File:Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcano, Chile - NASA Earth Observatory.jpg
To download the full resolution and other files go to: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=7631...
The eruption at Chile’s Puyehue-Cordón Caulle continues after starting in early June of this year. The current plume is much smaller than during the opening phases of the eruption, topping out at about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles). However, high atmospheric winds are carrying the ash away and disrupting air travel throughout the region. Depending on the wind, ash from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle is being carried 120–250 kilometers (75–160 miles) from the vent.
Once the ash and tephra (solid material ejected by a volcano) are erupted, it isn’t the end to the hazard they pose. These images show the accumulation of ash and tephra on the waterways around Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, especially Lago Huishue, Gris, and Constania on the eastern (right) side of the image. Some smaller lakes are completely covered in volcanic debris. Rainfall and snowmelt can easily move the ash deposits into nearby drainages, and produce small mudflows (called lahars when they are made up of volcanic material) that carry debris even further away. The stream valley in the lower left hand side is grey with ash and volcanic debris. These accumulations of volcanic debris will likely be remobilized for years to decades after the eruption ends.
NASA images by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using ALI data from the EO-1 Team. Caption by Erik Klemetti, Denison University and Wired Eruptions Blog, and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC.
The Earth Observatory's mission is to share with the public the images, stories, and discoveries about climate and the environment that emerge from NASA research, including its satellite missions, in-the-field research, and climate models.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on TwitterCamera location | ![]() | View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap | ![]() |
---|
Licensing
- You are free:
- to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
- to remix – to adapt the work
- Under the following conditions:
- attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
![]() |
This image was originally posted to Flickr by NASA Earth Observatory at https://www.flickr.com/photos/68824346@N02/6309230774. It was reviewed on 2 July 2012 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0. |