Haruj is the large volcanic field that dominates this Landsat image mosaic acquired over central Libya. The plateau was built from basaltic lava flows that erupted over time from approximately 150 separate volcanoes. The volcanic craters and lava flows are all evidence of a previous active period, well preserved in the dry Sahara Desert.

The geologic evolution of this landscape is not fully understood, but some scientists have used the texture and color differences revealed in satellite images to try to interpret the relative ages and sequence of different volcanic events. The numerous spectral bands and band combinations available from Landsat mean that the color variation of individual lava flows can be especially helpful for interpreting different phases of volcanic activity.

Many of the bright spots within the darker colored basalt flows are sand-filled craters associated with individual volcanoes. Other light-colored areas are depressions covered with silt and fine sand.

This image mosaic consists of numerous Landsat 8 scenes acquired in early 2015. Landsat images can be useful to support geologic mapping and studies of large and remote features such as this.