damaged from the disaster.