2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption (puˈʝewe) is a volcanic eruption that began in the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
volcanic complex in Chile
on June 4, 2011. Misleadingly called by media the Puyehue eruption - the eruption is actually from the Cordon Caulle fissure. At least 3,500 people were evacuated from nearby areas, while the ash cloud was blown across cities all around the Southern hemisphere
, including Bariloche, Buenos Aires
, Montevideo
, Stanley
, Porto Alegre
, Cape Town
, Hobart, Perth
, Adelaide
, Sydney, Melbourne
, Wellington and Auckland
, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of international and domestic flights and causing travel chaos.
By 18 June the ash cloud had completed its first circle of the globe. The Chilean civil aviation authority said that "the tip of the cloud that has travelled around the world has more or less reached the town of Coyhaique
", about 600 kilometres south of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle.
An estimated one hundred million tons of ash, sand and pumice were ejected - requiring power equivalent to 70 atomic bombs.
Cordón Caulle is a volcanic fissure and has erupted many times in recorded history, most recently in 1960, following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake days earlier, whereas the Puyehue stratocone has remained dormant.
(OVDAS) of Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería de Chile (SERNAGEOMIN) reported on April 27, 2011, 15:30 local time, an increased seismicity at the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle and set the alert Level to 3, Yellow.
Between 20:00 on June 2 and 19:59 on June 3, OVDAS reported that about 1,450 earthquakes at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle were detected, or an average of about 60 earthquakes per hour. Scientists and regional authorities flew over the volcano, noting no significant changes. The alert level remained at 3, yellow. Area residents reported feeling earthquakes during the evening of June 3 through the morning of June 4.
On June 4, 11:30 local time, a new round of eruption in the Puyehue volcano began. For a six-hour period on 4 June seismic activity increased to an average of 230 earthquakes per hour, at depths of 1–4 km. About 12 events were magnitudes greater than 4 of Richter magnitude, and 50 events were magnitudes greater than 3. The alert level was raised to 5, red.
At 15:15 local time OVDAS reported an explosion and a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)-wide ash-and-gas plume that rose to an altitude of 10 kilometres (32,808.4 ft) above sea level. The plume drifted south at 5 kilometres (16,404.2 ft) altitude, and southeast and east at 10 kilometres (32,808.4 ft) altitude. The alert level was raised to 6, red.
After 18 days it first erupted, Lava
begun spilling from volcano, heading west and flowing "slowly by a channel about 50 meters wide and 100 feet long."
According to Argentine physicists, the eruption sent one hundred million tons of ash, sand and pumice stone, equivalent to the load of 24 million trucks of sand and released power equivalent to 70 atomic bombs.
, Río Bueno
, Futrono
, and Lago Ranco
; initially 600 persons were evacuated. The "red alert" was later extended for the Los Ríos Region
area: the areas of Pocura, Pichico, Los Venados, Contrafuerte, El Zapallo, Futangue, Pitreño, Trahuico, Riñinahue Alto, Ranquil, Chanco, Epulafquén, Las Quemas, Licán, Boqueal, Rucatayo, and Mantilhue were evacuated; and areas in the Los Lagos Region
such as El Retiro, Anticura, El Caulle, Forestal Comaco, and Anticura Pajaritos were also evacuated, increasing the number to at least 3,000 total evacuated people. It was reported that, at first, large land- and farm-owners in Chilean rural areas near the volcano did not allow workers to be evacuated. According to Chilean authorities, the evacuated persons "would be relocated in temporary shelters in safe areas." There are no reports of deaths or injuries.
The families who refused to be evacuated from the riverbed of Rio Nilahue were removed by force by the Carabineros de Chile after a resolution of the Appeal Court of Valdivia
. It took the police more than 8 hours to evacuate 40 people. People resisted mainly because they had to leave their livestock behind. Small livestock farmers were permitted to check and care for their livestock once a day.
