What type of volcano is Chaiten?

What type of volcano is Chaiten?

caldera volcano
Chaiten is a caldera volcano located in Chile. In May 2, 2008 it started erupting and continued on till late November for the first time in 9,400 years (Lara, 2009). The unique thing was it was the first large-scale plinian rhyolitic eruption to be observed.

Why did the Chaiten volcano erupt?

The eruption that started on May 2 was unexpected because Chaitén was thought to have been dormant. During an eruption, some volcanoes build a dome of lava. Eventually, hot blocks of lava break away from the dome, triggering a fast-moving avalanche of hot volcanic ash, gas, and lava, called a pyroclastic flow.

When did Chaiten erupt?

2011
Chaitén/Last eruption

Is Chaitén volcano still active?

Dormant for more than 9,000 years, the Chaiten Volcano in southern Chile began to erupt on May 2, 2008, forcing thousands of residents from their homes. In the months that followed, the volcano remained active.

When did Chaitén erupt?

Is Chaiten volcano still active?

What does Vei mean in volcanoes?

Volcanic Explosivity Index
VEI Table. The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a scale that describes the size of explosive volcanic eruptions based on magnitude and intensity. The numerical scale (from 0 to 8) is a logarithmic scale, and is generally analogous to the Richter and other magnitude scales for the size of earthquakes.

What island can you find the Taupo volcano?

Lake Taupō, in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island, is the caldera of a large rhyolitic supervolcano called the Taupō Volcano. This huge volcano has produced two of the world’s most violent eruptions in geologically recent times.

Did a volcano erupt in 2008?

After more than 9,000 years of silence, Chaitén Volcano in southern Chile erupted on May 2, 2008. The plume of ash and steam rose 10.7 to 16.8 kilometers (35,000 to 55,000 feet) into the atmosphere, reported the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program.

How big was The Chaiten volcano before it erupted?

Chaitén is a relatively small (3 km wide) volcanic caldera located on the western flank of the Michinmahuida volcano. Before the May 2008 eruption began, it contained a rhyolitic obsidian lava dome and several small lakes.

Where is The Chaiten volcano in southern Chile?

Chaitén: Introduction Chaitén is a small volcanic caldera located on the flank of the Michinmahuida volcano in southern Chile. Before 2008, it consisted mainly of a rhyolitic lava dome last active 9,400 years ago.

How is Chaiten located above the subduction zone?

Simplified plate tectonics cross-section showing how Chaitén is located above a subduction zone formed where the Nazca and South America plates collide. In this subduction zone melting produces magma bodies that rise towards the surface. Image by Geology.com. Map: Where is Chaitén?

Is the Chaiten volcano a positive or a negative?

They have distinctive characteristics and can have both positive and negative effects on people and the landscape. Chaiten is a small volcano in western Chile in the Andes fold mountains. Beneath it is a destructive plate margin, where the Nazca plate subducts under the South American plate.