Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Nebraska’s Wide, Rolling Domain

The landscape in northwestern Nebraska has a rippled appearance, with tan parallel ridges running from left to right and green areas and small lakes filling the low-lying spaces in between.
The Nebraska Sandhills stretch across the north-central part of the state in this image acquired on August 19, 2025, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Editor’s Note: Today’s story is the answer to the June Puzzler.

The undulating landscape of north-central Nebraska may be easy to overlook among the iconic dune fields of the world. Far from any coast or desert, the Nebraska Sandhills—comprising the Western Hemisphere’s largest system of sand dunes—bring their own brand of beauty and value. Grasslands blanket the rolling hills, providing grazing grounds for livestock, while lakes and wetlands dot the landscape, supporting diverse plant and animal life.

Much of the sand forming the hills originated in the Rocky Mountains. Rivers carried the eroded material down from the mountains and deposited it across the Great Plains during the Pleistocene. In times of drought, winds blowing predominantly from the north or south lofted sand out of dried riverbeds, gradually building and shaping dunes. About 3,500 years ago, grassland vegetation stabilized the features. Today, the rippled pattern spans about 20,000 square miles (52,000 square kilometers), about one-quarter of the state of Nebraska.

A series of tan parallel ridges runs from left to right, with green areas and small lakes filling the low-lying spaces in between.
Some of the largest, grassland-covered dunes in the Nebraska Sandhills are found in the northwestern part of the region, shown in this image acquired on August 19, 2025, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Some of the largest dunes occur in and around the area shown in the detailed image above, near the northern edge of the Sandhills region. These transverse dunes stand as high as 400 feet (120 meters) and extend for several miles. Their northern slopes are gentler than their southern slopes, reflecting the dominant influence of northerly winds. In other areas, dunes are more symmetric, suggesting that winds blew with nearly equal strength from the north and south, alternating with the seasons.  

The grasslands that now cover the hills constitute pastureland for grazing livestock. Ranching expanded significantly in the area after passage of the Kinkaid Act in 1904, which allotted 640-acre parcels of land to ranchers who would settle it. Today, far more cattle than humans occupy the region, and half of Nebraska’s nearly 23 million acres of rangeland and pastureland are in the Sandhills. Some ranchers graze their cattle in patterns meant to approximate the large bison herds that once roamed the land.

Small, irregularly shaped lakes and marshy areas are interspersed among tan hills.
Lakes and wetlands fill the valleys between dunes in Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, shown in this image acquired on August 19, 2025, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Though much of the land in the Sandhills is privately owned, some is set aside in protected public lands. One of these areas, Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge on the southwestern edge of the Sandhills region, is shown above. Wetlands, including shallow lakes, marshes, and wet meadows, fill some of the valleys between the dunes. The land here is sponge-like, with precipitation seeping down through the soil and recharging groundwater instead of flowing off through stream channels.

Located along the Central Flyway, the refuge is a haven for migratory birds, and dozens of species of waterfowl, marsh birds, and shorebirds utilize the area. Among other wildlife, several types of turtles thrive in the ponds and prairies. Wetlands across the Sandhills support rare species such as the whooping crane, western prairie fringed orchid, and Topeka shiner.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

Downloads

The landscape in northwestern Nebraska has a rippled appearance, with tan parallel ridges running from left to right and green areas and small lakes filling the low-lying spaces in between.

August 19, 2025

JPEG (10.71 MB)

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Explore JPL to Take Place Oct. 10, 11

A smiling young girl looking through the spokes of a large black metal wheel.
Visitors are welcome to Explore JPL to learn more about space exploration, robotics, and technology being developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Tickets for the popular, free event become available on Aug. 29 and go fast.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites the public to its campus at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California for an open-house event, Explore JPL. On Oct. 10 and 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT, visitors will get the chance to visit JPL’s most iconic facilities and explore four thematic areas: Missions That Changed the World, Moon to Mars, In Flight, and Makerspace. 

Tickets are free but very limited and have gone quickly for past Explore JPL events. They will be available on the Explore JPL webpage at 9 a.m. PDT Sunday, Aug. 29, and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum of five tickets per requestor. Orders for more than five tickets may be subject to cancellation. Tickets will be provided for specific time slots and must be reserved for specific names. Attendees will not be admitted to JPL before the designated time printed on their ticket. 

A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL traces its origins to rocket-propulsion development in 1936. By 1958, the lab had built and helped launch America’s first satellite, Explorer 1. That same year, Congress established NASA, and JPL became a part of the agency. Since then, JPL has managed such historic missions as Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, the Mars Exploration Rover program, the Perseverance Mars rover, Europa Clipper, and many more.