On June 17, 2011 OVDAS reported that the ash-and-gas plume reached 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) above sea level, and the frequency of earthquakes had dropped to 5 per hour. They reduced the alert level from 6 (moderate eruption) to 5 (imminent eruption), and at least 100 evacuated persons were allowed to return home. People from the Northeast side of the Cordón (Nilahue and Gol Gol Valley) will stay in the shelters.
On June 19 the ONEMI
decided that all 4,200 evacuees could return home, as the scale of the eruption continued to decrease.
, Bariloche and the northern part of Chubut
province. The eruption was reported to have produced lightning and strong thunderstorms. Argentine Minister of Defense
Arturo Puricelli
ordered that "the Argentine Army personnel, means of transport, water treatment plants, and other equipment of VI Mountain Brigade in the province of Neuquén" be moved to the affected areas on the Argentine border with Chile.
In Argentina's affected cities, people have been recommended to stay indoors.
On June 5 the ash rain in Bariloche ceased. There were reports that the ash had caused power outages and prompted the local airport to be closed. The Bariloche Atomic Centre
reported that the ashes contain no crystal phases of quartz
or cristobalite
.
On June 9 ash clouds from Puyehue reached Uruguay
, forcing most flights to be cancelled. On June 11 the ash clouds reached the southern tip of New Zealand
, with unusual sunsets reported in Invercargill
.
Further disruption was caused by ash in October 2011, with airports at Mendoza, Bariloche and Buenos Aires closed and flights to Buenos Aires and Montevideo cancelled. This was ash from the earlier eruption which had been deposited across Patagonia and stirred up by high winds. Some areas of Argentina close to the Chilean border still had ash falling almost daily four months after the June eruption.
rose to 45 °C (113 °F) and killed an estimated 4.5 million fish with an economic impact on fish farming
in the area. The cattle economy was also damaged.
Scientists from the Southern University of Chile analyzed waters from the Nilahue
and Golgol
rivers, the two principal collectors of waters from Cordón Caulle. Scientists found that if solid particles were removed the water was safe to drink.
and Río Negro Province
s had suffered five years of drought, and the ash destroyed the little pastureland still serviceable. 750,000 sheep suffered the consequences, and Rio Negro officials said 60,000 head of cattle also were "at risk."
On the ground lava, but also ash and volcanic stone can impede vehicle movement.
and the "Cardenal Samore Pass"
was reported to be covered by 10 to 15 cm of "volcanic stone" by Chilean authorities. and closed down on June 4.
The Chilean government increased the frequency of barges on the Pirihueico Lake
in Huahum Pass
to transport passengers traveling between Chile and Argentina. Huahum Pass is approximately 100 km north of the closed "Cardenal Samore Pass".
On June 22, as the ash cloud rounded the world and returned to Chile, the Chilean airline LAN cancelled flights to Temuco
and Valdivia
in the south of the country.
was closed due to the ash cloud. Ash fell across a wide swathe of South America, forcing cancellation of most flights across the southern half of the continent. A planned meeting between the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay was cancelled because José Mujica
was unable to fly to Buenos Aires.
South Brazil
suffered a lot with flights between Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago, Curitiba, Florianopolis and Porto Alegre cancelled.
as the ash cloud did not cover the route over Punta Arenas.
released a statement saying that the ash cloud was being monitored and that there was no operational impact to the airlines, however, two local airlines, South African Airways
and Kulula.com
, cancelled some flights to and from Cape Town International Airport
and East London Airport
on June 18; operations later returned to normal,
, Melbourne
, Perth
, and all of Tasmania and New Zealand. Initially Air New Zealand
managed to avoid cancellations by flying their aircraft at lower altitudes (20,000 feet) in order to avoid ash, requiring 10% more fuel. Cancellations started by June 15. Subsequently Rob Fyfe of Air New Zealand hit back at malicious rumours from Australian airlines that continuing to fly was unsafe.
Virgin Australia resumed flights to southern Australia by June 13, but Qantas
and its subsidiary Jetstar did not resume flights until June 14 and 15 because the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Australia did not have the technology to determine the thickness of the plume. Losses for the airlines are expected to be in the millions.
