Chaitén (volcano)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chaitén | |
|---|---|
 2003 photograph from the International Space Station. The caldera is the circular feature visible in the lower part of the image. The town of Chaitén is to the top. (This image is aligned roughly South-West – around 220°.) |
|
| Elevation | 1,122 metres (3,681 ft) |
| Location | Chile |
| Range | Andes |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Type | Caldera |
| Last eruption | May 6, 2008 |
Chaitén is a volcanic caldera 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in diameter, west of the elongated, ice-capped Michinmahuida volcano, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of Chaitén town in the Gulf of Corcovado, in southern Chile. The caldera is partially filled by a rhyolite obsidian lava dome that reaches a height of 962 metres (3,156 ft) above sea level, a portion of which is devoid of vegetation. Two small lakes occupy the caldera floor on the west and north sides of the lava dome.[1]
The translucent grey obsidian which had erupted from the volcano was used by pre-Columbian cultures as a raw material for artifacts.[2]
The volcano last erupted on May 6, 2008. According to the Global Volcanism Program, radiocarbon dating of the last lava flow from the volcano suggests that it last previously erupted in 7420 BC, plus or minus 75 years.[1]
[edit] 2008 eruption
An eruption on the morning of May 2, 2008 forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 people from the town of Chaitén and caused the death of an elderly woman.[3] The eruption continued through to May 4.[4] Towns such as Futaleufú were affected and water supplies were contaminated.[4]
A team of scientists from the US was dispatched to the area to assess the air quality and the risks from chemicals in the falling ash.[4]
The towns of Chaitén and Futaleufú were completely evacuated on the morning of May 6, 2008, because of a massive new eruption, with pyroclastic and possible lava flows.[5]
The two craters of the volcano have fused into one, and according to government experts an even bigger eruption, as well as several weeks of continuous activity are possible.[citation needed]
As of June 12 2008, Chaiten continues to erupt. Over the last few days the wind has been from the south, carrying the ash plume northward directly over the city of Puerto Montt, which has been the base of operations for Chaiten relief efforts. Puerto Montt is near the center of this excerpt from a 500m resolution MODIS Aqua image.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Chaitén. Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
- ^ Naranjo, José A; Stern, Charles R (December 2004). "Holocene tephrochronology of the southernmost part (42°30'-45°S) of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone" 31 (2): pp. 225-240. Revista geológica de Chile. ISSN 0716-0208. OCLC 61022562.
- ^ "One dead as Chilean volcano spews ash for third day", Reuters UK, Thomson Reuters, 2008-05-04. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ a b c Malinowski, Matt. "Evacuations continue in Chile volcano zone", Patagonia Times, 2008-05-05. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ "Chile eruption spurs evacuations", BBC News, BBC, 2008-05-06. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