Among other highlights, Explore JPL guests will get to: 

  • Visit JPL’s legendary Space Flight Operations Facility, a National Historic Landmark where engineers send commands and receive data from spacecraft billions of miles away. 
  • Discover the Spacecraft Assembly Facility and JPL Machine Shop, where precision spacecraft components are crafted. 
  • See the latest cutting-edge innovations in robotics research, from autonomous lunar rovers to search-and-rescue robots. 
  • Get up close with full-scale models of the Mars Perseverance rover, Voyager, and Galileo. 
  • Step inside the Microdevices Laboratory to see how miniature technologies developed there are shaping the future of space exploration and Earth science. 

To attend Explore JPL, visitors must have their tickets in hand and anyone age 18 or over must show government-issued identification. Tickets are not transferable and cannot be sold. Children under age 2 do not require a ticket, but experiences at the event are not intended for very young guests. 

Visitors may not bring these items to JPL: weapons or explosives of any kind, incendiary devices, glass containers, alcohol, cannabis or illegal drugs, pets (except certified service animals), banners or signs, flags, boom boxes, air horns, musical instruments, and professional camera equipment with detachable telephoto lenses. Use of laser pointers or whistles is not allowed. No bags, backpacks, or hard-sided coolers are permitted, either, except small purses and diaper bags. Drones are not allowed to fly over JPL under any circumstances. Skates, skateboards, scooters, Segways, and bicycles are not permitted inside the event, as the venues are crowded with pedestrians. 

Vehicles entering JPL property are subject to inspection. Parking is free. 

Follow JPL on Facebook, X, and Instagram. 

To get a virtual tour of JPL, visit:

https://www. jpl.nasa.gov/virtual-tour/

Media Contact 
JPL-media@jpl.nasa.gov



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NASA’s Chandra Finds Unexpected Fireworks in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions

6 Min Read

NASA’s Chandra Finds Unexpected Fireworks in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions

A full field composite image of M83 with X-rays from Chandra (red, green, and blue) and optical light data from Hubble (red, green, and blue).
A composite image of the nearby galaxy Messier 83, and short timelapse videos of two curious supernova remnants hidden inside.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/AURA/STScI, Hubble Heritage Team, W. Blair (STScI/Johns Hopkins University) and R. O’Connell (University of Virginia); Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/A. Jubett, L. Frattare and P. Edmonds

The aftermath of a supernova, a stellar explosion, is usually a slowly fading cloud of hot gas. So when astronomers pointed NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the nearby galaxy Messier 83 (M83), they did not expect to find a population of supernova remnants, or the debris from these explosions, showing dramatic changes in their brightness. The new results were presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Pasadena, California, and published in The Astrophysical Journal.

The galaxy M83, located about 15 million light-years from Earth, is forming stars at a high rate. Researchers analyzed 14 years of Chandra data of the galaxy, spanning 2000 to 2014.

Using this extensive set of data, the researchers caught surprising variations in the X-ray brightness of sources previously identified as supernova remnants. The researchers expected supernova remnants older than a century or so to fade gradually in X-rays, but not change dramatically in brightness.

The team found that roughly half of the 22 X-ray sources associated with supernova remnants in their sample showed changes in X-ray brightness over the 14-year span of observations — a result that was completely unexpected.

“We knew that individual X-ray sources could vary dramatically,” said Andrea Prestwich, of the Catholic University of America who led the study. “But finding that so many supernova remnants were behaving this way was a real surprise. Something unusual is going on in these objects. Pinpointing the cause remains a challenge, as M83’s distance limits the detail we can observe.”

One of the 22 variable supernova remnants has a straightforward explanation: SN 1957D, the debris from a supernova first observed nearly 70 years ago, is ramming into material surrounding the explosion site, producing the observed X-ray flares. But this cannot explain the rest of the sample. There is no evidence to suggest that all 22 remnants were formed within the last century. Something else must be driving the variability.

The most likely explanation is that the team has uncovered a population of stellar survivors stars that lived through their partner’s destruction in a supernova explosion. In this scenario, each variable X-ray source began as a pair of massive stars orbiting each other. The more massive star collapsed and exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a black hole or ultra-dense neutron star. Its companion survived.