Flights to and from Perth were disrupted by the approaching plume of ash, extending from 15,000 to 35,000 feet.
On June 20 flights were once again cancelled at Adelaide and Mildura airports. On June 21 and 22 flights to Sydney, Canberra
, Melbourne, Newcastle
, Wagga Wagga and Albury
airports were cancelled due to the ash cloud. the ash cloud was expected to move from Australia to New Zealand.
placed the cost of disruptions to airlines at A$21 million for Qantas and $11 million for Virgin Australia. The tourism industry was also impacted, costing A$15 million during the two-week period, with CEO John Lee
of lobbying group Tourism & Transport Forum stating a daily cost of at least A$10 million as a result of complete closure of Sydney and Melbourne's main airports.
The government of Neuquen
province, Argentina, declared an economic emergency as the ash cloud was harming tourism and threatening livestock. The decree by provincial governor Jorge Sapag
allowed those affected to claim for tax and other benefits. In Argentina ashes from Puyehue were advertised for sale and some were also used for making handicraft
s. The intendant
of Villa La Angostura
asured that there were plenty of ideas of what to do with the ashes, among them brick
s. In addition ashes were used to improve gravel road
s around San Carlos de Bariloche
.
The Argentine president announced on national television plans to supply $2.41 billion dollars to 1,400 farmers and businesses in the area affected by the ash cloud. They also plan to spend $7 million on the cleanup operation, and double social benefits, and defer tax payments for the hardest hit regions.
Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
Puyehue and Cordón Caulle are two coalesced volcanic edifices that form a major mountain massif in Puyehue National Park in the Andes of Ranco Province, Chile. In volcanology this group is known as the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex...
volcanic complex in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on June 4, 2011. Misleadingly called by media the Puyehue eruption - the eruption is actually from the Cordon Caulle fissure. At least 3,500 people were evacuated from nearby areas, while the ash cloud was blown across cities all around the Southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, including Bariloche, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Stanley
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Stanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
, Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Hobart, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Sydney, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Wellington and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of international and domestic flights and causing travel chaos.
By 18 June the ash cloud had completed its first circle of the globe. The Chilean civil aviation authority said that "the tip of the cloud that has travelled around the world has more or less reached the town of Coyhaique
Coyhaique
Coihaique , also spelled Coyhaique in Patagonia, is the capital city of both the Coihaique Province and the Aysén Region of Chile. Founded by settlers in 1929, it is a young city. Until the twentieth century, Chile showed little interest in exploiting the remote Aisén region...
", about 600 kilometres south of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle.
An estimated one hundred million tons of ash, sand and pumice were ejected - requiring power equivalent to 70 atomic bombs.
Cordón Caulle is a volcanic fissure and has erupted many times in recorded history, most recently in 1960, following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake days earlier, whereas the Puyehue stratocone has remained dormant.
Eruption
The Southern Andean Volcano ObservatorySouthern Andean Volcano Observatory
200px|thumb|right|[[Llaima]]'s 2008 eruption as viewed from [[Temuco]]The Southern Andean Volcano Observatory , also known by its acronyms as OVDAS, is a program of the Chilean National Geology and Mining Service to watch the most dangerous volcanoes of the Southern Volcanic Zone in Zona Sur and...
(OVDAS) of Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería de Chile (SERNAGEOMIN) reported on April 27, 2011, 15:30 local time, an increased seismicity at the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle and set the alert Level to 3, Yellow.
Between 20:00 on June 2 and 19:59 on June 3, OVDAS reported that about 1,450 earthquakes at Puyehue-Cordón Caulle were detected, or an average of about 60 earthquakes per hour. Scientists and regional authorities flew over the volcano, noting no significant changes. The alert level remained at 3, yellow. Area residents reported feeling earthquakes during the evening of June 3 through the morning of June 4.
