Chilean Volanco erupts, nearby town nearly deserted

[lurkey]

Chilean volcano town nearly deserted

By SANTIAGO LLANQUIN, Associated Press Writer Sat May 3, 6:07 PM ET

CHAITEN, Chile - The Chaiten volcano spewed light ash on a nearly deserted village Saturday, two days after its first eruption in thousands of years.
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No more than 45 of Chaiten's 4,500 residents remained in what looked like a ghost town, its streets, houses, cars and trees draped with a thick layer of light-colored ash, Interior Minister Edmundo Perez said.

Those who decided to stay after Thursday's eruption could be seen wearing face masks outdoors in Chaiten, 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of the capital, Santiago. Street lights were illuminated under darkened skies.

Just six miles (10 kilometers) away, the volcano belched fat smoke plumes that at times rose as high as 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air, the government's Emergency Bureau said.

Winds carried the ash to other towns in the region and across the Andes mountains to Argentina, where two airlines suspended flights due to poor visibility.

Authorities evacuated most of Chaiten's residents to schools and churches in the nearby cities of Puerto Montt and Castro.

"It is very difficult to predict when the people will be able to return," Perez said. "This situation can last for days, or weeks — or longer."

Some residents were pessimistic.

"This could be the end of our town," community leader Leonardo Maureira told Radio Cooperativa of Santiago. "We have worked an entire life here and now all we could do was to put a few things in a bag and depart, leaving everything behind."

Others decided to stay.

"We have to protect our investment," said Nelson Alderete, a small shopkeeper, as he watched his wife and small daughter board a boat to Puerto Montt. "But if things get really ugly, I will leave."

Chaiten Mayor Jose Fritis said the town will not die.

"This has been a historic catastrophe for us, but we will rebuild from the ashes," he said.


Video from BBC

[masaji79]

The volcano erupted again today. Amazing to think that this volcano is erupting after being dormant for 9,000 years!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/ ... index.html

[senorpepr]

FVAW25 KGWC 070259
VOLCANIC ASH ERUPTION UPDATE

VOLCANO: CHAITEN 1508-041

LOCATION: 4249S 07238W AREA: CHILE

SUMMIT ELEVATION: 3681 FT (1122 M)

1. DETECTION SOURCE: GOES-10 IMAGERY.

2. ERUPTION DETAILS: CONTINUOUS ASH ERUPTIONS.
TRAJECTORY: ASH FROM FL100 TO FL200 MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25-35 KTS;
ASH FROM FL200 TO FL350 MOVING TO THE ENE AT 40 KT.

3. REMARKS: AN ASH PLUME WAS OBSERVED ON THE 07/0219Z GOES-10 IR IMAGE
AND EXTENDED ABOUT 40NM NE OF THE VOLCANO SUMMIT. THE ASH PLUME WAS
ALSO DIVERGING SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTH OF THE MAIN ASH AREA.

PUFF DETAILS: DUE TO SOFTWARE LIMITATIONS, THE PUFF MODEL GRAPHICAL
FORECAST WILL NOT BE ISSUED OR POSTED TO JAAWIN.

4. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE LATEST FVAG SABM BULLETIN AND WVAG SABE
SIGMET.

WEBSITE INFO: FOR METSAT ANALYSIS SEE
HTTPS: //WEATHER.AFWA.AF.MIL/ENVIRONMENTAL(UNDERSCORE)EVENTS.HTML
(LOWER-CASE ONLY).

5. THIS BULLETIN WILL BE UPDATED BY 07MAY2008 AT 0930Z.

PREPARED BY LAURENTI

[JonathanBelles]

That image is amazing!

[senorpepr]

