NASA captures image of sulfur dioxide “blanket” over Costa Rica after eruption

November 3^rd, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Satellites belonging to the United States space agency, NASA, captured images of a “blanket” of sulfur dioxide over western Costa Rica a day after the Turrialba volcano began erupting last Wednesday.

Satellites captured the following image on Thursday, October 30^th, the day after Turrialba roared to life:

Compare this to an image captured the day before Turrialba began erupting:

Yemerith Alpizar of the National Seismological Network (RSN) told Amelia Rueda that the gas column reached an altitude of about eight kilometers.

“The important thing here is acid rain,” Alpizar said, which occurs when sulfur dioxide mixes with rain clouds and produces precipitation.

Alpizar recommend avoiding direct skin contact with acid rain.