On June 4, 11:30 local time, a new round of eruption in the Puyehue volcano began. For a six-hour period on 4 June seismic activity increased to an average of 230 earthquakes per hour, at depths of 1–4 km. About 12 events were magnitudes greater than 4 of Richter magnitude, and 50 events were magnitudes greater than 3. The alert level was raised to 5, red.
At 15:15 local time OVDAS reported an explosion and a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)-wide ash-and-gas plume that rose to an altitude of 10 kilometres (32,808.4 ft) above sea level. The plume drifted south at 5 kilometres (16,404.2 ft) altitude, and southeast and east at 10 kilometres (32,808.4 ft) altitude. The alert level was raised to 6, red.
After 18 days it first erupted, Lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
begun spilling from volcano, heading west and flowing "slowly by a channel about 50 meters wide and 100 feet long."
According to Argentine physicists, the eruption sent one hundred million tons of ash, sand and pumice stone, equivalent to the load of 24 million trucks of sand and released power equivalent to 70 atomic bombs.
Evacuation
A "red alert" was declared pre-emptively by the National Emergencies' Office (ONEMI) for regions near the volcano: PuyehuePuyehue, Chile
Puyehue is a commune in Chile located in Osorno Province of Los Lagos Region. It is bordered to the south by Rupanco Lake, to the east by the Andes and Argentina, to the north by Puyehue Lake and to the west by Osorno commune. Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass that links the Los Lagos Region to...
, Río Bueno
Río Bueno, Chile
Río Bueno is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Río Bueno. It is located in Ranco Province in Los Ríos Region...
, Futrono
Futrono
Futrono is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Futrono...
, and Lago Ranco
Lago Ranco, Chile
Lago Ranco is a town and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Lago Ranco. It is located in Ranco Province in Los Ríos Region...
; initially 600 persons were evacuated. The "red alert" was later extended for the Los Ríos Region
Los Ríos Region
The XIV Los Ríos Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Valdivia. Pop. 356,396 . It began to operate as region on October 2, 2007. It was created by subdividing the Los Lagos Region in southern Chile...
area: the areas of Pocura, Pichico, Los Venados, Contrafuerte, El Zapallo, Futangue, Pitreño, Trahuico, Riñinahue Alto, Ranquil, Chanco, Epulafquén, Las Quemas, Licán, Boqueal, Rucatayo, and Mantilhue were evacuated; and areas in the Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.Its capital is Puerto Montt;...
such as El Retiro, Anticura, El Caulle, Forestal Comaco, and Anticura Pajaritos were also evacuated, increasing the number to at least 3,000 total evacuated people. It was reported that, at first, large land- and farm-owners in Chilean rural areas near the volcano did not allow workers to be evacuated. According to Chilean authorities, the evacuated persons "would be relocated in temporary shelters in safe areas." There are no reports of deaths or injuries.
The families who refused to be evacuated from the riverbed of Rio Nilahue were removed by force by the Carabineros de Chile after a resolution of the Appeal Court of Valdivia
Valdivia
-Geography:*Chile** Valdivia, Chile, a city and municipality in the Province of Valdivia** Valdivia River, a river which begins in the city of Valdivia** Valdivia Province, the Province of Valdivia...
. It took the police more than 8 hours to evacuate 40 people. People resisted mainly because they had to leave their livestock behind. Small livestock farmers were permitted to check and care for their livestock once a day.
On June 17, 2011 OVDAS reported that the ash-and-gas plume reached 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) above sea level, and the frequency of earthquakes had dropped to 5 per hour. They reduced the alert level from 6 (moderate eruption) to 5 (imminent eruption), and at least 100 evacuated persons were allowed to return home. People from the Northeast side of the Cordón (Nilahue and Gol Gol Valley) will stay in the shelters.
On June 19 the ONEMI
ONEMI
ONEMI or Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the prevention, organization, coordination and information relative to natural disasters. After the 1960 Valdivia earthquake a committee was formed to solve problems caused by the...
decided that all 4,200 evacuees could return home, as the scale of the eruption continued to decrease.