FVAG01 SABM 062020
VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY
ISSUED: 2008 06052020Z
VAAC: BUENOS AIRES
VOLCANO: CHAITEN 1508-41
LOCATION: S42.833 W72.646
AREA: CHILE-S
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 962M
ADVISORY NUMBER: 2008/022
INFORMATION SOURCE: SIGMET 03
AVIATION COLOR CODE: RED
ERUPTION DETAILS: GROWING QUICKLY
OBS ASH DATE/TIME: VA CLD OBS AT 1235Z TOP FL350 MOV ENE
FCST ASH CLD + 06HR: 061800Z SFC/FL200 S4200 W07200 ? S4000 W06900 ?
S3900
W06700 ? S3800 W06500 ? S3900 W04200 ? S4000 W04100 ? S4100 W05900 ?
S4300 W05900 ? S4300 W06200 ? S4100 W06500 ? S4100 W06600 ? S4300
W06800 ? S4300 W07200 ? S4200 W07200 FL200/350 S4000 W06400 ? S4000
W06100 ? S4100 W06000 ? S4600 W05500 ? S4600 W05900 ? S4300 W06200 ?
S4200 W06400 ? S4000 W06400 FL350/550 NO ASH EXP
FCST ASH CLD + 12HR: 070000Z SFC/FL200 S4200 W07000 ? S4000 W06900 ?
S3800
W06700 ? S3700 W06500 ? S3700 W06200 ? S3800 W06000 ? S4000 W05500 ?
S4100 W05400 ? S4500 W05300 ? S4500 W05500 ? S4400 W05700 ? S4300
W05800 ? S4000 W06000 ? S4000 W06600 ? S4300 W06700 ? S4300 W07000
S4200 W07000 FL200/350 S4000 W05700 ? S4100 W05300 ? S4500 W05000 ?
S4700
W04800 ? S4800 W05300 ? S4700 W05400 ? S4500 W05500 ? S4400 W05600 ?
S4000 W05700 FL350/550 S4600 W05000 ? S4800 W04900 ? S4800 W05100 ?
S4900
W05200 ? S4600 W05200 ? S4600 05000
FCST ASH CLD + 18HR: 070600Z SFC/FL200 S4200 W06800 S4000 W06800 ?
S3700
W06700 ? S03600 W06300 ? S3600 W05900 ? S3700 W05700 ? S4000 W05000 ?
S04300 W04800 ? S4400 W04900 ? S4500 W04800 ? S4800 W04800 ? S4800
W05100 ? S4500 W05800 ? S4000 W05500 ? S3800 W05800 ? S3800 W06100 ?
S4000 W06400 ? S4200 W06800 FL200/350 S4000 W05000 ? S4100 W04800 ?
S4500 W04100 ? S4700 W04200 ? S4800 W04500 ? S5000 W04400 ? S5200
W04500 ? S5300 W04900 ? S5200 W05000 ? S5000 W05100 ? S4500 W05400 ?
S4400 W05300 ? S4400 W05100 ? S4000 W05000 FL350/550 S4800 W04500 ?
S5000
W04400 ? S5200 W04500 ? S5200 W04700 ? S5000 W04700 ? S04800 W04700 ?
S4800 W04500
NEXT ADVISORY: 060220 UTC
REMARKS: VA CLD IDENTIFIABLE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY IR Y VIS AT 1309Z
MOV TO ENE



WVAG01 SABE 070000
SAEF SIGMET 1 VALID 070035/070635 SABE-
EZEIZA FIR VA CHAITEN S4283 W7265 VA CLD OBS AT 1235Z TOP FL350 MOV
ENE FCST ASH CLD 070000Z SFC/FL200 S42W70 S40W69 S38W67 S37W62
S38W60 S40W55 S41W54 S45W53 S45W55 S44W57 S43W58 S40W60 S40W66 S43W67
S43W70 S42W70 FL200/350 S40W57 S41W53 S45W50 S47W48 S48W53 S47W54
S45W55 S44W56 S40W57 FL350/550 S46W50 S48W49 S48W51 S49W52 S46W52
S46W50 AVIATION COLOR CODE: RED. GROWING QUICKLY =

[HURAKAN]

Excellent image. This volcano has been all over the news. Good that the Chilean government has acted accordingly.

[masaji79]

That really is an awesome picture. You can really tell the scale of the eruption from an image like that.

[MaxiBide]

It's amazing how a volcano can wake up after 9.000 years almost without a warning. The situation is really complicated in Chaiten and nearby towns in Chile. I've seen in the news people leaving their houses, maybe forever, and it's heartbreaking.
The winds directed most of the ash plume towards Argentina. Cities like Esquel or El Bolson (150 and 200 km. away from the volcano) as well as most of the Chubut Province and Rio Negro Province are covered in several centimeters of volcanic ash. I live in Bahia Blanca, in southern Buenos Aires Province (more than 1.200 km. away from the volcano) and right now the sunlight is dimmed by the ash cloud. Cars, plants, and everything that spent the night outside is covered by a thin grey layer of volcanic dust.

