NASA image acquired October 22, 2011

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.

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