Ash cloud over Argentina and Uruguay
The ash cloud crossed Chile's borders and precipitated over the Argentine cities of Villa la AngosturaVilla La Angostura
Villa La Angostura is a village in the south of the Argentine province of Neuquén, on the northwest shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake.-Geography and climate:...
, Bariloche and the northern part of Chubut
Chubut
Chubut may refer to*Chubut Province, Argentina*The Chubut River and its Valley in that province....
province. The eruption was reported to have produced lightning and strong thunderstorms. Argentine Minister of Defense
Ministry of Defense (Argentina)
The Ministry of Defense of Argentina is a ministry of the national executive power that deals with everything related to the country national defense...
Arturo Puricelli
Arturo Puricelli
Arturo Puricelli is an Argentine lawmaker, currently the country's Minister of Defense.-Life and times:Arturo Antonio Puricelli was born in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in 1948. He enrolled at the National University of the Littoral, and became affiliated with the populist Justicialist Party...
ordered that "the Argentine Army personnel, means of transport, water treatment plants, and other equipment of VI Mountain Brigade in the province of Neuquén" be moved to the affected areas on the Argentine border with Chile.
In Argentina's affected cities, people have been recommended to stay indoors.
On June 5 the ash rain in Bariloche ceased. There were reports that the ash had caused power outages and prompted the local airport to be closed. The Bariloche Atomic Centre
Bariloche Atomic Centre
thumb|300px|View of the nucleus of the reactor RA-6. The blue light derives from the [[Cherenkov radiation|Cerenkov effect]].The Bariloche Atomic Centre is one of the research and development centres of the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission...
reported that the ashes contain no crystal phases of quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
or cristobalite
Cristobalite
The mineral cristobalite is a high-temperature polymorph of silica, meaning that it has the same chemical formula, SiO2, but a distinct crystal structure. Both quartz and cristobalite are polymorphs with all the members of the quartz group which also include coesite, tridymite and stishovite...
.
On June 9 ash clouds from Puyehue reached Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, forcing most flights to be cancelled. On June 11 the ash clouds reached the southern tip of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, with unusual sunsets reported in Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
.
Further disruption was caused by ash in October 2011, with airports at Mendoza, Bariloche and Buenos Aires closed and flights to Buenos Aires and Montevideo cancelled. This was ash from the earlier eruption which had been deposited across Patagonia and stirred up by high winds. Some areas of Argentina close to the Chilean border still had ash falling almost daily four months after the June eruption.
River temperature and contamination
The eruption of the Chilean volcano Puyehue significantly affected the surrounding environment. The temperature of the Nilahue RiverNilahue River
Nilahue River is an Andean river in Lago Ranco commune in south-central Chile. Nilahue River originates in Cordón Caulle volcano and discharges into Ranco Lake, being its second largest tributary after Calcurrupe River. The catchment basin of the river receives water both from rainfall and from...
rose to 45 °C (113 °F) and killed an estimated 4.5 million fish with an economic impact on fish farming
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
in the area. The cattle economy was also damaged.
Scientists from the Southern University of Chile analyzed waters from the Nilahue
Nilahue River
Nilahue River is an Andean river in Lago Ranco commune in south-central Chile. Nilahue River originates in Cordón Caulle volcano and discharges into Ranco Lake, being its second largest tributary after Calcurrupe River. The catchment basin of the river receives water both from rainfall and from...
and Golgol
Golgol River
The Gol-Gol River is a the main tributary of Puyehue Lake in southern Chile. Gol-Gol River runs in a east-west direction between the volcanoes Puyehue-Cordón Caulle and Casablanca. Its catchment areas covers the whole area between these massifs from the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass to Puyehue Lake....
rivers, the two principal collectors of waters from Cordón Caulle. Scientists found that if solid particles were removed the water was safe to drink.
