John Homenuk

Chile’s Calbuco erupts for first time in 40+ years

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Yes, we are a New York Metro Area forecasting website. But there are times when it becomes prudent to venture out a bit — especially when a worldwide event occurs such as this one.

Chile’s “Calbuco” volcano erupted yesterday, for the first time in more than 40 years. The first eruption, Wednesday afternoon, spewed massive amounts of ash into the sky a few hours prior to sunset. A second eruption overnight was stronger than the first — with massive amounts of ash and lava continuing to erupt.

The nearby town of Ensenada was evacuated, with a total of 1500 people displaced and evacuated from the region. The eruption came as a “Surprise” to the National Mining and Geology Service, which said that Calbuco was not under any special form of observation prior to Wednesday.

We have included some photos below, including long exposure photos from overnight into Thursday morning as well as some time-lapse videos showing the event. The lightning? Caused by the pyrocumulus clouds which are typical to volcano eruptions. Our friends at Capital Weather describe process well:

“Pyrocumulus clouds form when intense heat at the ground causes air to rise rapidly. This usually happens in the event of a wildfire or volcanic eruption. The clouds themselves form in the way that all clouds do — as the air rises, water vapor condenses into tiny droplets, which form the cloud. While typical cumulus clouds appear puffy and white, pyrocumulus can take on a grey appearance due to the ash and smoke within the cloud. In the case of exceptionally strong updrafts, pyrocumulonimbus clouds are possible, which can produce rainfall and lightning.”

For more detailed information on the eruption, including the latest updates and technical information, we recommend this post over at Wired. 

Calbuco erupts on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

Calbuco erupts on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

Long exposure photo of overnight eruption (Latercera.com).

Long exposure photo of overnight eruption (Latercera.com).

TOPSHOTS View from Frutillar, southern Chile, of lava spewing from the Calbuco volcano, on April 23, 2015. Chile's Calbuco volcano erupted on Wednesday, spewing a giant funnel of ash high into the sky near the southern port city of Puerto Montt and triggering a red alert. Authorities ordered an evacuation for a 10-kilometer (six-mile) radius around the volcano, which is the second in southern Chile to have a substantial eruption since March 3, when the Villarrica volcano emitted a brief but fiery burst of ash and lava. AFP PHOTO/MARTIN BERNETTIMARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOTS View from Frutillar, southern Chile, of lava spewing from the Calbuco volcano, on April 23, 2015. Chile’s Calbuco volcano erupted on Wednesday, spewing a giant funnel of ash high into the sky near the southern port city of Puerto Montt and triggering a red alert. Authorities ordered an evacuation for a 10-kilometer (six-mile) radius around the volcano, which is the second in southern Chile to have a substantial eruption since March 3, when the Villarrica volcano emitted a brief but fiery burst of ash and lava. AFP PHOTO/MARTIN BERNETTIMARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images