Calbuco, Chile Volcano Case Study Flashcards
Where is this volcano located?
Los Lagos, Chile
In which mountain range will you find Calbuco?
The Andes
When did the volcano last start to erupt?
22nd April 2015
What was the VEI of the 2015 eruption?
4
What is special about Calbuco’s location?
It is on a triple junction
What is the name of mid-oceanic ridge?
The Chile Rise
What is unusual about the Chile Rise?
It is being subducted
Which plate is subducting the Chile Rise?
The South American plate
Where is the Chile Rise being subducted?
At the Peru-Chile trench
Did anyone die as a result of the 2015 eruption?
No
What had happened just a month before the eruption?
There had been floods in the north of the country and another volcano had also erupted.
What are 3 key dates in relation to this event?
22nd April
23rd April
1st May
What happened on the 22nd April?
Scientist detect an earthquake and one hour later, the volcano erupts.
On the 22nd April, how long did the eruption last?
90 mins
How big was the ash column that was created on the 22nd April?
49,000 feet
Where did the ash cloud drift to and what did it do?
It moved northeastwards and covered towns up to 18 miles away.
How long did the second eruption last for?
6 hours
When did the second eruption take place?
23rd April at 1pm
How many earthquakes were recorded during the second eruption?
Over 150 per hour
What else was produced as a result of the second eruption?
Another column of ash similar to the first one
What happened on the 1st May?
The volcano erupted for the third time in 8 days.
How many people were evacuated after the third eruption?
2,500- some of which had just returned from being evacuated earlier.
What was the radius of the evacuation zone created on the 22nd April?
12.5miles
Was the third eruption more or less intense than the others?
Less intense
What had to be cancelled as a result of the eruption?
Flights
Which problem, related to the ozone layer, became worse as a result of the event?
There was more ozone depletion with the Antarctic ozone hole increasing in size.
What agricultural problem occurred as a result of the eruption?
Crops failed
What percentage of Chile’s population works in the agricultural sector?
9.64%
How much would the eruption cost the local economy?
$600 million
How many cancellations did hotels see for the long weekend?
10%
What type of farms were contaminated with lahars?
Salmon farms
How far did the lahars travel?
9 miles
What three plates are part of the triple junction?
Nazca
South American
Antarctic
Which plate is being subducted?
The Nazca plate
How much warning did people have before the first eruption?
One hour
What are 3 environmental impacts of the eruption?
Lahars and pyroclastic flows contaminate water sources.
Habitats and ecosystems destroyed or disrupted.
Reduced visibility
What are 3 economic impacts of the eruption?
Cleaning up water sources and land is expensive
More money needs to be invested in mitigation and prediction
Rebuilding infrastructure is expensive
What are 3 social impacts?
Injures and trauma
Disruption to routine
Jobs in tourism as people come to visit the volcano
Why might people visit the volcano?
Scenery
Hot weather (in Chile)
Horse riding
Trekking
Why might people live near the volcano?
Fertile soil
How many people were evacuated after the first eruption?
4000
How many sheep and cattle had to be evacuated?
4000
What had to be closed?
Schools
Which city had to have emergency measures put in place?
Bariloche
How far away from the volcano is Bariloche?
100km
Why were emergency measures put in place for Bariloche?
Because of the movement of the ash cloud.
What was difficult to clean up?
The 210million m3 of ash
What is Chile’s emergency plan called?
Chile Prepares
What happens as a result of Chile Prepares?
Each region has 6 emergency evacuations each year.