Livestock
The ash cloud led Argentina to declare a state of emergency for farmers as the prolonged eruption's continued effect on the 2 million head of sheep that graze in southern Argentina. ChubutChubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
and Río Negro Province
Río Negro Province
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.Its capital is Viedma...
s had suffered five years of drought, and the ash destroyed the little pastureland still serviceable. 750,000 sheep suffered the consequences, and Rio Negro officials said 60,000 head of cattle also were "at risk."
Transport disruption
Ash poses a significant threat to aircraft because once sucked into engines, it can be transformed into molten glass by the high temperatures and potentially cause an engine to fail.On the ground lava, but also ash and volcanic stone can impede vehicle movement.
Chile
Initially, because of the wind direction (to east), the flights within Chile were not interrupted and only the highway Route 215-CHRoute 215-CH
thumb|250px|right|Image of Route 215-CH between [[Puyehue Lake]] and [[Golgol River|Golgol Valley]]Route 215-CH is a branch line road going eastward from Osorno at Chile Highway 5 to Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass at the border to Argentina...
and the "Cardenal Samore Pass"
Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass
Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass it is one of the main mountain pass through the southern Andes along the border between Argentina and Chile.Together with Paso Libertadores, it is one of the easiest of the Argentina-Chile passes, and one of the few with asphalted roads in the region...
was reported to be covered by 10 to 15 cm of "volcanic stone" by Chilean authorities. and closed down on June 4.
The Chilean government increased the frequency of barges on the Pirihueico Lake
Pirihueico Lake
Pirihueico Lake is one of Seven Lakes in Panguipullis municipality, southern Chile. The lake is of glacial origin and it is enclosed mountains of the Andes. It is located in a geological fault that includes Panguipulli Lake and Lácar Lake in Argentina. The lake is drained by Fui River. Pirihueico...
in Huahum Pass
Huahum Pass
Huahum Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Huahum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the pass does not go through the continental divide, it crosses the highest...
to transport passengers traveling between Chile and Argentina. Huahum Pass is approximately 100 km north of the closed "Cardenal Samore Pass".
On June 22, as the ash cloud rounded the world and returned to Chile, the Chilean airline LAN cancelled flights to Temuco
Temuco
Temuco is a city and commune, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The name comes from the Mapudungun language, meaning "temu water"; "temu" is a tree used by Mapuches for medicinal purposes. The city is located 670 km south of Santiago...
and Valdivia
Valdivia
-Geography:*Chile** Valdivia, Chile, a city and municipality in the Province of Valdivia** Valdivia River, a river which begins in the city of Valdivia** Valdivia Province, the Province of Valdivia...
in the south of the country.
Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
On June 4 at approximately 4:30 pm local time, Neuquén AirportPresidente Perón International Airport
Presidente Perón International Airport is an airport in Neuquén Province, Argentina serving the cities of Neuquén, Cipolletti, Plottier, Centenario, and General Roca. It has the 4C ICAO Classification...
was closed due to the ash cloud. Ash fell across a wide swathe of South America, forcing cancellation of most flights across the southern half of the continent. A planned meeting between the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay was cancelled because José Mujica
José Mujica
José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano is a Uruguayan politician and former guerrilla fighter, a member of the Broad Front and current President of Uruguay....
was unable to fly to Buenos Aires.
South Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
suffered a lot with flights between Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santiago, Curitiba, Florianopolis and Porto Alegre cancelled.
Falkland Islands
Three Falkland Islands air links with the United Kingdom were merged onto one aircraft. Allocation operated according to a priority system, with passengers ranked in importance. The three highest categories were 1. Travel for medical reasons (as designated by the Director of Health and Education); 2. Students returning to study (as designated by the Director of Health and Education); 3. Business passengers at risk of a serious and unavoidable impact on their business. Passengers were strongly recommended to travel LAN AirlinesLAN Airlines
LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance...
as the ash cloud did not cover the route over Punta Arenas.
