Volcanic activity reshapes crater lakes on Ambae, Vanuatu
Ambae Volcano is a large shield volcano in northern Vanuatu, in the Pacific Ocean. Its summit caldera contains three lakes: Lake Manaro Voui occupies the central part of the caldera, while Lake Manaro Ngoru lies to the west and Lake Manaro Lakua, the largest of the three, lies to the east.
This comparison uses natural-colour images acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 31 July 2025 and 27 May 2026. The images show substantial changes within the crater associated with increased volcanic activity. Between the two acquisition dates, Lake Manaro Voui lost much of its water. The more recent image also shows red tones within the crater, indicating infrared signatures linked to ongoing volcanic activity.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery supports the assessment of volcanic hazards and the detection of landscape change. These data provide timely information for authorities involved in scientific monitoring and emergency management.
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