Published May 7, 2008 03:23PM
If you were thinking about trekking in Patagonia soon, you may want to wait until the dust — or in this case, ash — settles: Chile’s Chaiten Volcano erupted yesterday, sending pyroclastic plumes soaring into the stratosphere and coating nearby towns in inches of ash. The Chilean government has declared a state of emergency and started evacuating the area, including rafting Mecca Futaleufu.
The eruption of the 3,155-ft. volcano was largely unexpected, and geologists estimate the last time it blew was around 7420 B.C. The prehistoric eruption created the 2-mile-wide lava dome that just ruptured. Check out the footage:
Whoah. When nature blows her top, it’s probably best to just get out of the way.
— Ted Alvarez
Via The Adventurist