South Africa
On June 14 the South African Civil Aviation AuthoritySouth African Civil Aviation Authority
The South African Civil Aviation Authority is the South African national aviation authority, overseeing civil aviation and governing investigations of aviation accidents and incidents. It is headquartered in the Midrand community of Johannesburg.-External links:* *...
released a statement saying that the ash cloud was being monitored and that there was no operational impact to the airlines, however, two local airlines, South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
and Kulula.com
Kulula.com
kulula.com, also known as Kulula Air , is a South African low-fare airline, operating on major domestic routes out of OR Tambo International Airport, outside of Johannesburg. There are also a limited number of international flights to Namibia, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe...
, cancelled some flights to and from Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport
Cape Town International Airport is the primary airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately from the city centre, the airport was opened in 1954 to replace Cape Town's previous airport in the suburb of...
and East London Airport
East London Airport
East London Airport is located in East London, South Africa.East London's airport is a small but bustling one that plays an important role in the growing economy of the Eastern Cape....
on June 18; operations later returned to normal,
Australia and New Zealand
At its greatest extent, strong winds had carried the ash cloud from Puyehue a great distance at high altitude, and the ash remained present for several days at distinct altitude bands between 20,000–35,000 feet over New Zealand and southern Australia, disrupting flights between AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and all of Tasmania and New Zealand. Initially Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
managed to avoid cancellations by flying their aircraft at lower altitudes (20,000 feet) in order to avoid ash, requiring 10% more fuel. Cancellations started by June 15. Subsequently Rob Fyfe of Air New Zealand hit back at malicious rumours from Australian airlines that continuing to fly was unsafe.
Virgin Australia resumed flights to southern Australia by June 13, but Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
and its subsidiary Jetstar did not resume flights until June 14 and 15 because the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Australia did not have the technology to determine the thickness of the plume. Losses for the airlines are expected to be in the millions.
Flights to and from Perth were disrupted by the approaching plume of ash, extending from 15,000 to 35,000 feet.
On June 20 flights were once again cancelled at Adelaide and Mildura airports. On June 21 and 22 flights to Sydney, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Melbourne, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Wagga Wagga and Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
airports were cancelled due to the ash cloud. the ash cloud was expected to move from Australia to New Zealand.
Economic and financial impact
Macquarie EquitiesMacquarie Group
Macquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
placed the cost of disruptions to airlines at A$21 million for Qantas and $11 million for Virgin Australia. The tourism industry was also impacted, costing A$15 million during the two-week period, with CEO John Lee
John Lee (New South Wales)
John Lee is a senior Australian bureaucrat, former head of the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and former Rugby League coach....
of lobbying group Tourism & Transport Forum stating a daily cost of at least A$10 million as a result of complete closure of Sydney and Melbourne's main airports.
The government of Neuquen
Neuquén
Neuquén is the name of the following things:* Neuquén, Argentina* Neuquén Province* Neuquén River* Neuquén Group...
province, Argentina, declared an economic emergency as the ash cloud was harming tourism and threatening livestock. The decree by provincial governor Jorge Sapag
Jorge Sapag
Jorge Augusto Sapag is a politician and lawyer, a member of the Neuquino People's Movement and governor of Neuquén Province since 2007....
allowed those affected to claim for tax and other benefits. In Argentina ashes from Puyehue were advertised for sale and some were also used for making handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s. The intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of Villa La Angostura
Villa La Angostura
Villa La Angostura is a village in the south of the Argentine province of Neuquén, on the northwest shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake.-Geography and climate:...
asured that there were plenty of ideas of what to do with the ashes, among them brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s. In addition ashes were used to improve gravel road
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
s around San Carlos de Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the , situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake and is located inside Nahuel Huapi National Park...
.
The Argentine president announced on national television plans to supply $2.41 billion dollars to 1,400 farmers and businesses in the area affected by the ash cloud. They also plan to spend $7 million on the cleanup operation, and double social benefits, and defer tax payments for the hardest hit regions.
External links
- OVDAS reports
- Chile's Volcano Erupts: Crazy Skies — slideshow by Life magazine
- Volcanic Ash and Pumice From Puyehue, slideshow from The Atlantic, Jun 17, 2011