Ghassan Taha (614/MSU) contributed to the Earth Observatory Item of the Day (IOTD), "A Blanket of Ash from Ruang." Ruang is a volcanic island in Indonesia, which generated "explosive eruptions" on April 16, 2024. The smoke plumes reached the stratosphere and ash and other debris fell on the island. Landsat satellites caught the effects of this volcanic eruption, which damaged houses and affected air travel. According to Dr. Taha, "We expect to see aerosol particles circulating in the stratosphere for weeks, if not months."