A full field composite image of M83 with X-rays from Chandra (red, green, and blue) and optical light data from Hubble (red, green, and blue).
Galaxy M83 in X-ray and Optical Light.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/AURA/STScI, Hubble Heritage Team, W. Blair (STScI/Johns Hopkins University) and R. O’Connell (University of Virginia); Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/A. Jubett, L. Frattare and P. Edmonds

“It may be that this galaxy contains a collection of supernova remnants where one massive star survives the supernova and becomes locked into an orbit with a black hole or neutron star,” said co-author Michael McCollough of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA). “The neutron star or black hole can then start pulling material from the massive star’s surface.”

That infalling material is superheated by the intense gravitational pull, producing the X-rays Chandra detects. These types of systems, known as high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), are among the most variable X-ray sources in the universe. Researchers say they may be the cause of the variations seen in M83’s supernova remnants.

Astronomers have known about HMXBs for decades, but the difference with this group in M83 is their connection to supernova remnants. Previously, only a handful of supernova remnants associated with HMXBs had been identified across observations of all galaxies. It is unprecedented to find more than 20 strong candidates in just one galaxy.

The authors found that the variable supernova remnants are in regions with higher concentrations of massive stars than in other parts of the galaxy, increasing the chances of a link between the remnants and HMXBs.

There is another possible explanation: Instead of pulling in material from a companion star, the black hole or neutron star may be recapturing some of the material blasted outward by the original explosion.

“This could be an example of cosmic recycling, where debris from the explosion falls back onto the very object the supernova created,” said co-author Roy Kilgard of Wesleyan University. “And it’s quite possible that both explanations are at play — different sources in our sample may have different origins.”

These results are not unique to M83. A follow-up study of the nearby star-forming galaxy M51 by Zoe Hoiland of Vassar College and Kilgard has uncovered a similar population of variable X-ray sources associated with supernova remnants, suggesting that such systems may be a feature of galaxies undergoing vigorous star formation.

This is a composite image of the galaxy M51 combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple) with optical data (red, green and blue) taken with ground-based telescopes by a team of astrophotographers. A surprisingly high number of X-ray sources associated with supernova remnants in M51 show large changes in brightness, similar to the behavior seen in M83.
This is a composite image of the galaxy M51 combining data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple) with optical data (red, green and blue) taken with ground-based telescopes by a team of astrophotographers. A surprisingly high number of X-ray sources associated with supernova remnants in M51 show large changes in brightness, similar to the behavior seen in M83.
Chandra X-ray Data: NASA/CXC/SAO; Astrobin/Optical Groundbased: C.Björk, T.Bähnck, S.Donoso, J.Gentillon, A. and D.Grelin, S.Guberski, R. Hall, T.Heuberger, J.Jacks, P.Kent, Br.Meyers, W.Ostling, N.Puig, T.Schaeffer, F.Schöfbänker, M.Vasilev

The Chandra data for M83 began with single observations in 2000 and 2001, followed by 10 observations from 2010 to 2011 and another observation in 2014.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

Visual Description

This release features a composite image of the nearby galaxy Messier 83, and short timelapse videos of two curious supernova remnants hidden inside.

In the composite image, Messier 83, or M83, is shown to have a spiral structure, viewed straight on. At the center is a brilliant white and yellow pool of light. From that light, spiral arms of hot pink cloud corkscrew out in wide, sweeping arches. The galaxy is covered in a faint grey haze, and flecked with red, green, blue, white, and yellow dots.

In an annotated version of the composite image, two tiny dots to our lower right of center are highlighted by white circles. These are two of the supernova remnants being considered by researchers. Each is examined further in a separate timelapse video.

Over a 14-year period from 2000 to 2014, astronomers pointed NASA’s X-ray observatory at the M83 galaxy. They discovered that about half of the X-ray sources believed to be supernova remnants, the aftermath of stellar explosions, were exhibiting dramatic changes in brightness. This result was entirely unexpected.

Those changes in brightness are highlighted in the timelapse videos. In each video, a series of static images flashes by, focused on one of the two X-ray sources once believed to be supernova remnants. In the videos, the X-ray sources appear as bright blue blobs with glowing cores. But in each image, taken months or years apart, the shapes change, as does the intensity of the blue color, and the brightness of the core. By presenting the substantively different images of the same objects one after another in quick succession, short timelapse videos are created.

The most likely explanation for the changes in brightness is that the team has uncovered a population of stellar survivors, stars that lived through an orbiting partner’s destruction in a supernova explosion. Material is being pulled from the surviving star onto the black hole or neutron star that formed in the supernova, a process known to cause rapid changes in X-ray brightness.

Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory

To learn more about NASA’s Chandra mission, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/chandra

https://chandra.si.edu

News Media Contact

Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu

Joel Wallace
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
joel.w.wallace@nasa.gov

About the Author

Lee Mohon

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Last Updated
Jun 15, 2026
Editor
Lee Mohon
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Joel Wallace
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NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from New Jersey Students

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir is pictured in the foreground wearing a black and white striped t-shirt. Her hair is curly and pulled up at the top of her head. She has a tablet in her lap and mittens on her hands as she faces the camera smiling. NASA astronaut Chris Williams is behind her wearing a black t-shirt and khaki pants, he has a tablet strapped to this upper leg. He is touching a white cube that sits in the middle of the space craft, while looking forward and smiling. The two astronauts are collecting frozen research samples while living and working aboard the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams collect frozen research samples while living and working aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: ESA/Sophie Adenot

Students in New Jersey will hear from NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir as they answer prerecorded STEM questions while aboard the International Space Station.

The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12:05 p.m. EDT, Thursday, June 18, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.

This event is hosted by Newton Public Schools in Newton, New Jersey, for students in grades K-12 and members of the community. This unique opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and enhance awareness of STEM careers.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 17, to Dr. Joseph Piccirillo at: 973-383-7392, x4229 or jpiccirillo@newtonnj.org.

For more than 25 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency deep space missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring the world through discovery in a new Golden Age of innovation and exploration.

For more information on NASA in-flight calls, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation



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Monday, 15 June 2026

Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope 

8 Min Read

Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope 

Are you ready for a new view of the universe? The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal distant worlds, dark energy, and the structure of the cosmos, and we want you to be a part of it!  

Digital creators and social media users are invited to register to our NASA Social for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch. Roman is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission, designed to explore everything from our outer solar system to the edge of the observable universe. This mission is scheduled to launch on Aug. 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Are you passionate about social media and communications? Do you love to create content for an audience? Are you a fan of new, unique experiences? If you said yes, this NASA Social event is for you! This is your opportunity to be on the front lines of this historic mission. 

The NASA Social event will take place over two days, including the day of launch. A maximum of 50 digital creators will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given access similar to news media. 

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to: 

  • Tour NASA’s Kennedy Space Center 
  • Learn directly from astrophysics subject matter experts 
  • Meet fellow digital creators and social media users 
  • Spend time with members of NASA’s social media team 
  • View the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope  

NASA Social events are intended for members of the public. Current or former NASA civil servants, NASA contractors, NASA interns, and individuals or organizations currently under contract to provide products or services to NASA are not eligible to apply or participate in NASA Social events.

NASA Social registration for the Roman launch opens on this page on Monday, June 15 and the deadline to apply is at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY NOW 

Do I need to have a social media account to register? 

Yes. This event is designed for people who: 

  • Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience. 
  • Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements. 
  • Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms. 
  • Reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences. 
  • Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms. 
  • Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected, and widely recognized. 

Users are encouraged to follow @NASARoman for Roman updates on X, Facebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASA_Events

How do I register? 

Registration for this event opens Monday, June 15 and closes at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen? 

Yes, this event is open for all to apply. 

When will I know if I am selected? 

After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the first notifications on XX and waitlist notifications on XX. 

What are NASA Social credentials? 

All NASA social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria. 

If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch off site and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch at https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/see-a-launch-up-close/.

What are the registration requirements? 

Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA Kennedy and attend the two-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodation, food, and other amenities. 

The schedule of events and special guest appearances are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is canceled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly. 

Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected may need to complete additional steps to receive clearance to enter the secure areas. 

IMPORTANT: Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. 

For United States Citizens: 

You will be required to present a REAL ID compliant identification or valid U.S. passport PLUS one of the following:

Acceptable documents to accompany federal or state identification: 

  • U.S. Passport 
  • Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (Form I-688A) 
  • Unexpired Employment Authorization Document issued by DHS that contains a photograph (Form I-688B) 
  • Driver’s license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 
  • ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 
  • School ID card with a photograph 
  • Voter’s Registration Card 
  • Military Dependent’s ID Card 
  • U.S. Military card or draft record 
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card 
  • Native American Tribal Document 
  • U.S. Social Security Card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment) 
  • Original or Certified copy of birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or outlying possessions of the United States bearing an official seal 
  • U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197) 
  • ID Card for use of Resident Citizens of the United States (Form I-179) 
  • Unexpired employment authorization document issued by DHS (other than those listed previously) 

For Foreign Nationals: 

  • Same items required of U.S. Citizens (SSN only when applicable) 
  • Unexpired foreign passport, with I-551 stamp or attached Form I-94 indicating unexpired employment authorization 
  • Passport number and registration date 
  • Citizenship 
  • Driver’s license issued by a Canadian Government authority 

For Legal Resident Aliens: 

  • Same items required of U.S. Citizens, and: 
  • Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card with photograph (Form I-551) 
  • Unexpired Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688) 
  • Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350) 

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. 

