‘Red’ Alert at Copahue Volcano

Copahue volcano activity could intensify

Authorities in Argentina and Chile have raised the alert at Copahue volcano  in Biobio region to the highest level after detecting continued seismic activity on Sunday.

A column of ash and smoke from Copahue volcano rises above the town of Caviahue, a popular ski resort in Neuquen province, Argentina, some 1500 km SW of the capital Buenos Aires. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright. 

• Copahue first erupted on Saturday, showering ash on nearby villages and prompting many to evacuate.

• “The intensity of seismic signals suggests the eruption in progress is on the smaller side [however] we cannot discount the possibility that the activity could turn into a larger eruption,” said a spokesman for the Chilean Geology and Mining Services.

• The 2,970-meter volcano is in SW Argentina’s Neuquen province, near the Chilean border.

• About 3,000 people live in the vicinity of the massive volcano, including  the residents of Copahue, the town of Caviahue and indigenous Mapuche communities.

• The ash plume rose  to a height of about 1.5km (5,000ft) above the crater, said Chile’s emergency office (ONEMI).

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