Page 127 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

104 The Americas

Figure 7.5 With an altitude of 2847m Villarica volcano dominates the landscape
Note: Villarica volcano also has the reputation of being one of the most active volcanoes in South America.

maintained an active lava lake at its summit for hazards therefore expected from future eruptions
over 20 years and has shown persistent strombolian are those that derive from lava flows and pyroclastics
activity from this lake situated at the bottom of the fallout, together with those induced by them, such
summit crater. This lava lake could not have as lahars and river floods. Indeed, the existence of
survived for so long without sustained supply of a large glacier together with seasonal snow makes
heat by magma convection in the conduit. the Villarica volcano a lahar generator durings its
The volcano’s most recent notable eruptive eruptions. Moreover, the lahars, generated by the
episode began in August 2004 and ended around ice and snow melts together with high lava
3
Christmas 2007 (during 29 March to 3 April 2005 effusion rates (100m /s), have been, as mentioned
strombolian explosions occurred from the lava above, the worst and most destructive hazard
lake and some gas explosions were observed). during recent times. Today, the main potential
More recently, two significant phreatomagmatic volcanic hazards for the town of Pucón located at
explosions occurred on 26 October 2008 that the foot of the volcano remain lahar flows
deposited a layer of pyroclastic material several descending the Urbio-Pedregoso and Zanjon
kilometres long on the eastern flank of the Seco River systems. Summer tourism in the area
volcano. During this eruptive phase visitors were increases the population by about 200 per cent
banned from climbing the volcano. The main and is an additional factor of risk.

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