All registrants must be at least 18 years old. 

What if the launch date changes? 

Hundreds of different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. The launch date will not be official until after the Flight Readiness Review. If the launch date changes prior to the review, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date, and will notify registrants of any changes via email. 

If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. If the launch is postponed beyond 72 hours, the NASA Social event may be canceled. 

NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible. 

What if I cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center? 

If you cannot come to NASA Kennedy and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. Join the conversation by following @NASARoman on X and Facebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. You can watch the launch at nasa.gov/live. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA. 

If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other NASA Social events in the near future at various locations! Check for updates on NASA Socials. 



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Pumice Rafts Encroach on Admiralty Islands

Bands of tan-colored pumice float on the Bismarck Sea near several islands and bright-blue shallow areas. The material lines the southern coast of the largest island.
June 4, 2026

On May 8, 2026, satellites detected signs of an unexpected submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea near the islands of Papua New Guinea. Over the next several weeks, plumes of steam and ash streamed over the sea, and areas of discolored water surrounded the eruption site. Relatively little is known about the ocean floor in this area or the volcanic feature that is presently erupting. But experts think the new activity, ongoing as of mid-June, might be occurring along the Titan Ridge and has the potential to form an ephemeral new island.

Despite the unknowns, the effects of the eruption became unmistakable for some communities in Papua New Guinea’s Admiralty Islands. In early June, rafts of pumice drifted northwest from the eruption site and clogged up coastlines on several of the islands. Bands of the buoyant volcanic material are visible in this image, acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 on June 4, as they drifted with surface currents on the Bismarck Sea.  

Several days after the image, news outlets reported acute impacts from thick masses of pumice reaching coastal areas. Communities on Lou Island and Baluan Island, to the south, were described by officials as among the worst affected, according to reports from local media. Outlets reported that a layer of pumice up to several meters thick blanketed the shore, cutting off access to the water. The volcanic fragments similarly choked the coast and key waterways around the much larger Manus Island, about 125 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of the volcano and out of frame.

A bright-white volcanic plume and an area of greenish water extend to the northwest from an underwater eruption.
A submarine volcano produces a plume of discolored water and vents steam into the air in an image acquired on June 4, 2026, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8. Pumice is visible near the base of the plume and exhibits a thermal signature in infrared imagery.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Studies of past pumice raft events have found that the material can remain afloat for months to years before sinking out of satellite view. Larger rafts can form with the help of ash, which serves to “weld” together fragments of the porous rock, said Jim Garvin, the chief scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, noting this process occurred during the 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai. “These masses can pile up around erupting vents to protect the eruption centers and produce ephemeral new lands in some cases,” he said. When adrift, such pumice platforms can act as floating homes for marine organisms—from microalgae to bryozoans to barnacles—and enable them to disperse over long distances.

Though beneficial to life in some ways, the rafts can pose serious threats to humans and other species. Some of the larger fragments of pumice stack up to form ridges when they reach the coastlines of islands. Reports from Papua New Guinea highlight the disruptions to fishing, the transport of goods, and access to critical services that can occur when pumice accumulates along the coast.

Communities have expressed concerns over the pumice’s effects on marine ecosystems, as well. Researchers have noted that the sustained presence of pumice can block sunlight and may inhibit photosynthesis in seagrass and corals below, and the rocks may physically damage reef structures. In a review of the ecological effects of pumice reaching Japan’s coast in 2021, researchers noted the die-off of filter-feeding fish in fishery cages from ingesting pumice, warning that other wildlife may be harmed by mistakenly consuming the rocks.

New studies using an ensemble of orbital remote sensing platforms—including Landsat, hyperspectral instruments, and imaging radars—are tracking developments in this Bismarck Sea region, Garvin said. These observations can provide new perspectives on hazards as well as unique scientific opportunities for improved understanding of submarine eruptions.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

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Bands of tan-colored pumice float on the Bismarck Sea near several islands and bright-blue shallow areas. The material lines the southern coast of the largest island. A bright-white volcanic plume and an area of greenish water extend to the northwest from an underwater eruption.

June 4, 2026

JPEG (7.36 MB)

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