Amazing NASA images part 1 of 2: volcanic plume seen from space

The International Space Station took this amazing snapshot of an eruption in progress in the Kuril Islands near Japan on June 12th.The Sarychev volcano plume seen here above Matua Island shows some fascinating features detailed by NASA in the photo slideshow below.The 'hole' punched in the cloud deck is theorized to be caused in part either by the shockwave of the volcanic blast and/or sinking