Natures Special Effects - Chilean Volcanic Eruption
April 6th 2009 03:03
Image by Pat Taschler
Chile's chain of some 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second-largest after Indonesia. Around 50 to 60 are recorded to have erupted, while 500 are deemed potentially active.
Llaima, which lies in Chile's picturesque lake region about 700 km south of the capital Santiago,is the second to erupt in the past year. The Chaiten volcano, 1,222 km south of Santiago in the Patagonia region, erupted last May for the first time in 9,000 years, forcing the evacuation of thousands of local residents.
Ash from Chaiten soared 20 miles into the atmosphere, swelled rivers and caused floods that damaged dozens of houses and destroyed much of the nearby town of the same name.
Chaiten erupted again in February, prompting a fresh evacuation of residents who had rejected a government plan to abandon the town and rebuild it a few miles away.
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