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Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, right, visits the Chaiten volcano.
Volcano Erupts in Southern Chile; More than 4,000 Residents Evacuated
by
findingDulcinea Staff
by Chris Coats
President Michelle Bachelet pledges support and aid after visit, as the Chaiten Volcano continues to spew lava and ash.
President Michelle Bachelet pledges support and aid after visit, as the Chaiten Volcano continues to spew lava and ash.
30-Second Summary
A volcano in the southern Patagonian region of Chile, one of the world’s most seismically active areas, has erupted for the first time in modern history, prompting an immediate evacuation of nearby towns.
Located 760 miles from the capital city of Santiago, the Chaiten volcano has steadily grown more active since first showing signs of movement last week.
The mountain began spewing ash on Friday, May 2, launching an ashen cloud into the sky, and resulting in the evacuation of more than 4,000 people in Chaiten and Futaleufu. One death has been reported after a 92-year old woman suffered a heart attack while being evacuated.
Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet toured the area Sunday to survey the damage and need for evacuation. The villagers have asked Bachelet to help relocate the town, but she has said that it was too early to pursue such measures.
Although, there is no written record of an eruption at Chaiten, experts suggest that it has not erupted in over 2,000 years. Recognized as one of the world’s most seismically active counties, Chile is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.
Located 760 miles from the capital city of Santiago, the Chaiten volcano has steadily grown more active since first showing signs of movement last week.
The mountain began spewing ash on Friday, May 2, launching an ashen cloud into the sky, and resulting in the evacuation of more than 4,000 people in Chaiten and Futaleufu. One death has been reported after a 92-year old woman suffered a heart attack while being evacuated.
Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet toured the area Sunday to survey the damage and need for evacuation. The villagers have asked Bachelet to help relocate the town, but she has said that it was too early to pursue such measures.
Although, there is no written record of an eruption at Chaiten, experts suggest that it has not erupted in over 2,000 years. Recognized as one of the world’s most seismically active counties, Chile is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.
Headline Links: Chaiten erupts
First erupting on May 2, the Chaiten Volcano began spewing ash and lava on May 4 spurring an immediate evacuation order from the local governor. The town has pleaded with the government to relocate their homes, but so far the administration has denied such measures.
Source: CNN
The eruption began with a plume of ash twelve miles into the sky, causing the initial evacuation and causing flights departing Argentina to be delayed. However, several residents have insisted on staying in their homes.
Source: MSNBC (Video)
Background: Chaiten and Chile’s volcanic legacy
Chaiten is one of over one hundred volcanoes in Chile, making the country one of the most seismically active countries in the world. Though reports vary about when the previously snow-capped mountain last erupted, it did not occur at any point in recorded history.
Source: Volcano Live
This is not the first volcanic evacuation in Chile this year. In January, the southern tip of the country saw another eruption forcing an evacuation of park workers and tourists.
Source: National Geographic (Video)
Hardly a stranger to seismic activity, Chile was also host to the 20th century’s most powerful earthquake. On May 22, 1960, the town of Valdivia was reduced to rubble when it was struck by a quake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale. Waves from the quake struck the shores of Japan a short time later.
Source: Science Daily
Reaction: Next steps
Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet toured the area Sunday to survey the damage and need for evacuation. The town has asked Bachelet to help move the town, but she has said that it was too early to pursue such measures.
Source: ABC News
The volcanic eruption at Chaiten will undoubtedly cause extensive damage. So far the only human death was that of a 92-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack while being evacuated.
Source: Scientific America
Reference: History’s biggest eruption, how volcanoes work
Modern history’s most powerful volcanic eruption came in 1815 with the eruption of Mount Tamobora. Shooting lava and ash 28 miles into the sky, the volcano was locally responsible for more than 80,000 deaths. Worldwide, the volcano affected weather patterns and caused massive shortages of crops, resulting in a “year without a summer.”
Source: History Magazine
For more information on just what makes a volcano erupt, and all the dangers and precautions involved, visit the findingDulcinea feature, Nature Wages War.
Source: findingDulcinea
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