ARGENTINA: Leading geologist and volcanologist studies composition of volcanic ash near base of Chilean volcano to learn what weary residents can expect next

Record ID: 444634

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Leading geologist and volcanologist studies composition of volcanic ash near base of Chilean volcano to learn what weary residents can expect next
  • Date: 23rd June 2011
  • Summary: VILLA LA ANGOSTURA ARGENTINA (JUNE 22, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HORSES CARRYING HAY VARIOUS OF GEOLOGIST AND VOLCANOLOGIST, GUSTAVO VILLAROSA WITH HIS ASSISTANT VARIOUS OF CLEAR WATER RUNNING THROUGH RIVER WITH ASH COVERED SHORES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GEOLOGIST AND VOLCANOLOGIST, GUSTAVO VILLAROSA, SAYING "We study morphology, the size of particles, the way these di
  • Embargoed: 8th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVA282X85HL4NPMGIGMS7J37PHN7
  • Story Text: An Argentine geologist and volcanologist hiked through the thick ash towards the base of the rumbling Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano for a closer look at the grey material that it has sent raining down over southern Argentinean and Chilean cities for nearly three weeks in hopes of finding clues on what weary residents can expect from the fuming volcano.
    Gustavo Villarosa took samples of the sediment that has accumulated over the weeks since the Chilean volcano began spewing ash on June 4 and says clues in its make-up can help scientists better understand what phase the volcano is in.
    "We study morphology, the size of particles, the way these different sizes organize themselves which allows us to understand how they come to fall and this is related to different phases of the eruption. On the other hand, we also study the chemistry of these materials which tells us what process they were in while in the magma chamber, in the interior, how these materials were solidifying and their situation. This allows us to understand the eruption and particularly the system," Villarosa told Reuters.
    The June 4 eruption in Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain emitted a massive ash cloud that grounded thousands of flights across the globe and coated tourist towns in southern Argentina with thick grit, bringing farming and tourism to a standstill, but Villarosa says the environmental impact should be minimal.
    "We don't expect there to be a huge environmental catastrophe in the natural system. In fact, its had eruptions that have not been as energetic as this one, not as big as this last one, but this very volcano erupted in 1960, in 1920-21 and other times before that. And in the past 15,000 or 20,000 years it has been doing the same thing it is doing now. And like we've seen, natural systems are pretty healthy," Villarosa added.
    Scientists reported signs of lava flow at the volcano's base on Tuesday (June 21) which they said could mean the beginning of the end of the volcanic activity.
    Experts have cautiously started to say that the situation was starting to stabilize, but meteorologists warned on Wednesday that changing winds were expected to send more ash blanketing Argentinean cities already smothered in ash.
    Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second-largest after Indonesia's. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.
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