Chaitén explosion causes partial cone collapse

Chaitén volcano explodes causing cone to collapse  partially

Chaitén volcano erupted again Thursday in southern Chile, spewing a large cloud of ash, hot gases  and molten rock into the air, sending a river of lava down its slopes after a  partial collapse of its cone. The explosion prompted officials to evacuate about 150 people who had returned to Chaitén town, which lies about 10 km  from the crater, that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption last year.

Steam rises from the Rio Blanco river after the Chaitén volcano spewed ash in Chaitén, some 1,220 km (760 miles) south of Santiago February 19, 2009. REUTERS/Cristian Brown/Intendencia Region de los Lagos/Handout

“I looked up and saw a tremendous column (of ash), just like in the beginning, one-and-a-half kilometers high,” said  a resident who had returned to Chaitén despite government warnings.

“I didn’t see much because it was overcast, and there was this huge column and fierce sound.”

Deputy Interior Minister Patricio Rosende said Chaitén had experienced “a significant resumption of activity”.

“Our security team has observed an increase in the size of a column of ash and smoke, with a deformation to one side,” he added.

“That leads us to presume that there is a collapse of one of the cones. This is more proof of the imminent risk in the area. It is a time-bomb.”

Luis Lara of the National Geologic and Mining Service  warned that a major eruption could occur anytime.

“There could be a major explosion that could collapse the volcano’s cone,” said Lara.

Chile straddles the South American and Nazca tectonic plates, which makes it one of  the most volcanically active regions on the planet.

With an estimated 2,000 volcanoes of which about a tenth are potentially active, Chile boasts the second largest chain of volcanoes in the world after Indonesia. Some 20 [1 percent] of the the active volcanoes in Chile could erupt at any time.

Based on its recent analysis, FEWW team believes that there’s an 80 percent probability Volcán Guallatiri (northern Chile) could erupt explosively after nearly five decades of dormancy.

Related Links:

• Volcano Watch Special: Volcán Guallatiri
• Chaitén: Volcano with a Mission?
• Chaitén: Volcano that Doesn’t Sleep
• Chaitén’s Fury Ending?

• The Power of Chaitén Volcano
• Chaitén Volcano Still Active
• Chaitén Volcano: No End Seen to Second Massive Eruption
• Chile: Volcano activity prompts mass evacuation

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