[johnmeanswhatever]

It kinda makes you realize that US based volcanoes such as Mt. Baker in Washington or Mt. Hood in Oregon could easily wake right up and have a little event themselves.

I sincerely hope the best for all those affected, but the geology nerd side of me is totally impressed with all the videos and images various news agencies are showing. Sure is a reminder of how powerful nature can be.

[senorpepr]

Volcano Erupts in Chile; Spews Ash 12 Miles Up

Santiago, Chile
Associated Press
May 6, 2008

Chile's Chaitén volcano spewed lava and blasted ash more than 12 miles (19 kilometers) into the sky on Tuesday, prompting a total evacuation of the provincial capital and other settlements.

President Michelle Bachelet interrupted a speech in the capital to announce that "the volcano is exploding, so a total evacuation of the town of Chaitén has been ordered."

Rains following the eruption have carpeted surrounding areas in ash and mud. Hard hit is Chaitén, a small provincial capital of wooden houses and cobblestone streets just six miles (ten kilometers) from the volcano in southern Chile.

More than 4,000 people had fled earlier and the few remaining residents were being transferred to two navy ships.

Palena province's governor, Fernando Aguilar, said some people were resisting, but "everybody must leave."

Following 9,000 years of slumber, the volcano's five-day eruption has sent a thick column of ash into the stratosphere, streaming across Patagonia to the Atlantic.

Carmen Fernandez, head of Chile's Emergency Bureau, said the final evacuation order covers 300 people, including police, soldiers, emergency personnel, a few reporters, and some residents.

Fernandez said the amount of lava emerging from the volcano "is very small and very thick, so it is moving very slowly."

Authorities were also evacuating the ash-coated town of Futaleufú, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Chaitén near the Argentine border. Many people there wore surgical masks or cloth across their mouths to guard against the gritty ash.

Officials in Argentina also reported ash fall over wide areas in the southern part of the country.



Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[johnmeanswhatever]

Well, if that ain't the most impressive photo....

[lurkey]

[JonathanBelles]

OMG that lightning picture is straight from the movies. its amazing!!

[HURAKAN]

If that's a real picture, then it's the most amazing thing I have ever seen!!!

[senorpepr]

Here's more regarding that picture... plus another picture!



By JOHN TROUP

Published: 07 May 2008


LIGHTNING spears a plume of ash above an erupting volcano — sparking a spectacular natural light show.

Storm clouds gathered over Chile’s Chaiten peak as it spewed the towering cloud of hot debris 12 miles into the sky.

A photographer captured the dramatic scene as the two merged.

Thousands of people have been evacuated after the 3,280ft volcano — thought to be inactive after thousands of dormant years — burst into life.


White-hot lava streamed down its slopes in the Patagonia region of southern Chile, with ash falling as far afield as neighbouring Argentina.

Chaiten officials yesterday ordered the evacuation of all remaining locals.

[JonathanBelles]

im guessing that lightning storm probably blows any Florida storm out of the water.

[lurkey]

When Volcanoes Spew Lightning

Several days ago, a volcano that had been dormant for 9,000 years near the coast of Chile erupted spectacularly, hurling liquified metals and lightning many miles into the sky. The results, which you see here, are called a "dirty thunderstorm," and are quite rare. Nobody is certain what causes them, but according to National Geographic it's believed to be "the result of rock fragments, ash, and ice particles in the plume collid[ing] to produce static charges—just as ice particles collide to create charge in regular thunderstorms." Want to see a photo of the volcano plume from space?

The volcano spewed debris twenty miles up into the atmosphere. It erupted on Friday, May 2, and erupted again yesterday. Over 4,000 locals have fled, but luckily everyone was able to get away safely. The lava isn't the fast-moving kind, but rather a slow-moving creep of material. So nobody is being menaced by a rapidly-moving wall of liquid rock.

[Cyclenall]

Those pictures are real? That would be an incredible sight!

[MaxiBide]

Here you can see a video that shows the lightning in the ash plume... amazing

Youtube - Lightning and thunder over Chaitén

[Kennethb]

Here is a link to additional photos:

http://megagalerias.terra.cl/galerias/i ... eria=30734