Chaitén / Futaleufú

The Eruption of the Chaitén Volcano

At the break of dawn on May 2nd, 2008, the Chaitén Volcano, situated in the X Region of the Lakes in Chile, 10 kilometers away from the district bearing the same name, began to erupt.

Though its existence was known as a geomorphologic unit and it was identified as such in the charts, the eruptive history of this volcano is a mystery.

As it became active, it provoked a huge cloud of ashes and the expulsion of incandescent rocks. Therefore, the local authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the area. The operation included the Districts of Chaitén and Futaleufú; approximately 4,000 people had to abandon their houses and try to get away from this zone.

At present, these districts are covered by a 15-centimeter layer of volcanic ashes. They are totally dressed in white. There is no doubt that this event has affected the agricultural and cattle raising activities developed in the region and it is not yet known when the settlers may return to their houses.

The ecological disaster caused by the volcano eruption will take several decades to revert and the physiognomy of this area in southern Chile has been completely altered.

In this section of Chaitén, we show images and contents revealed before the eruption of this 900-meter-high massif. As far as Chaitén continues roaring, there exists the possibility that the situation becomes worse, though it is estimated that the worst part of this episode has already passed.